New-York tribune., 1920-03-07

~
az be found in all Greenwich Viii
~ lage sat Philip Moeller, author
Of Sophie" the new play in
which Emily Stevens is starring at the
Village Theater, surrounded by his al
Turing library. Thousands of rare vol
umes filled two sides Of the room, one
side being slmost entirely devoted to
the drama In many languages.
"How do you manage to dig up SC
many scintillant lines for your plays
and where7" he was asked.
~ don't. If they are bright am
glad, but they come without an effort.
never labored with a play, and don't
think ever shall. All fine work-and
don't say for moment mine is. but
1 try to make it so-must have the
spirit of spontaneity and enthusiasm.
My motto is Sans Esprit, Rian' with
out Spirit, Nothing), and 1 hope if any
one cares to chisel on my tombstone
he will hew there those three words
"Where did you get it7".
II made it up"
Recalling that all of Mr.. Moeller's
plays were of different time and place
than our own, he was asked why he did
not write modern American play. and
revealed the news that he Is now en-
gagged on his first at the order of David
Belasco.
"The creation OF character, in which
l delight" he said, "has nothing to do
with period or place. have chosen
mine for the beauty Of the background" :"
Besides "Sophie" Mr.. Moeller has
written "MoliAre," in which Henry
Miller and Blanche Bates were seen;
"Mme. Sand" for Mrs. Fiske and
"Helena's Husbands" concerning Helen
Of Troy. =,
II love the Renaissance vertu," he
said.
"Are you French, thenw
"No, New Yorker through three
generations"
"And your forebears p"
~ am a Jew, Of German and English
descent. But have a French tendency
in my work. I have knocked abou. in
odd corners Of Europe great deal, and
adore France, iacr history, her char
acters, her atmosphere, her settings"
His plays have all been comedies,
but he admitted that his present am
bition is to write something serious for.
the .Theater Guild, of which he is one
Of the founders. He was also one Of
those who started the Washington
Square Players, and his first playwrit-
ing consisted of one-act pieces, nota-
bly, "The Roadhouse in Arden" for
that organization. He has only been
writing for the stage four or five years.
II staged many Of their plays for
the Square Players" he said; my own,
Andreyev's and Maeterlinck's."
"Do you think playwright should
produce his own plays to get the best
results I" ast.
: "Yes, il he has had experience in
producing and fnds that he can. Ike
it tremendously. A playwright: learns
his profession that way as in no other.c
"Have you taken the playwrighting
courses Z"
Eyes. all Of them, but ono learns the
theater In the theater, not In college
lecture hall. Producing his own plays
would be bad thing for. an author who
is not willing to listen to criticism Of
his work and to be grateful for 1T. He
must be willing to cut, and cut freely.
Il is SO much better to write more
than you need and cut in rehearsal than
not to write enough and then have to,
pad to fll out an evenings entertain
ment." asA
Mr.. Mosller admitted that he is thir-
ty-nine and bachelor. He was edp-
Gated In tho New York public schools
and at Columbia University. When he
came to think seriously about career
he studied the theory Of music and
triad its composition. but gave 1t up