PLAY PROlON IN . AMERICA rf BY ARTHUR EDWIN KROWS Late of the staff of Winthrop Ames at the Little Theater, New York, and one-time assistant editor of the New York Dramatic Mirror WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS It is not inapropos to remark that Europe gave us the tallow candle, but. like grateful children, we sent in return the electric light Europe gave us the primitive hand-power printing-press of Gutenberg, and, in oar simple-hearted way, we gave her the Goss perfecting press Europe placed the goose-quill in our hands, and we have added the typewriter to her resources Europe put the bare needle in the fingers of our housewives, and we reciprocate with the mod ern sewing-machinebut why enumerate JOHN PHILIP SOVSA NEW YORK HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY 1916 ADOLPH KLAUBER for seventeen years dramatic editor of the New York Times and now member of the producing firm of Selwyn and Company One of My Best Friends In the Theater or Out of It PREFACE ten years ago I was groping about in the theater for detailed information concerning it. I discovered many books, a few answers, and more guide-posts but, on many important subject divisions, I found nothing. Then began a quizzical career that led me, partly through inclination and partly through force of circumstances, into most of the departments of the theater. Throughout the experience I took notes and, when these seemed sufficiently voluminous, I projected the present work to fill what seemed a serious gap in stage literature. Upon the title-page I have placed a quotation from John Philip Sousas speech on subsidy, published some years ago in the Paris Herald. This is to remind a reading public, that has lately been presented with a number of excellent works dealing almost exclusively with the theaters of Eu rope, that American playhouses also have made decided advance, although, perhaps, along different lines. But while this book is essentially American, it is presented, in this connection, mainly to remark Americas contribution to international development. I cannot reiterate too often that there cannot be a protective tariff placed around art. Any thing worth while that this country is doing in the theater belongs to the world. It is only lately that there has been widespread attempt to define what the theater is trying to do to achieve a syn thesis of the various interdependent arts for more forceful expression of truth, keeping refinement of each art as an important but subordinate thing. In a measure, this book vi PREFACE tells what the theater is trying to do but it has another aim, elevated for the time into a vital issue, to tell quite literally, how the theater is trying to do it. I have, first of all, to thank my publishers for their unfailing patience and sound advice as practical bookmen, when it seemed that this work would never be completed. Then I must express gratitude to George Middleton for his great kindness in going over my manuscript and making a number of valuable suggestions, many of which are incor porated in following pages. It is impossible for me to state my many obligations here but I may record acknowledgments to William Thompson Price, who published several chapters of this book in 1912 in his magazine, the American Playwright Frederick F. Schrader, lately editor of the New York Dra mafic Mirror, who published more, and who gave me much direct inspiration Edward E, Lyons, general manager to Winthrop Ames, who placed his wide knowledge of the theater at my disposal Jed F. Shaw, auditor to Winthrop Ames John A. Higham, chief electrician to the same pro ducer Stuart Walker, presiding genius of the Portmanteau Theater Howard Lindsay, stage manager to Margaret Anglin, and Wendell Phillips Dodge, William J. Guard, Mark Luescher, and Ben H. Atwell, general press repre sentatives who gave me full and ready co-operation. ARTHUR EDWIN KROWS New York City, October 15, 1916... --This text refers to the Paperback edition.