New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-09-11
Fannie Hurst
On the Art Of
Play Writing
When You've Finished II.
Job Your Work Is M,
Begun; Look at Back Paw,

10 "VhsnJ ~ VIC plinteu page, and
the story Is there before you on vh;t.
paper and is accepted by the edith,
Of leading magazine, who finds th..
it is just about the best thing hs h..
had in monshs-well, your work with
that story is done.
But when you've pounded the sam.
typewriter in the same studio, st u.
same hours, Cor weeks and weeks. and
have ground out play that is WORTH
of presentation, and 1t is accepted ~,
Broadway production by Broadway
producer-in that case your work las
just begun.
Such, at least, has been the expey.
ence Of Fannie Hurst, short-stor
writer and novelist, who has contrib.
uted "Back Pay" current at the Fl.
tinge, to the seasons offerings.
While she admits that she is sons.
thing Of novice in the theater and thai
she Is frankly bewildered by its rsmi,
ications, Miss Hurst has developed +.
fondness for things theatrical and en-
poets to be able to turn long enough
every season or so from her old Icva.
the short story, to construct new play.
And Then the
Many Cooks Get Busy
Fannie Hurst's short stories-and
they have always been stories ssid "a
bring the very highest prices In the
story buying market-are written in
the undisturbed quiet Of her compact
Sixty-ninth Street studio. She works az
her desk with the knowledge that while
there her telephone is shut off and that
she is entirely safe from interferenes
Of any kind. Her plays, or at least her
Back Pay" was written under sush
conditions, and she pounded her wsy
from Its first scene on through it's cpl.
logue at about the same rate Of speed
that she writes her magazine fiction.
and when she had rung the curtain
down on Hester departing from tho
fineries Of the Riverside Drive apart.
'ment for her old job at the Fifth Avenue
department store she felt that "Bsck
Pay" as far as she was concerned, was
through. 1t was there on white paper,
all right, and the white paper asked no
questions and offered no protests. But
when "Back Pay" reached the rehearsal
stage Miss Hurst found that the pro-
Queer, the stage director, the star and
the various players had suggestions to
make--suggestions which are made by
the producer, the stage director and the
players during the preparation of every
play that has ever reached tho Brcsd.
way stage.
All of which served to convince the
author Of Back Pay" that when shs
had lowered the curtain on the
epilogue she still had considerable
work ahead of her.
when you are dealing with white
paper, and white paper alone, the white
paper is you," said Miss Hurst, "bus
| when the theater is to be considered
| there are times when your characters
say things that aren't you, but perhaps
it's all the better that they do. In pliy
production an author encounters y
many people wiser than himself or her.
self. During the staging you'll attend
rehearsal and somebody'll below At
you: Give me q line here--right
quick!' or "A good line there-somss
thing catchyi' I'm sure it's difaculi
for minds to function under such con.
ditions. Oftentimes you find yourself
saying yes when you think you should
have shouted Mol MOI But in the end,
perhaps, it's better that you did say
| yes
"As far as Back Pay is con.
cerned, Pm delighted with the produce
ton Mr.. Woods has given it and tho
cast he selected for 1t. Mr.. Woods wss
most considerate at all times. AZ tor
Helen MacKellar, can only say that
l think she Is one Of our finest actresses
and that her star has just begun "
rise"
That Sixty-ninth Street studio typs-
writer has been responsible for two
other plays by Miss Hurst scheduled
for production this season, Roulette
and "Humoresque," which Lauretts
Taylor says she will undertake.
Loyal to Her First
Love-the Short Story
+ While her novel, "Star Dust" tool
up much of her time, and her theatre
cal writings have consumed many OF
her working hours, Miss Hurst let y
be understood that she still has al
unwavering affection for the medium
of the short story as a means OF ssn'
expression.
There was q time when Miss Hurs'
went to her typewriter with only
half baked idea of her story in MIND
Then she and the typewriter had y
out in fight-to-fnish match, uh'h
the thing was completed. Experiment.
ing all the time, she recently adop's'
q radical change in method ana =
pleased with the results.
Il have acquired greater facility ~
writing" she said. 81 now carry u,
idea with me longer and my sc'us.
writing period is shorter. 1t is . s0's
Of freless cooker arrangement. ! 1a'a
the idea over and over and let u sia