Dramatic Editor

( Originally Published 1913 )

EVERY great newspaper, and many of the magazines, employ dramatic editors, who are not supposed to handle any other class of matter. They have under them one or more regular assistants, and draft into the service editors of other departments and the better class of reporters.

It is obvious that in the large cities, where several new plays are presented every week, no one editor could hope to handle all of them. The dramatic editor selects those of the greatest im portance, and personally criticises them, his subordinates being responsible for the others.

The dramatic editor, or his assistants, prepare the advance notices and write the general dramatic news.

The dramatic editor may have been a reporter, but reportorial experience, although it would be helpful, is not required.

The dramatic editor should have a special training, and he should be naturally proficient in his art. Familiarity with the stage is necessary, and the editor must be acquainted personally with actors and actresses, and with their ways, with plays, and with playwrights in general, and with conditions on the stage itself. He must know the drama both from in front and behind the foot-lights, and understand stage craft technically. Besides, he should have a literary temperament, and an analytical mind,.that he may be able to judge a play from a literary as well as from a merely stage view-point.

Some dramatic editors graduated from the stage, and are playwrights. This experience is very advantageous.

The dramatic editor, above all, must be a critic and not merely a writer. His sense of proportion must be highly developed. He must be able to write about a play, and of the actors in it, irrespective of common public approval, for many a production is extremely popular, because of the stage settings and the spectacular effect and yet deserves the severest condemnation.

On the other hand, there are several plays upon the boards, which are not particularly remunerative, and yet are genuine dramatic classics.

The smaller newspapers do not employ, as a rule, dramatic editors ; but one of the department editors, or a head reporter, is responsible for the dramatic criticism and comment. They may receive additional remuneration for this work, but in many cases they do not. Frequently the editor himself attends to the drama. Often an outside literary man or woman is employed at a moderate salary.

Leading dramatic editors enjoy salaries ranging from two to even four or five thousand dollars a year, but the average is not over two thousand dollars. The assistants are paid from fifteen hundred to two thousand dollars ; but the editors and reporters, who do a part of this work, are paid nothing extra for handling the stage, if a dramatic department is maintained.

The average editor and reporter cannot acceptably write dramatic/ criticisms, as this work may be considered as in a class by itself ; but some of them have this peculiar ability, and are drafted into service.

I would advise the would-be dramatic editor to master the details of journalism.