New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-10-14
A Preface to Clare Hummer
And Other Playwnghts Who Write Their Own
lntroductions
BY Ralph Block


cot necessarily numbered in Roman IN puoSeu euio
% be preface of most people who write for the stage
e sufficient their Judgment tells them
M bnness prefaces informally IN the play
u order criticism with prori rebuta pref
aces of the producers announcement such as Mr.
characterization of Tiger Rose as "a meodranna Oh ne e"'
preface marked by saving honesty But the COM
honest form preface the atmospheric preface by which the play
wright producer together manage to hpoe the wandering
audience deliberate appeal of the peculiar fixed ideas
hat they thus oang whatever critical sense
NAV orchestra loge and balcony by fixing the attention on
THAT being necessarily uncrtcal The popular deiuso
that appears of THE Land OF the Free TO take
example dramaurgy that persons VINO enter
America by way bound to find fame and fortune
greeting those who make their debut In the cone
| manner of the native TaorMade Man. bangles the
~ notionwhch girs the addresses to men of Mr.
Charles Schwab modern succethat the way to get on IN
M ~ nav more attention think be asked
70 take than you holding And THE Country COUSIN
b has had the living Presidents and exPresdens
E +bsr niece Of illusion presented to generation the
m act sophstry that the devil long ago claimed the ces
for his the subsequent coary that the pure IN hart reside
only in rural precincts.
whenever two people get together Broadway and talk about the
g these prefaces are called oy, themes Ordinarily
n they planted the beginning to keep audiences
m the wit and imagination h rest OF 'h piece
overwhelmingly only someimes-wil be-
ur % reason Or writing at such length is to
prp, the ClOre Hummer
o IN the three e l.r PLAYS grace local to be that
% and .xao ry playwright of it without at
tempt 1e While the gifts that difnate the hummer hunn0fS
from factory product of the Broadway wit are obvious 10
any frst intelligent why such gifts are different
not always apparent would the moment that Miss
Runner refuge Of the thesis and the defence OF the eS
much Of brothers Of the craft casual inspection OF "A sue
save their marrying the richest young man who
that Weah returns before the sacrifice H consummaed
might intending to say that one could
cake and have the slowly dawning acknowledge
m Of the rate who parOnzes the Hummer drama
that payw nothing all commonplace indeed that the
b. has sc.yev surrendered right prove anything debate
thing life theory about life or DO anything more IMAM
expose things that all people do and say In
words nmer bird the Comic Spirit who
freed from every 16saoa except P " tb are most human
plots such makeshif such obvious OOe
plate because Miss Hummer too nam
the Joys Of eS s b pm MIS-; Knsr would draw any one of the
several odga plots extraordinarily interesting angle
cared still most OF
me base runners Of .b theatrical gene
lows what loves labor field of all late
appears be by far the best
NO yo avoid Shaw begin talking
that matter of the Easishpeakng
stag. did, large shadow against which
every willy n be measured And in this case without
the measurement highly enjoyable all the disadvantage of Miss
M rtv 70 Gore Meredith the apostle Spirit himself
much too beneath their testing to
Spirit shsw never content to laugh for laughter own
dOvg and thus he out Of all travel
r through prefaees for his plays has
welded the mghest budgn for the several causes OF morals ana
Of with the Saxon has forced him to espou Inc
the Shaw wit however brilliant and penetrating mas all
that with brlncy and polish brittle Is rarely ENJOY N 10 M
whimsical and always egSst always carrying ne gesture %
CoCtrst with this the bthen the almost her
story the naive et wit Of Miss Hummer which
process highly sophisticated simple the poetry
Emily Dickinson all three of the local
~ Good Gracious "The Rescung
high priced hotels country homes In
who either have had their money
fsmar dinner and grsndmothers or nave
occupation As far the facts
facts might be better than
other thin picture Island "Te LassOo But them Miss
drzzle)
much Of an the fun of living that her
far original plots concerned
the idea of wealthy who tired
having that he pend financial to see if
with the members It, AID there
plot grows ont the Hummer the spectacle called
living.
equally So formula
should msinform playwright must be said that
mild Here
crops out cue the prensns Of class not merely
particular
Fighting wife, Miss RUNNERS
who employ US And to presumng
"1ease remember talking
r.ecb working GIRL lady, with the master replying later IN
socially should never De met except
William Gillette the gentleman VINO went
comfort the bosom OF MS MS young
Of wealth eyes, but suppose we must MAKE ne pest
will have beyond Us on
duplicate it. That the actor Sei
Miss Billie Burke VINO was almost
the hands OF john Drew TO