Show The Naming of P ays he i By Wiliam William William-Faversham Fa t Th a rego rs ca can have have little Id Idea a of tIec the tIe c on er that the naming of ot of a play ma may give ive the dramatist or the manager The reason reson for this Is s. s of course that a misLeading mis mis- leading title tUe is most disadvantageous and Inimical to the success of a drama drama While a good name never made a bad play a bad title Ulle- Ulle title one one ne which is II often misleading often kills kUS a good one The Tho play Is Is of course the thing but It wilt will wi bo seen that the title tte Is something well wel worth considering There Thero are arE In brief seven conditions which must be followed In the selecting of 1 a a Euphony happy and ane desirable title tte I. I e e. 3 2 Brevity Brevity- 3 Suggestiveness of oC the story or character character character char char- acter of the play 4 Adaptability to newspaper and poster post post- er advertising 5 of r any others other t fa familiar a- a nels title 6 6 Title Tite which helps to unique and on- on orl- orl gina advertising 7 Should Ht It the Inevitable term Miss Roscius In 60 so that thal tho title should not tte begin with a preposition else two prepositions prepo prepo- would bump Inappropriate and and repellent titles are the prime thing to be avoided There was once a a pretty goo good j play called caled The Witch but the name killed it as dead as a a a drie J herring herring An equally unwise selection was The Idiot Idiot and anc no less horrifying title tte was wa Anarchy A prettier play than When We Were Twenty one was wa wa never written The title tte like the play plays Is Js sweet and alluring I But that was not its original name The Theauthor Theauthor Theauthor author called It The Trinity but Nat C. C Goodwin GodwIn objected contending that that such a title tte would b be offensive and would give a wrong impression o of ot th the character of the play He va was right A sacrilegious title tte for tOr or a delightful comedy comedY would have been a serious ml mistake tae That a t ad a J title Ute can destroy the chance of a plays play's success is proved d b by the fact tac that that dozens of ot dramas dramas' have have failed when produced d under one but succeeded Under another and wel well cho chosen en name name nam The Tile H was the original title tte of pf Shore Acre It I failed and then Shore ShoreAcres A Acres r r. s Subdivision was tried an and then S or Acres Acrs wh when n the play blossomed into a real substantial success Hernes Heres I othe successful play Hearts of Oak a originally presented under the the title tte r u The Marln Mariners Mariner's rs r's Compass and nd failed failed- ailed Th The change of title tte te brought success The gret t old melodrama The World i as A AVreck Wreck at Sea Sea and succeeded succeed succeed- ed with wih the newer and better beter n name me Oth Oto- er cases of equal interest are A Texas Steer fetter started as A Case of or Wine nd ind Hazel KIrke as The Iron VJ Will Several authors h have ve followed marked methods In the selection of tt titles S. S The late Charles Hoyt of pleasant memory always use uso the prefix A A 1 as per example example exam exam- pie A Milk White Flag 1 lag A Bunch of Ke Keys Kes' Kes KeysA A Day Day and a Night In Ip New NewYork York s' s etc Tom Robertson Roberton always alway used a a. a monosyllable 11 a bl e K I. 1 c c. c s School C h 00 I u Home Castle Cate Ours Hall hail Hal Caine Calne has used th the word the in his titles i. i 1 e. e eM The Christan Christian The Manxman The Bondman Bondman Bondman Bond Bond- man and The Eternal Eterna City Plays which have ha e borne the name of a jower fower have oddly enough h been lanly suc successful as per jer example May Blossom Sweet Clover and A Moun A Moun- Moun tam tain PIn Fink 1 Shakespeare seems to have had no settled set set- tIed ted us as to titles The names he chose for fOl his tragedies and historical pieces were simple and majestic I I. I e. e e. e H Henry nry V. V Richard Richar III II Macbeth what more mora impressive than Hamlet and Othello Othelo All Al of his comedies have particularly particularly par par- happy tt titles s. s The They trip trip- tripon on the theton ton tongue ue and have a merry s suggestion g eston In them I. I e. e Merry Wives of Windsor Taming Tamin of the Shrew Comedy of Errors Er Er- Only one of tire comedy titles is ambiguous and that on one the most pleas ples fn of all aU his di diverting compositions Twelfth Night Why Twelfth NI Night ht nobody 1 has a been ben able to guess gess It I Is surmised that the play was as s written for forthe forthe forthe the feast st teat of twelfth nigHt and hence given that name Sha ew e. how however added a subtle Or What What You Vj as mu much h as as to say if the name Ti Twelfth NI Night ht does not suit stilt sul your our our fancy why supply a a better beter one according to your own notions 7 The title Ute should Indicate the c r of the tho drama whether opera farce comedy mel drama or trag tragedy tragedY dY we know exactly what to expect when we ve go goto o oto oto to see e Row flow of Flat Flat The The name is a sure sura Index of o the char ct l of I l the play so 80 also On the Quiet tells its Is own story Such U titles tes for an opera or melodrama would be fatal Catal The Dan- Dan ites was a great great title tte so also The Henreta Henrietta Henrietta Hen Hen- rietta reta and The Tho The Old Homestead These several plays with wih Inappropriate and jarring jarring jarring jar jar- ring titles would have been dangerously hand handicapped I capped It I It se seems ms to me that comedy and the melodrama require the greatest care In Inthe Inthe Inthe the sel selection of a tte Such names as merry merr Wang Vang the lively The nales LI Little l Corporal the bombastic El Capitan Capian 1 the tuneful The Strollers and the catchy Miss Bob White are ar capital for comic opera and musical comedy and such titles as Macbeth Richard III II fl fland and King ICing Lear are arc exactly appropriate for historic tragedy A A title tte which would be admirable for forone forone oie one kind of play would be ruinous for tor another The Highwayman for example ex ex- ex- ex ample would be a capital title tte for a highly highly high high- ly colored melodrama but not so far tar a I comic opera since there is no su suggestion eston of comedy or pr two necessary for success In light opera oper For the same reason eaon The Charlatan would be an excellent name for a melodrama melodrama melodrama melo melo- drama but Inadequate t for a comic opera Foxy Quiller Quler on the other han hand Is a capital name f for r a musical piece Such plays R as as Lovers LovErs Lane Lane Sac Sat Harbor T o oA A Pe Peaceful Valley Valey and Way Down East profit immensely by their tte titles which are arc admirable admirable- When my play for this s season ason The World and anti His wife wa was done dane in Spain it was WIS called The Great public As scandal and candal and Its is attendant evils els Is the tho theme theme the the name chosen by y Charles Frederic deric was a L particularly happy happ selection It I tells the story |