Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-05-06
WRITER'S BORN, NOT MACE,
SAYS AUTHOR OF COLLEEN
Mrs. Gushing Has Little Faith I'm
Precipitation Without Native
Inspiration.
NOT AFRAID or THE MOVIES
Spoken Drama Will Always Remain
Finest Interpretation OF Life, BE-
lieves Youthful Writer OF Six Sue
cessful Plays I'm Five Years.

Mrs. Catherine Chisholm Gushing.
author OF six dramatic successes. an
other play to be produced in Richmond
next week. and three more in her
trunk. is a suffragist. but wears no
spertacles. She has the general ap-
pearance OF Vassar valedictorian.
positive views abou. the destiny of the
movies. and "a typewriter that she car
ries in her suit ga Sc wherever she goes.
along with her vanity box.
THIS is Il condensed cubist impress
Sion OF the youthful author of Col
leen." the comedy of Irish country. life
which VIII be presented at tho Acad-
envy OF Music next week by the Price
/ players. she presided over an inter
view on the jefferson Hotel mezzanine
yesterday, chaperoned by her husband.
! Mrs. Cushing willing to share
with the world her views on every
phase of life and literature except
| Colleen" That was not to be dis
! cussed in advance of the performance.
! Why spoil the novelty by making pub
! lie the story of the play, which Is TO be
given it's premiere Monday night? That
! would be Il sin against the JOY of an
ticipation which neither the public nor
the press agent could forgive. Suffice
il to say that colleen is simple.
! sympathetic little comedy Of rural Ire
| land, with note OF courage. a de-
; licious love story. and not thing in il
to wound tho political sensitirencss OF
any freshman, be he from loyal Ulster
. VI IeDelllouS tupiiH.
SIX SUCCESSFUL
PLAYS IN FIvI: YEARS
The author OF The Real Thing"
Jerry" Miss Ananias." Widow by
Proxy" Kitty Mackaye,' and OF the
dramatic version of 'Polyanna.
| reached over and tapped the wooden
table AS she admitted that she has writ
ten six successful plays in Ave years.
What is your rccipe for success in
playwritinE she was asked
Keep alert. study people. aud make
their every action tell YOU something:
keep on marking things down in your
note book: then run your husband out
OF the room. lock the door and write
just write what you have seen and
learned. find it impossible ~ write
| when any one else is in the room.
stcnographer would disturb mel
could never work with one. That's
why carry my typewriter with me
wherever so. II is up in my room
now"
rs shat recipe holcproof and guar
antced for six months" the interviewer
asked.
'.Not by any means" sh. replied mo
amount of study and effort will take
the place Of nativ. ability. My theory
is that writers-wri,ers OF plays and
All other writers--are born. not made
The ability has to be there in the be-
ginning. II is the one thing that can
not he acquired.
NATIVE ABILITY
| NECESSARY ron WRITING
She was reminded that this was
/ sad piece OF philosophy for the thous-
ands who suffer from the delusion that
. nothing is unattainable to those who
( try hard erOugh-that il does violence
even To the Declaration Of lndcpen-
dcncc which assures tho simple in heart
! that all men are born free and equal,
! but she declined To amend her views.
why don't you write "a suffrage
| play"
This was dcsi:ned to III, the sufra
! sist author Of Peggy" on the dcfcn-
Svc. for most OF her dramatic stories
have dealt with tho heautic. OF domcs-
tie life and the simple joys OF the
| young. 1t turned out to bc poorly de-
| signed
Because every body is talking about
| it and writing about it," she came back
promptly One doesn't usually care
to on the stage thing with which
! ono is thoroughly familiar. There is no
novelty. no element OF personal con.
J nict. nothing dramatic about suffrage
"Dcsirablc. but not dramatic" Ill"
rank outsider suggested.
lust tnat.' she approved.
! Whcreupon Mrs. Cushing observed
that most movies bored her and that
the spoken drama had nothing to f,ar
from the ever-iucrea sing popularity OF
MOVIES WILL. SOT REPLACE
TUE SPOItEN DRAMA
The movies will never take the
place Of the speaking stage. You may
AS well expect the violin to disp,ace
the human voice. The effectiveness Of
the drama lies - per cent in the per-
sonality, voice. and magnetism OF the
! living beings who speak its lines. and
only - per cent in It's pictorial
Situa tons and action.
The movies will keep on getting bet |
ter. and they have their proper place, !
but for the finest Interpretation Of life |
the world will still turn to the drama |!
that is spoken"
Mrs. Gushing will witness the pro- |
duction OF Colleen, i'm which Miss |
Patricia CollinCc, herself OF Irish birth, |
Viii take the part of Norah
III isn't a case of trying il on the
'doS, said the author. II want Rich !
mond TO like Colleen IF Richmond |
" fnx Tcr,,