New-York tribune., 1918-09-29
Roi Cooper Megrue

learned the directors bag of tricks. In
the mean time, he dabbed in plays him
self. His first onc--a one-act play with
Il surprise" finish---was bought by
Fanny Ward for use in vaudeville.
Then he made his first real essay as
playwright four seasons ago with
play called "Whitc Magic" at ran a
couple of minutes at the Criterion" he
said briefly. Then came "Undcr Cover"
and he. was hailed out of his obscurty.
This season two of his plays are on
broadway at the same time-"Where
Poppies Bloom" and "Tea for Three"
"Of course" I said, reaching the OBJ
vlous conclusion, "it is your practical
experience of the stage, which to most
people is so painfully acquired, that
accounts for the dcxterity of your
playwriting."
"Yes, perhaps" he assented ut has
certainly taught me what to avoid.
knowing the stage is like going to the
newly furnished home of n married
friend. 1t decides you how not to have
your house look. Knowing the tricks of
the stage convinces you of their unim-
portancc. For instance, in Tea for
Three the first scene is acted by two
people sitting at a small table. The
Only small part of the stage is
shown. Yet, without action of any
kind, the scene holds the audience
completely. Theatrical tradition calls
for action in a scene People never
could sit and talk quietly. 1t was the
favoritc delusion of the director that
an audience liked a scene broken up
with action. Thus, Jones said, This
is a fine day. and crossed r. for no
particular reason; and Smith said, "A
fine day, indeed and crossed L. Just
as scene was developing they would
devise the fcndish scheme of break
ing it up with meaningless action,
and they succeeded, though in df-
ierent sense than they imagined. Then,
too, they feared simplicity of plot.
My play has in it three acting char
actcrs, and found them quite enough.
But a play written according to the
rules should have comedy relief, COM
Notwithstanding to dissipatc the
interest. as if that were not fatal to q
play. Then in the third act all the
loose ends were wound up to send the
audience home happy-and bored. BY
the way, why didn't Arthur Hopkins
write 'How's Your Third Act?' instead
of 'Hcws Your Second Act?' That's
usually whore the playwright meets
his Armageddon, Thank heavens all
these traditions of the stage are pass
ing on into the movies, eventually
to leave the stage as the place for
mirroring reality.'
"You do not care for movics?'
asked. pathetcally.
II loathc them. | love movies of
marines marching off a battleship or
those fascinating things entitled The
Life of q Fly or How to Do Home
Canning or How to Bathc Your
Baby'-but movie drama loathc."
"Of course, now chat your place as
playwright is assured I began
"a playwright's place. said Mr..
Megrue, as never assured. The good
viii value of his business is nil. The
public may stand by the mistakes Of an
actress or even a favorte producer
but if a play is branded failure no
one will go to sec it just because so
andso wrote it, 1t is a piece of the
atrical parlance that 'So-and-so is good
for sixteen weeks in anything,-but not
the playwright. The public owes him
no loyalty. No glamour surrounds him
If a play is success he is promptly
overlooked, and il the play fails the
ustrc of his name can impart 10 vital
ty to it,"
Notwithstanding which Mr.. Megrue
did not seem cast down. Looking at
the cheerful countenancc of Mr.. Megrue
decided that playwritng must have
its Conversations