Evening star., 1924-08-31
John Golden, Producer,
Announces 100000
National Play Contest

lin any way connected with the
| theater, seemed to him best quailneo
| to bring new plays and new authors
from the dramatic never, never
| land"
He broached his plan to several
New York critics, among them Percy
Hammond and Frank Vreeland or the
IHerald-Tribune, Haywood Broun and
Quinn Martin of the Morning World.
Burns Mantle of the News. Leo Marsh
of the Morning Telegraph and Bide
Dudley of the Evening World. After
they had approved and assured him
Of their help, he sent about 200 let
ters to critics and editors throughout
the country, asking them X they
would cooperate.
One hundred and ninety-tWo or
these writer's agreed to help, and with
this encouragement several months
| were spent in building up the details
of the plan.
The only rules laid down by Mr..
Golden are that the authors in all
cases must be Americans, and that
tragedies. musical works and plays
Of a salacious or sex nature are not
acceptable.
All plays submitted must be typed
and bound in conventional form.
Plays should be submitted only
when accompanied by an addressed
envelope for their return in the event
of rejection. No play will be returned
unless it is accompanied by SUFFICIENT
postage for that purpose.
Plays are to be held and forwarded
| entirely at the owners risk. but all
| precautions for their safekeeping, OF
course. will be taken. Further in
| formation regarding the contest. both
| locally and nationally. will be an
nounced from time to time.
In regard to his National Prize
Contest Mr.. Golden said: II have or
ganized this plan primarily because
| for several years | have realized that
great number of worthy plays may
! be going unread and unproduced.
hope this contest will bring new blood
into the theater. 1t has been worked
out so that it is open to all and fair
| to all. Its best feature lies in the
fact that no one can have any no.
tion of which judges OF what plays
will be in at the finish.
In fairness to the judges in this
contest. it should be added that no
producer. player. author or critic can
select a play that is certain to sue
ceed. This is only an experiment.
We all have agreed that IL should be
tried and we can only hope that it
| will be successful.
Il know that people generally are
| interested in the romance Of play
writing because of the financial re-
| wards. 1t is no secret that "inchell
Smith. Avery Hopwood. Austin
Strong. Frank Craven, Roi Cooper
Megrue and a score of other Ameri-
can playwrights have made great for
tunes with a pencil and A pad Of
white paper.
THE success of any play. my own,
or that of any other manager. is en-
tirely in the laps of the gods. But
for once. at least. any person in
America who wants to write a play
may set himself to the task with con-
f1dence that his work will be read by
persons with knowledge OF the
theater He will also know that if
his play wins a prize, it will have a
fair chance for commercial success
through production by a going con-
Germ. with the financial backing and
organization necessary to give 1t a
first-rate presentation. And. too. If
the play is success. his royalties
will be as good as those OF the ex-
perienced playwrightS.
Having produced them, | am hop
ing that this contest may bring an
other 'Lightnin' to enter it's fourth
year in New York and it's seventh
year in America; another The First
Year to run five years in New YORK
and on tour; another Seventh Heav-
en- to run two years in New York; or
another Turn to the Right Three
Wise Fools" or Thank U to run
three or four seasons in New York
and on the road.
The average contestant. if he has
heard of the fame and money which
came to the authors Of these and
other plays undoubtedly is wishing
me the same"