The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-05-28
TIE 0REAT AMERICAN PAY.
A Drama that would have Made n Sensation
hut for n Timid and .Nnrrow-MIndcd Man
agcr-Natiye Talent sadly Discouraged.

Honeymorth really had the greatest SEM
sational drama ever written. Now all he
has left Of 1t Ia the title. lie got the
startling thing up all by himself and.
rs usual with him, expected to make an I'm
mcnse fortune out OF 1t right away. But he
didn't. Somehow the manager he offered 1t TO
failed to grasp the grand ideas Of the PLAY. He
didn't appear to have on hand the requisite
amount Of that sterling energy and true courage
that so necessary to the successful production
of great public starter. This drama appalled,
and amazed him, and made him wish that there
was some harsh law for the punishment Of get
tiers up % STARTERS OF kind, either public or
private. He declined to produce IL.
/ well remember the morning Honeymorth
first took his great play to the theatre TO read 1t
to the proprletOrs. Never before had seen
him looking so radiant, 90 hopeful. go confident
Of victory. lie told me conndentlally that SJoVO
wouldn't purchase u half interest In 1t. He'll
take less now.
When he was comfortably sentcd In the man
ayers Office himself on one side Of a little table
and the manager on the other. he unrollcd his
precious manuscript, and. with a preliminary
flourish of his right hand, boldly announced tho
full title Of the greatest sensational drama OF
the age. It was
THE MoULDY MONK or THE SECRET CELL;
OR, THK NARROWING CURSE OF pOJBLKEDGE DE-
sPAiR.
The MANAGER fell right over backward, and lay
on the floor and sroaned. II was hardly fair OF
Honeymorth to begin in such an abrupt manner.
lie should have given tho man some Kind OF
warning. prepared him In some way to expect
something quite out Of the usual line; but no,
he blurted that terrible title right out.
The manager arose. finally. and resumed his
chair. At that moment he was, perhaps, the
m az ped- lank "a individual I'm the ntted
States Of America. He Razed straight at Honey
north In dazed sort Of way, aud spoke not
word. Indeed, he was afraid to speak, for he
inwardiy felt that that kind of title was not to
be trhsd with.
Honeymorth dove right into his play. all un:
conscious OF the feelings Of his listener. aud
never stopped til he had quite hnishedsthe first
act. II seems IL was to end with great IRON
foundry scene. HonevmOrtbs idea WAS 10 TURN
the stage into an immense foundry, with nine
ty-tOn trip hammer In the centre. hnd there was
to he real boiler and a steam engine Tho
lit up las he put itl "only by the lurid shadowy
81 re 81 n nre In furnace at the back gang
Of real wOrkmen were to draw large shaft,
heated to a white heat, from the furnace. place
II under the trp-hamner ana let Inc ninety ton
ner Town ON IT,. This, HoneynOrth explained,
would cause millions OF sparks to ay all oyer
the house, and make one OF the grandest sights
ever seen on any stage linen the nero OF tne
play was to come ON and meet the heavy villain.
While the real workmen were relocating the
shaft the villain was To seize the hero Oy the
throat, hurl MIN under the hammer, NOW raised
up, OF courseD and tie him there, exclaiming,
"Revengedl revenged ila! hal hal" He was
to be Ia the act OF letting the ponderous weight
down on the body of the victim, when, for the
second time. the blazing shaft was to be swung
around, the fiery end to strike the hero in the
back, loosen lis bonds, and knock him out Of
harms way Just as the hammer falls. Fooled!
foiled Iauleau and slow music; $780,.
things the hair Of the manager shot straight up,
bis franc quivered, and although not very
hungry, somehow the one idea that occupied his
mind was that he would like To- eat. He felt ike
dining on seven or eig 1t pounds Of stfychnine
for instance. He suddenly became tired Of life,
aud longed 70 emislate To that other world
where sensational writers are ne yer admitted.
lie didn't enter into the spirit of the thing at
all he failed to grasp its vasiness, 50 to speak.
