In the 19th and early 20th century, playwriting was not a profession in America. A Producer would pay a writer a lump sum for all rights of production and publication, and royalties were rarely paid. A “3rd night benefit” gave proceeds from the third performance to the playwright and then the producer owned the play. As a result, playwrights had no approvals over production elements or text. Due to this lack of ownership and control, and the minimal compensation offered, the writer had to be “something else” (e.g.; a producer/writer; director/writer, actor/writer) in order to survive in the theater. 

In 1896, things got worse for playwrights when producers and booking agents formed the Theatrical Syndicate, which eliminated competition for touring productions through consolidation into a single booking agency and established a lucrative monopoly for tours. Thus, Broadway producers were incentivized to produce only light entertainments that would tour successfully, not serious dramas.