The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-01

S an additional attraction for
u their new offices Selwyn
& Co. have succeeded in
securing an excellent specimen OF
the American dramatist. This is
Roi Cooper Megrue. author of Tea
Tor Three" and where Poppics
Bloom He explained the other day
nat he found it convenient TO have
an Office down town where he could
see players and attend to other bust.
ness connected with his plays.
Topics on which 1t was possible tc
draw Mr.. Megruc out a little wer
the pernicious nature of the propose
theatre TAX Of 90 per cent. and of ce
tain species OF dramatic criticism
His ground seemed to be pretty We
taken, for he pointed out that the t..
was not only likely to XII the colder
goose but was pretty rough on the
boys in uniform who had been takel
away from their homes and occupa-
tons and frequently had a good deal
OF time on their hands and eompara-
lively little wherew!thal to kill II.
Bad as ii is for the tax assessor to
sever the goose's jusular vein, for the
cr!uc to attempt similar violence is
not only peevish but futile. The logic
u this view is easily demonstrable,
according to Mr. Megrue, because II
a play Is bad il cannot survive any
way and a savage review can only
serve TO discourage sensitive play
wright or actor. The only sort OF
thought, was the word that is passed
rom mouth to mouth. People 20 to
sec plays on the recomme ndation of
others he said. and this influence
spreads and continues.
Inc theatre as n commercial VEN
'ure Is Ike n hotel in that it does it's
business in one spot" observed Mr..
Aegrue, whereas 4 book or a brand
f soap has its market all over the
United States. Books and soap sell on
me reputation OF their makers, but
wen II playwright has had sixteen
straight successes that doesn't create
Clientele for his new play, which
must succeed on its own merits, A
star has more drawing power than a
PLAYWRIGHT, but even a star cannot
phi poor play out OF the mire. Peo-
pe VIII say. John Drew isn't so clever
- ne was last year or. Mrs. Fiske
snt SO good as she was That's the
Paygoers angle. He thinks Il all de-
Ponds on the star"
ABOUT technic Mr.. Negrue said
1t L.
pays over. As soon as any one set
p rule somebody else disproved IL
'.snt away. As an instance Of this he
cited Frohman's dictum that a play
must not be about married couple,
mat Young love was what took the
popular fancy. One rule that he did
'eHeVe in, however, was that a play
must appeal to all kinds of people
"nd no thought the only real measure
of plays worth was the box Office
oeipts' not because money was the
most important thing in life but be-
cduse the receipts showed whether
people We're going to see the play.
nave often been surprised" pur-
ol'u me playwright. ito find that a
nan "hom you wouldn't expect to ap-
p.oe'ate good play does like it. II
.ou don't announce that a play is
,usuc, thereby arousing the antaso-
,-sh o. the lowbrows, they will go and
s"yoy IT, but the one indispensable re-
tIFement of play is that it shall be
,.Sef tanning. Otherwise you can't
~. .reach morals, or teach anything at
hi. "a GOOD playwright ought to fill
49, r,s ,neatre as good minister does, by
0'ins entertaining.
,o"' although Mr. Megrue did not
., ,' III, 10 be talking about his own plays
:. a.! no was actually thinking at the
,D'heht Of Tea for Three" in which
o. sdGar coated his moral so success
'''' '"at 1t argues its case without