New-York tribune., 1920-01-25

tured IN this play is fairly common
New England and in places where hts. ~. IA
IS scarcity of men," declared .ucte W.
Butler. Il purposely make the mo,nsS MS
IN the play widow All the emit osi.F
that would naturally have been Sow" Sow
dercd on man has been poured sa""' va.
her daughter and her friend 7. 'er
really inverted affection. There a..
many women OF the hypochondr;.c -, !"
who act in just this way, althoucs ~ ~
are never able TO see themseIvas' NV
others see them. "s
Mother love is devourinely ;rt,,
esting TO me because it is so comS,, ,m,sl'
Gated" continued Miss Butler. ~ sIhp.- hpn
found women OF the calmest tvne i,e h.
fore marriage developing the most ,S
sane mother love afterward. cno
never knows how woman is roinc s.o .o
take the reaction If one had foreed
this play IN the funnel of conven,;o,
it would have been ruined. Miss TSa
Shannon's delicate understanding a;
how the part should be played il ;r..
what pictured for Il when | wa
writing it,
1t only took Miss Butler six we.l,
10 write "Mamma's Affair" plar
writing with her is systematic bns
ness. She has worked all her H.
and. instead Of waiting for insprs
tion, goes right ahead according 10
prearranged schedule. She has alSsys
written to some extent When al.
was cut off from the stage she deter.
mined that the only way to stick close
TO the theater was TO write plays.
." TOOK Professor Bakers classes :.
Harvard in l9l5-16 and 1867. Tbey
were wonde rfully helpful. think pro.
fessor Baker is misunderstood hera
New York thinks that he is ambitiously
trying TO make playwrights. NOTHING
Of the kind. No one knows better than
he that playwrights cannot be made
one. He insists only that YOU think
clearly and see your way right through
to your final curtain before you begin
to think that a play down from Hsr.
ward must necessarily be 'highbrow' but
| firmly believe there is common
meeting ground for the academic pro.
duction and the typical Broadway aud
cnce. | don't believe in 'highbrow'
plays personally. The greatest things
in life can be treated in such way
that everyone VIII understand, pro-
vided they are handled ingeniously. il
seems to me that the only thing u
aim for is simplicity"
And what are you going to Do
ncXt?'
"Well, Of course, after ten years.
hard work and continuous faith in ultl'
~ li,, votkn,
filled with elation that Mammals AZ
fair has got across. It IS hard to Soy
what may do next Ones lift
changes ones work so much and new
impres have their inevitable re
action on ones work. have llgh
farce in mind which nope to do soon
largely for relaxation. have hst
plays on hand now. Morosco bought
two. and John D. Williams has pla,
OF mine. with incidental music done b,
Victor Herbert. 1t IS hard to pas
Judgment on ones own work. but
don't consider Mammals Affair tn
best thing have done by any means
Miss Buffers extreme amusenen
over being dubbed a sophomore wa
due TO the fact that her play IS de
cidedly sophisticated and is the resul
of a study OF hypochondriac ana ieu
rotic women Knowing something
about sophomores.. she thought !
rather funny that they should be ex
pccted TO indulge in the psychic -ansly
sis evident in her play She intends t
develop the theme further. and hope
it may have salutary effect Oh
mothers who are devouring their younI
daughters with an unnatural affection
On the opening night she was stand
! ing in the lobby Of the Little Thease'
when youth rushed up 10 her an
said: you're the author OF this play
aren't you? -
YES. am" said Miss Butler.
"Wel. my mothers Just ike tm'
! I'm going TO bring her down 70 sec y
TN do her good