Produced by Chuck Greif
How to Write a Play
Introduction by William Gillette
Letter from Émile Augier
Letter from Théodore de Banville
Letter from Adolphe Dennery
Letter from Alexandre Dumas Fils
Letter from Edmond Gondinet
Letter by Eugène Labiche
Letter by Ernest Legouvé
Letter from Édouard Pailleron
Letter from Victorien Sardou
Letter from Émile Zola
Notes by B.M.
1916 By Dramatic Museum of Columbia University
The impression has always prevailed with me that one who might properlybe classed as a genius is not precisely the person best fitted toexpound rules and methods for the carrying on of his particular branchof endeavor. I have rather avoided looking the matter up for fear itmight not turn out to be so after all. But doesn't it sound as if itought to be? And isn't a superficial glance about rather confirmatory?We do not—so far as I know—find that Shakspere or Milton or Tennysonor Whitman ever gave out rules and regulations for the writing ofpoetry; that Michael Angelo or Raphael was addicted to formulatinginstructive matter as to the accomplishment of paintings and frescoes;that Thackeray or Dickens or Meredith or George Sand were known to haveanswered inquiries as to 'How to write a Novel'; or that Beethoven orWagner or Chopin or Mendelsohn paused in the midst of their careers inorder to tell newspaper men what they considered the true method ofcomposing music. These fortunate people—as well as others of theirtime—could so easily be silent and thus avoid disclosing the fact thatthey could not—for the lives of them—tell about these things; but inour unhappy day even geniuses are prodded and teased and tortured intospeech. In this case we may be more than grateful that they are, for theresult is most delightful reading—even tho it falls a trifle short ofits purpose as indicated by the rather far-reaching title.
There are no workable rules for play-writing to be found here—nor,indeed, any particular light of any kind on the subject, so the lettersmay be approacht with a mind arranged for enjoyment. I would be sorryindeed for the trying-to-be dramatist who flew to this volume forconsolation and guidance. I'm sorry for him any way, but this additionalcatastrophe would accelerate my sympathy, making it fast and furious.Any one sufficiently inexperienced to consult books in order to find outhow to write a play will certainly undergo a severe touch of confusionin this case, for four of the letter-writers confess quite frankly thatthey do not know—two of these thereupon proceeding to tell us, thusforcibly illustrating their first statement. One author exclaims, "Haveinstinct!"—another, "Have genius!" Where these two necessaries are tobe obtained is not revealed. Equally discouraging is the Dumasdeclaration that "Some from birth know how to write a play and theothers do not and never will." That would have killed off a lot ofus—if we had seen it in time.
One approaches the practical when he counsels us to "Take aninteresting theme." Certainly a workable proposition. Many dramatistshave done that—wherever they could find it. The method is notaltogether modern. Two insist upon the necessity of a carefullyconsidered plan, while two others announce that it is a matter of noconsequence what one does; and another still wants us to be sure andbegin work at the end instead of the beginning. Gondinet—mostdelightful of all—tells us that his method of working is simplyatrocious, for all he asks when he contemplates writing a