Chapter I · Chapter 1

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading This beautiful story has been lying about the world for countless centuries, without ever having been dramatized.

perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)

From this reading A successful production also has been sometimes a moral support to me when some critic has said, as for instance of "A Night at an Inn," that though it reads passably it could never act.

past form of “act” — perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)

From this reading I know too little of managers and theatres to know what to do with it, and have a feeling that it will be long before it is ever acted, and am too fond of this play to leave it in obscurity.

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

past form of “allow” — make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

in addition

From this reading A successful production also has been sometimes a moral support to me when some critic has said, as for instance of "A Night at an Inn," that though it reads passably it could never act.

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading I know too little of managers and theatres to know what to do with it, and have a feeling that it will be long before it is ever acted, and am too fond of this play to leave it in obscurity.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading But in this book I have made an exception to this good rule (as it seems to me), and that exception is "The Flight of the Queen."

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading A successful production also has been sometimes a moral support to me when some critic has said, as for instance of "A Night at an Inn," that though it reads passably it could never act.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

a gathering of spectators or listeners at a (usually public) performance

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration

From this reading This beautiful story has been lying about the world for countless centuries, without ever having been dramatized.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading A successful production also has been sometimes a moral support to me when some critic has said, as for instance of "A Night at an Inn," that though it reads passably it could never act.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

the cognitive process that leads to convictions

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

From this reading But in this book I have made an exception to this good rule (as it seems to me), and that exception is "The Flight of the Queen."

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But in this book I have made an exception to this good rule (as it seems to me), and that exception is "The Flight of the Queen."

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

plural of “century” — a period of 100 years

From this reading This beautiful story has been lying about the world for countless centuries, without ever having been dramatized.

plural of “copy” — a reproduction of a written record (e.g. of a legal or school record)

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading A successful production also has been sometimes a moral support to me when some critic has said, as for instance of "A Night at an Inn," that though it reads passably it could never act.

too numerous to be counted

From this reading This beautiful story has been lying about the world for countless centuries, without ever having been dramatized.

a person who is professionally engaged in the analysis and interpretation of works of art

From this reading A successful production also has been sometimes a moral support to me when some critic has said, as for instance of "A Night at an Inn," that though it reads passably it could never act.

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading I know too little of managers and theatres to know what to do with it, and have a feeling that it will be long before it is ever acted, and am too fond of this play to leave it in obscurity.

past form of “dramatize” — put into dramatic form

From this reading This beautiful story has been lying about the world for countless centuries, without ever having been dramatized.

the form in which a text (especially a printed book) is published

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

qualified for by right according to law

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

at any time

From this reading I know too little of managers and theatres to know what to do with it, and have a feeling that it will be long before it is ever acted, and am too fond of this play to leave it in obscurity.

a deliberate act of omission

From this reading But in this book I have made an exception to this good rule (as it seems to me), and that exception is "The Flight of the Queen."

having a face or facing especially of a specified kind or number; often used in combination

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

the experiencing of affective and emotional states

From this reading I know too little of managers and theatres to know what to do with it, and have a feeling that it will be long before it is ever acted, and am too fond of this play to leave it in obscurity.

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

a formation of aircraft in flight

From this reading But in this book I have made an exception to this good rule (as it seems to me), and that exception is "The Flight of the Queen."

having or displaying warmth or affection

From this reading I know too little of managers and theatres to know what to do with it, and have a feeling that it will be long before it is ever acted, and am too fond of this play to leave it in obscurity.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

a metric unit of weight equal to one thousandth of a kilogram

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading But in this book I have made an exception to this good rule (as it seems to me), and that exception is "The Flight of the Queen."

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading A successful production also has been sometimes a moral support to me when some critic has said, as for instance of "A Night at an Inn," that though it reads passably it could never act.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading This beautiful story has been lying about the world for countless centuries, without ever having been dramatized.

ten 10s

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading But in this book I have made an exception to this good rule (as it seems to me), and that exception is "The Flight of the Queen."

a hotel providing overnight lodging for travelers

From this reading A successful production also has been sometimes a moral support to me when some critic has said, as for instance of "A Night at an Inn," that though it reads passably it could never act.

an occurrence of something

From this reading A successful production also has been sometimes a moral support to me when some critic has said, as for instance of "A Night at an Inn," that though it reads passably it could never act.

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading But in this book I have made an exception to this good rule (as it seems to me), and that exception is "The Flight of the Queen."

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading A successful production also has been sometimes a moral support to me when some critic has said, as for instance of "A Night at an Inn," that though it reads passably it could never act.

an opinion formed by judging something

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading I know too little of managers and theatres to know what to do with it, and have a feeling that it will be long before it is ever acted, and am too fond of this play to leave it in obscurity.

go away from a place

From this reading I know too little of managers and theatres to know what to do with it, and have a feeling that it will be long before it is ever acted, and am too fond of this play to leave it in obscurity.

small in range or scope

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading I know too little of managers and theatres to know what to do with it, and have a feeling that it will be long before it is ever acted, and am too fond of this play to leave it in obscurity.

the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading I know too little of managers and theatres to know what to do with it, and have a feeling that it will be long before it is ever acted, and am too fond of this play to leave it in obscurity.

the deliberate act of deviating from the truth

From this reading This beautiful story has been lying about the world for countless centuries, without ever having been dramatized.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading But in this book I have made an exception to this good rule (as it seems to me), and that exception is "The Flight of the Queen."

plural of “manager” — someone who controls resources and expenditures

From this reading I know too little of managers and theatres to know what to do with it, and have a feeling that it will be long before it is ever acted, and am too fond of this play to leave it in obscurity.

