The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-11-10
0UR SATIVE DRAMA.
Tho Nop-Appearnnce ofthc Coming Ameri-
can Piay''-Mr. Cbas. GnyIer's Views.

the true reason why the American drama "a not
more worthy Of Americ1. and why there IL such
scarcity " American dranatists, are simply
reIteraiions Of the statements and theories to
winch the letter you refer TO was intended M a
reply. You ignore my ,cts altogether. and fall
into the same errors INTO which nearly all those
who have written on the subject have fallen be-
fore. Those errors my letter was also intended
to correct. II was not written TO Celebrate
myself" " was not written In complaining
spirt: there was no wall In II; II was not
dictated by disappointment. or written for the
purpose of ventilating my grievances, for h ave
none. Such PLAYS az / write for the only mar
ket have-the "stnrs"-1nd n ready demand
from those for whom thev are written, II not
from metropolitan MANAGERS, and am neither
Obliged To hawk or peddlo such ~ have On
hand, waiting that good time coming" when
American manARera cease SECURING EurOpe''
aud look at home Tor their att nus. My
object was and is to state the 70 reasons why
so few American plays arc written or PRODUCED
that nre worthy Of confederation, and why We
have 80 few drametl-ts worthy Of the name
IL IL trito but true that ian ounce OF fact
is worth a pound ~ theory I" and know where-
Of speak when saw that the rerson Tor the
low state " dramatic literature in America h
that Amercnn manager do nothing tn encour-
hpc dramatic literature. ln making this state
mcnt, founded upon an experience of over a
gu rter Of u century, bring no charge # ure-
JUDGE ~ inst American managers, nor do
bl me them for not giving the encOur cement
which they withhold, for they, Ike ali other
business men, are governed nv purely CONNER
cial motives. and not hv their sympat Mica. pre-
JUDGES, or Quix )iic desire to fostcr art or cx-
tend encuuragcment to dramatic authors T. IN
not their mission. They conduct their theatres
a. merchants conduct their business: for the
purpose Of making money. and. IA rule, they
do not care whether ap ay be English, French,
or German, 80 long IA II answers It's purpose by
attracting the public and filling the trc,sLry.
But II the managers Of London or Paris pos
scssed as little enterpri.e, relied ~ little upon
their own ldgncnt, ana assumed AS little ri.k
as do managers ~ New York. the American
theatres would b. Obliged to close for want OF
the bass of alt dramatic yer. ornances-a play
have not asserted, nor do I ssscrt. as you
state, " that tue cheapncss Of Engli-t PLAYS
gives them precedence with American man
ayers" hut do assert that the reasons why
American managers give precedence to the
works OF foreign authors. when such works
have proved fucccssful abroad, are thlt bv so
doing they avoid tue risks which the foreign
manager assumes when he produces an untried
ply.
Dumas, Feuillet. or S,rdou In his Luxurious
quarters :" the London manager waits, c,p IN
band on BDucicault, Byron r Marshal. aud n
any Of these magnates degns to promise to
write play. the manager goes away satisfied,
leaving a check behind him. and rubs his hands
with delight because lie has secured material
with which 70 please hs patrons and carry IN
ms theatre witn proht. scenic artists. macnin'
decorators, the uphOlstereis. tue musicians are
all set to work At once IN preparna for the nov
city. lens Of thousands OF francs, or thousands
OF pounds are thus spent on an un.rtcd plaV-
apy Mt on the mauasef's judgment. lie risks hot
only us cash IN hanJ. out the success Of lts
whole season up"n play OF which. perhaps. hot
more than The outline Is written. II the play
fails ON It's production-nnd such occurrences
are not rare even when they are the oyspflng
OF the Dumas and the Byrons-the manager
loses 50 mucn money. He pockets his los- with
the b, At grace he can and tries another pliv, At
perhaps even greater risk and more expensive
OUTLAY.
Does the American manager do thlsf No; he
simply avails himself of the enterp'ise and lib
era ity, The pluck and judgment OF the Z r, i'm
manager. and produces tue successful French
ALL That when succeeds In London or Paris Is
likely To succeed here. tor human nature II
/ pretty much alike tue world over, aud 40 he
American manager only shows his ENTERPRISE
when he has sure thing. To him an uni RED
play IA "a pig Ia poke" and he does not deal In
You admit that 1.-THE American manager has
his agents securing London and Parts IN com
petition with otners ior any work which
promises success !" aud you assert that " lac Will
he found Just as eager and Just as muniGcent "
any and every American drAmatIst VINO may
prove himself able To- meet tue want Of tue pub
He Perhaps you Will be kind enough TO snow
h|w the American hrnmaist is TO prove him
sell ALE u meet the want OF the pa Jllc % when
mAnasets w'il not rsk the prp lucton Of his
works. lie must 70 l., l.ngisnd 10 produce his
play then. N II T. SUGGEST 4 aud the American
man. ger sees IN II sure thinr he viii -. 4 .
| hungry for the American play anu NJ mInin-
cent as though II bad heen wrtten b, tue
| Bsrons and Dumas: nut not else.
