New-York tribune., 1922-03-19
)uds Alone,
So They Pitch
In Together
Collaboration of Misses
Taylor and Purcell
Results in 'sVoltaire"

md the unearthiug of new authors,
II would rather produce an unknown
authors hrst success than a famous
uthor's last one" he v1ote not so long
60.
Accordingly. when Mr.. Hopkins an
iounced a few days ago that he
vculd prescn. "Voltaire" with Arnold
)aiy in the title role at the Ply
mouth tomorrow night ho had
erfornied his duty to the theater
he sees il. He had found a new play
.'d had unearthed two new authors.
ALA Taylor and Gertrude Purcell, who.
n collaboration, have written the COM
,dy which is based on incidents in the
ife of the great French wit and
philosopher, concentrated in space Of
wenty-four hours. They have written.
lot IN the usual biographical manner
nut in accordance with the prescribed
lnities OF the theater.
- Whether Mr.. Hopkins's desire to pro-
dace the first success Of an unknown
author will be fulfilled in this instance
cannot yet be foretold, but there is
more than the usual amount Of con
fidence among those who are con
eerned with the production.
While both Miss Taylor and Miss
Purcell have written other plays dur
ing their very brief writing careers.
''Foltaire" is their first effort at col
iaboration and is the rst play either
LAS had accepted for production in New
York. With such swiftness were all
the details arranged leading up to the
plays acceptance. the signing of the
contract and the beginning of re
hearsals that the girls, for they are
probably among New York's Youngest
authors for the thester, scarcely seem
20 realize what has happened. Both
experienced distinct shock g day OF
two ago when they walked westward on
Forty fifth Street and saw the an
nouncement OF the play up il lights in
front OF the Plymouth Theater.
Both Miss Taylor aud Miss Purcell
we're eraduatcd from college little
more than three years ago. Invariably
VIXEN they have attempted interviews
with producing manarers regarding
their manuscripts. they have been hr.
regarded rs actresses seeking engage
1nents by worldly office attendants
pnd have had 70 explain their wav into
ne inner sanctuln of the manager.
piss Purcell has made two appearances
on the stage. IN Mr.. Bolasco's produc-
on of "Deburau" she walked on as &
'p-skirted extra person, and in
arch Eares' she scared into the role
Of q maid ~
Leila Taylor, who vas born in New
York City, was graduated from the Co
'uinbla School OF Journalism with the
class of is. She went to work FOR
year on tho staff OF The Evening
Post" and then journeyed to Cam
bridge to enroll in Professor Bakers
plsywriting course at Harvard A one.
act play vas produced in Cambridge
during her stay there. Gertrude Pu,r-
cell. another New Yorker, is an alumns
- @A@'iSN' NNAiNt-tr d4SO OF the class OF
Is. For year after her graduation
she devoted herself TO war work with
The British War Mission and later de-
'oted herself to writing exclusively.
My agent felt sorry for me" she
said, "and helped me find q place in
'Deburau.'"
After her appearance in Harry Wag-
staff Gribble's "March Hares" she
and Miss Taylor put their heads to-
\ gether-
We've been such duds alone" they
said to one another, "lets try to COL
lsborate"
A friend suggested that they write
play about Noltairo aud with en-
thusiasm they rushed to the encycIo-
pedia. Then they started work on his
letters, on the best available biog
raphies, and on other sources. In the
beginning they planned an elaborate
pageant play, but the more they learned
about Foltairo, the more they were i'm
pressed with his human qualities. snd
they decided to attempt to picture him
IN this light. During their individual
writing careers they had both at
tempted biographical plays. They had
made the mistake of burdening them
selyes with too much material, but in
collaborating on Noltairc they profted
5y their experiences.
The girls invented handsome young
Frenchman, named him Lucien Rouget,
and called him the author of "Vol-
taire." They, his friends, were acting
merely as his agents. Wounded in the
war, he lay desperately i'll in Paris.
I'VE determined, if the play were
successful, that Lucien, poor fellow,
should die on the day following the
opening" explained Miss Taylor.
Finally. they were persuaded to claim
their rightful authorship. and still
doubtful of their standing as young
they submitted it with the
tatie page bearing the legend: by L.
NJ. Taylor and G. n. Purcell" leaving
the question of sex TO the imagination.
r'h the Hopkins Office thought other
wise Of the matter and when announce
nent was made their full names were
revealed TO the public. So now, of