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading A successful production also has been sometimes a moral support to me when some critic has said, as for instance of "A Night at an Inn," that though it reads passably it could never act.

the one or ones belonging to the person speaking

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

concerned with principles of right and wrong or conforming to standards of behavior and character based on those principles

From this reading A successful production also has been sometimes a moral support to me when some critic has said, as for instance of "A Night at an Inn," that though it reads passably it could never act.

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading A successful production also has been sometimes a moral support to me when some critic has said, as for instance of "A Night at an Inn," that though it reads passably it could never act.

the quality of being unclear or abstruse and hard to understand

From this reading I know too little of managers and theatres to know what to do with it, and have a feeling that it will be long before it is ever acted, and am too fond of this play to leave it in obscurity.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

and nothing more

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

a multivalent nonmetallic element of the nitrogen family that occurs commonly in inorganic phosphate rocks and as organic phosphates in all living cells; is highly reactive and occurs in several allotropic forms

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

to certain extent or degree

From this reading A successful production also has been sometimes a moral support to me when some critic has said, as for instance of "A Night at an Inn," that though it reads passably it could never act.

participate in games or sport

From this reading I know too little of managers and theatres to know what to do with it, and have a feeling that it will be long before it is ever acted, and am too fond of this play to leave it in obscurity.

plural of “play” — a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

past form of “print” — put into print

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

the act or process of producing something

From this reading A successful production also has been sometimes a moral support to me when some critic has said, as for instance of "A Night at an Inn," that though it reads passably it could never act.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs

From this reading But in this book I have made an exception to this good rule (as it seems to me), and that exception is "The Flight of the Queen."

plural of “read” — something that is read

From this reading A successful production also has been sometimes a moral support to me when some critic has said, as for instance of "A Night at an Inn," that though it reads passably it could never act.

a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior

From this reading But in this book I have made an exception to this good rule (as it seems to me), and that exception is "The Flight of the Queen."

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading A successful production also has been sometimes a moral support to me when some critic has said, as for instance of "A Night at an Inn," that though it reads passably it could never act.

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading But in this book I have made an exception to this good rule (as it seems to me), and that exception is "The Flight of the Queen."

without any others being included or involved

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading A successful production also has been sometimes a moral support to me when some critic has said, as for instance of "A Night at an Inn," that though it reads passably it could never act.

on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always

From this reading A successful production also has been sometimes a moral support to me when some critic has said, as for instance of "A Night at an Inn," that though it reads passably it could never act.

plural of “son” — a male human offspring

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

any distinct time period in a sequence of events

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading This beautiful story has been lying about the world for countless centuries, without ever having been dramatized.

having succeeded or being marked by a favorable outcome

From this reading A successful production also has been sometimes a moral support to me when some critic has said, as for instance of "A Night at an Inn," that though it reads passably it could never act.

the activity of providing for or maintaining by supplying with money or necessities

From this reading A successful production also has been sometimes a moral support to me when some critic has said, as for instance of "A Night at an Inn," that though it reads passably it could never act.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading A successful production also has been sometimes a moral support to me when some critic has said, as for instance of "A Night at an Inn," that though it reads passably it could never act.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

plural of “theatre” — a building where theatrical performances or motion-picture shows can be presented

From this reading I know too little of managers and theatres to know what to do with it, and have a feeling that it will be long before it is ever acted, and am too fond of this play to leave it in obscurity.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading But in this book I have made an exception to this good rule (as it seems to me), and that exception is "The Flight of the Queen."

in spite of the fact that

From this reading A successful production also has been sometimes a moral support to me when some critic has said, as for instance of "A Night at an Inn," that though it reads passably it could never act.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading I know too little of managers and theatres to know what to do with it, and have a feeling that it will be long before it is ever acted, and am too fond of this play to leave it in obscurity.

up to a particular time

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading I know too little of managers and theatres to know what to do with it, and have a feeling that it will be long before it is ever acted, and am too fond of this play to leave it in obscurity.

at the time that

From this reading A successful production also has been sometimes a moral support to me when some critic has said, as for instance of "A Night at an Inn," that though it reads passably it could never act.

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading I know too little of managers and theatres to know what to do with it, and have a feeling that it will be long before it is ever acted, and am too fond of this play to leave it in obscurity.

in the company of; together with

From this reading I know too little of managers and theatres to know what to do with it, and have a feeling that it will be long before it is ever acted, and am too fond of this play to leave it in obscurity.

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading This beautiful story has been lying about the world for countless centuries, without ever having been dramatized.

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading This beautiful story has been lying about the world for countless centuries, without ever having been dramatized.

the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose

From this reading G. P. Putnam's Sons London & New York _Limited Edition: Five Hundred Copies only_ Believing plays to be solely for the stage, I have never before allowed any of mine to be printed until they had first faced from a stage the judgment of an audience, to see if they were entitled to be called plays at all.