The Book News Monthly, Volume 33 (J. Wanamaker, 1915 - American literature)
The True Adventures of a Play
"No book published on the theatre within the year has so impressed me with its sincerity as this.
It is filled with a piquant humor, with a direct frankness, and with a wholesome truth -- all of
which will do much to sober the over-enthumsiasm of the inexperienced dramatist. Out of the
abundance of the heart the mouth speakth.
Mr. Shipman wrote a play which he called D'Arcy of the Guards; he sent it on its varied
career, both here and abroad, and now, after some years have passed, he sets down in varitable
sequence all the vicissitudes which befel it. He recalls the many conversations with actots who
considered the play's production; he confesses the preliminary trials under the guidance of
Henry Miller, when parts of the manuscript were recast; he describes at length his negotiations
with George Alexander, who appeared as D'Arcy in London.
In other words, every move made in the stage history of D'Arcy of the Guards is here recorded.
Even Mr. Shiman's contracts are copied in full, and typical royalty statements; while, in order to
make the narrative wholly veracious, the final page of this interesting book reproduces a poster that
blazens forth the fact that D'Arcy of the Guards has at last attained the eminent heights of
the 'movies." The volume is embellished throughout with photograph scenes from the play and with
colored costume plates...(etc.)