Evening star., 1938-09-18
The Fur Flies
AS Authors
Go to Work
Writer.Producers
In Row Over
Massey.
Ru Marx Rnrrnn
BY Marx Barron.
Associated Press Stan Writer.

AScOClhtGo IICoS otAu WIltcI.
NEW YORK.
THOSE early hints that there
would be considerable fire.
works when five top-fanking
4 Broadway playwrights banded
together to produce their own dramas
already are beginning to bear fruit.
The five playwrights-Elmer Rice,
Robert E. Sherwood, Maxwell Ander-
son, S. N. Behrman and Sidney How
ard-hardly had their first production
under way before New York news
papers were getting indignant in their
newspaper columns about the work
and it looked for a moment as if
there might be an international crisis
because Of 1t.
The play. which Rice is directing,
is Sherwood's ABE Lincoln in Illi-
nois," which drew the editorial wrath
of the New York Daily News because
Raymond Massey, born
actor. was assigned to the title part.
In the subconscious minds Of those
who watch him Massey unable
to unity the actor with his part"
commented the news editorial, there
is bound to be this question: Why
in the world should a Canadian (you
might say an Englishman in view of
his years of experience on the British
stage) play the part Of so thorough
an American as Lincoln?'"
Sherwood, in answering, said: Ma
tionality can have no place in such
matter. We looked around for the
finest actor for the part and I'm
certain we have him"
IN THE midst of this whirlpool of
debate, during which the play
wrights continued rehearsals of the
more than 40 actors. Rice found him
self happily embarrassed when the
New York Morning Telegraph named
his son, Robert Rice. as its new
dramatic critic. And 1t was another
New York dramatic critic who gave
young Rice the recommendation that
won him the post.
The reason this decision Of his son
to become critic is humorously ironic
Is that back in 1884 the elder Rice,
who had become one of the hit
dramatists of Broadway with his
Street Scene" "Counsellor-a
and other plays, caused a furor in
New York when he announced that
he was retiring from the stage be-
cause Of economic conditions and
because Of the lesser evil" the dra-
matte critics.
Rice went on to describe critics as
"jaded," bored" 'illiterate" and a
few other uncomplimentary adjectives.
Oh. yes, he said that there is not
a dramatic critic in New York who
knows anything about the problems
of acting and directing. You can call
them all ticket grabbers."
THAT was in 1884. Today Rice is
not only back in the theater, but
he is back in the triple role of pro-
ducer director-playwright, and he re-
turns to find his son, as newly re-
cruited member of the faded"
dramatic critics, waiting to Judge his
fathers future works in public prints.
Rice is not only pleased about the
success Of his son, but he and his asso-
ciate playwrights are strong believers
in the youth movement in the theater.
In each one of our productions, "
Rice said, I'VE are making it q policy
to include two or three young actors or
actresses who have never been on the
stage before. We also are going to
provide either jobs or financial as
sistance to young playwrights whom
We think may develop into extraordi-
nary talent II only they are given such
aid and have the coaching that we
can provide them from the ranks OF
veteran playwrights.
THE most important thing in build
ing the theater back up to its former
high caliber is to see that youngsters
won't be depressed or discouraged from
acting or from writing for the stage
so, in addition to producing play,
Of our own and other playwrights
we are also going to give all the aid
we can to talentqd youngsters"