Nou mention MIR. BIucicault .s being success
! ful iu having his works produced here. ! son IL
It, but Nr. bouc.cault j. IN no sense an Amer-
can author, nor has he ever written Aner-
! IL
tation from The french, anu Belle Lamar"
written Tor a star-and both failures | yield
place to no one in ny admiration of Mr.. B5uci-
cauits tdlepis as "a piaV writer, while gem
/ tlrmau Of commercial instincts and bUsincss
! tact reeaid MN with a feeling akin to ave.
But Mr. Boucicault has enjo,ed adv ntales
which Jew, II any. American paywri.hts have
| enjoyed, his long experience In French aud
English theatres before our own kuew what
set scenes" upholstery, "starih.e effect ="
ana "revolYing towers" meant. Then. Mr..
BoIcicault has generally had the control ~ the
theatre In which mis- plAs have been prod uced, ,
ana ~ winch ms wpf0 was suprcme. when a
playwright has himself for manager, he Dnds
no great difficulty In having his Days produced.
one Of AR. BoucicaulLs most successful adal =
tatiOns-one winch ran whole season and we'll
| Through the ntxt, was rejected, after reading,
| bv the manager u whom u was submitted a.
! no; being nkrly 10 draw, but n uncxperted zap
/ occurring, tue astute manager reconsidercu his
decision, aud agreed to Lroduce the play To MI
tlc sap Of two weeks Uuucicault consertinr,
I tue piece was brought out without any exuen-
/ siye outlay In scenery. for the manager did not
believe the play worth II, but 10 WAS strongly
( ~, and, TO tue surprise Of the mansgsT and
the delight Of boueca"lt, the result WAS ~
So much for one managers Judgment! Your
/ rcmarNs IN regard 10 tue enmltv Of critics are
quite correct; lay which pie ses the pnhiic
! ma plaN wnicn the purlic does not care Tor
be Written into popularity. Crtics may asst l
the success or popularity VI q play, but that l.
| all. lhcy may make /. notorious and excite "A
certain amount OF cuitOsitY 10 SO ". hut rfiti-
oism cannot make or mar a play on watch the
| pusiI' II called to sii ~ Judgment. | 10 not
drriie TO denounce he critics as always unfair
on unjust, uut the cri ic who Is AMBITIOUS o. ne
| honurs aud emOiumcnts OF dramatic aatuU3snip
! B. habi" to be- sWAyed soinewh 4 In hi iiat .
I mcnt wncn the wOri,s of iivai nrr produced
/ III preference Ia ms o"n. IL u only natural
'Ts true. Us ply and pity It's 'tis true.
/ Aud although managers may not believe that
| drawing pa can bc killed by ths cOndc un.-
| ton OF tlfo cutics, they are hun "a en0Ign -
Lreier praise To censure. ana MAY ometlnes be
I deferred from PRODUCING the wor& u an author
/ VINO IA nos popular win the urras.'
! do not clam, because do nOt believe that
America Is to ming with clmpctD nj dTdinhtitts.
! or that the manage, 8 drawer. ate stuffed With
| cOmcuf's, drluas, and pays which onl need To
! he PRODUCED TO doli2nt the puoiio; but DO he
/ heNe that II thc lew who do wiite, or IRE com
petent To wife hut do not, were ENCOURAGED by
/ managers To dcVOle themselves ~ better WuT6
team thev now do, or 10 turn their labOrs iito
! ar uuatic channels, the coaidg American
| pay, 30 much talked about, would soon be-
! written. aud that we should nave Ia tIue a
! dramatic literature Of our own not uui.e TN
worthy Of II.
but am abusing your kindness In asking you
| 10 ma space ioT So long "A communication, ana
VIII close by suggesting that when You rld-sii y
! mo az "bealing ne same relation To The AmrrI-
| can drama That Upper Holland whoever
| he may b." bear, to tine American nNic," yuu
| are either unjust To the flores Id upper HOl
| land or your humble seTvlnt, for u is scarcely
| lair to define my status while am deprived II
| tue opportunity OF producing the works by
| witch | am willing 10 ue judged. and witch
| would show what nv relation to The American
| drama really IS. MeLnwhlio ! possess M soul
| n a q A