IL might have been the trip-haminer that ne
couldn't get through his head, or the red hot
SHAFT or the real wotknen,; at any rate be
utterly failed To comprehend the sublime and
startling beauties of Act /.
lie Gained down after a while SUFFICIENTLY 70
say his say. lie explained kindly to lIOneymorth
that IN the lrst place he would be ohlise ~ or
ucr 10 get wnOie IRON foundry on the boards,
TO purchase some thirteen or fourteen vacant
lots in the rear Of his theatre, anu enlarge his
stage to that extent. Honeymorth said he sup
Ibis purchasing OF so much real estqte the
manager didn't appear to care very much about.
He didn't care, ne SAID. anything about having
to buy blast furnace either, or ninety ton
! trlp.nammer. or "A boiler aud an engine. These
! things he could, AID would, pUrch sc for the
sake n encosr gig art; but, then. De was
Doubtful about act'rs. lie h,d never known II
>
art ADVANCED or his salary, the former Invariably
remained anchored. He can't call TO mind
! Inst then any rising young player who would be
| willing to be knocked IN the small Of the back
! every ni.h' for some months with the red-h9t
end Of zig iron SHAFT fr the comparau!vcly
small remuneration he the MANAGER would be
/ able To- oner. Ii would, he thought, be very
wearing on an actors constitution, aud rather
! hard On his WARDROBE: and that he would soon
back out without a back.
Then IIoncymorth asked, " Couldn't the rising
Young actor ue irOnclad IN the bAcKf' and the
] lrtn.tepQ To tliIk THAT III an over. Blt
| w.rkmcn went ON a striker Aud there wac an
| other trDube still. When the trii -hammer
| came down on the seething shaft, wouldn't the
millions Of radiant sp rks he ant to Sc. the place
| ON ureg HOncyuorth acknowledged that II
! would tie incouyehicnt 10 nave the house burn
ing down every daN or two' out suggested that
| during thIs particular scene the IRE depart nthi
be on hand every night with hose stretched and
| steam w. Finally tie manager told hiW That he
was sorry, but he really felt himself compete %
say tuat that act had octer he ,ut Out or ne cold
do nothing VITA the play. Honeym9rth came
curse OF Doublc-Ed-ed Desp ir' under his arm,
looking zad, weary, and disappointed.
/ don't know exactly what douole-edged
despair is, neVct having seen any Que wrestling
with IT. but Am led 10 believe, lndee III my
own mind | am fully convinced mat that was
the kind If despair Honey mprth wns MED with
when he came out 81 he theatre. He went home
quite crushed, and in de-pundent mood cut
Act First out, and then crawled 10 bed feeling rs
If he had committed murder. Ine loss VI tue
trip hammer and the snalt cut nun 10 the soul
ire almost drove him frantic.
ACT IL.
He felt all right In the morning, however-he
always did-and looking rs Kay as lark. agulI
sought the presence Of the man ger. lie plunged
boldly into Act H., and the manager was
delighted with 1t ill the climax was reached
! and here. somehow, tue ri ~ seemed to hitch.
| Honey north vented "a big cannon un the Il lee
n very large cannon IN fact, nothing tut the
yer, LARGEST Of clunons would hil ms cuD # h o.
piuess lie said hc had us eye ON cannon At
FORTRESS Monroe, called, he believed, this
" Pc cemtkeI." 1t Was 4 live hundred found or
and he thought he could induce the Govern
ment to lend IL to him. lie knew a an at tn,
Navy Yard, 4 harness maker, who had inhuenC,
enough with Grant, he thought,to borrow tAa
gun.
Ihis Is what he wanted Of the Peacemaker.'
The heavy villain of the play vita Fang o.
ruthl- IS ruiians at his back was to attempt Il
get rid Of the hero by tnTusting him into III,
gun and then hring II of. In the Struggle t.
life the hero WAS to manage to change clothe
with one OF the ruthless rum aus, and TINS ruiaI
was to he showed into the cannon and biOwl
out instead OF the hero, who, Of course, was Il
= escape.
Just here is where the authors ideas aud tn
managers didn't clnme together. He acknOwl
edged. did the manager, that the idea Of the h
, | gun was MAGNIFICENT and well calculated 4
| create an immense sensation. lie didn't mini
going To the expense OF taking out one side O
| his house To get tie gun IN, or Of having L
| double brace the tsge and support II WITH extr
| iron pillars to make IL strong enough 70 bear ID
| nftrl,f ,f ba fnr "a nou