New-York tribune., 1922-10-15
Story of Play
From Script
To Footlights
Average Time to Prepare
Play for Stage, After Ii
Is Written, Is 2 Year

lobby. The critics arrive. The house
lights grow dim. A gong booms ou,
warningly. The house is black dark
The enrtain is up. The play has begun
That is ali fairly conventional. /.
happened several times last week.;
viii happen several times this week
And not once, Is 1t likely, did any one
give thought to what had gone on
before in order to make it possible
for the play to begin.
1t any one harbors the thought that
the production of play is simple
matter Of seeking an author, finding
play, engaging cast of actors,
building some scenery and letting her
ge-banish the thought. 1t is nothing
30 simple as all that.
It is perfectly fair statement to
make that the average time spent ON
the production Of play nowadays is
one year. Mind you, that does not
mean the writing but just the time
consumed by the producing manager in
making ready his product after he
mas received the finished manuscript
from the hands of the author. Some
managers take less time, it is true:
others take more. A fair average
would be one year.
An excellent example of the intrica-
cies of modern stage producing is fur
nished by Avery Hopwood's "Why Men
'eave Home" That is by no means
i1hat would be called an extravagant
production. Nor does it seem to pre-
sent problems of any particular diff
culty to the producer, no matter how
ieticulous in the performance of his
ask.
Yet 1t took exactly thirteen months
and one week from the day Avery Hop
yood presented his manuscript to Wag-
nhals & Kemper, before the play
.'iade its bow to first-night audience.
10 detail as near to chronological
rider as is possible the various steps
fading to the presentation of the plav
perhaps the easiest way to give the
ninitiated an understanding of what
1t means nowadays to produce a play.
FIRST, then, came the study of the
isnuscript by the producers. That
"as important if they were to catch the
pirit and the meaning that Mr.. Hop
FOOD had to convey in his play. Mark
own four solid months for that phase
x the matter alone. And don't think
nat an unusually long period. There
IRE managers-Mr. Belasco, for in
tance-who spend an entire year in
he study Of manuscript before talk
ag to single actor.
With the beginning Of the fifth
month began the search for actors. That
careful managers search for actors
nay surprise the uninformed. The
verage man or woman probably thinks
nat with ten thousand or more actors
broadway constantly looking for en-
Hagements it would be an easy matter
> find competent players for any
-lst. 1t isn't.
And all this takes time-time and
.ravel.
And in the case of "Why Men Leave
lone" is meant that exactly eight |
ionths had passed from the day work
egan.
Then started the work of making the |
production. Here is where times have |
changed most markedly. No longer
it possible to call in one man and |
ay: Smith, we are going to do a |
aow--do it," Not a bit of it.
There are scenic artists who do not |
single thing but make the DESIGNS
the scenery. Then there are the |
'enery builders who do that thing and |
.othsng else. Then there are scene
'alnters who paint the scenes that have
ocen drawn and built.
There is specialist who supplies
ae furniture. There is another spe-
alist who handles the draperies, fioor
overings, pictures and SO on.
Then comes the question of the gowns
ar the women. There is the modiste.
sho makes simply the gown. There
specialist to provide the shoes.
mother furnishes the stockings. Still
aother must be consulted to furnish
nat. II an outer garment is to be worn.
kelly as not still another costumine
pert must be called in. This is the
se OF specialization, and nowhere is
more patent than in the production
* modern play.
While it required but few words and
'mparatively little time to set all
MS down, it actually occupied more
ian two months to get it done in real
y. And that brings the total elapsed
me for the production to something
yer ten months.
The cast Is now assembled. the nro,
Suction built and the costumes are
eady. Rehearsals begin.
The company is hard at work for ex-
city four weeks--another month i.
one. Then out on the road for two
1eeks preliminary tour. Then follows /
lay-of Of four weeks for the company |
put not for the author or the manage |
nent. All the changes, the necessary
sutting, the needed re-writing-that is
lone and then the company is called
sogethcr again for final rehearsals.
These require only two weeks. There
sollows brief two-day final tuning ND
process on the road and then:
The opening night.
And thirteen months and one week
lave passed. And not a minute
Wasted.