The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-08-08
Mark TwaIn's speech at tho
First Representation OF "Ah'

Mark rwaIn's speech al tho
First Representation OF "Ab'
Sim"
From the n. Y. Mali.
Col. Sellers Raymond and Mrs. Ray
mond occupied a stage box, as did Mark
Twain. who, being called before the cur.
tain after the third act, delivered in his
dryest manner, amid abundant laughter,
the following speech:
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN I'm view Of
this admirable success, It Is meet that
try to express to you our hearty thanks
for the large share which your encour.
aging applause has had in producing this
success. This office | take upon me With
great pleasure. This is 4 very remarka.
Die play, You may not have noticed il,
but l assure you 1t Is 80. The construc-
ton Of this play was work Of great
labor and research, also Of genius and
invention. and plagiarism. When the
authors Of this play began their work
they were resolved that II should not
lack bloodcurdling disasters, accidents,
calamities --ior these things always help
ont play. But we wanted them to be
new ones, brilliant, unhackneyed. In
lucky moment we hit upon the breaking
down Of stage coach as being
something perfectly fresh and appalling.
It seemed a stroke OF genius-an inspira.
ton. We were charmed with 1t. SO
We naturally overdid it = little. Conse.
quenLly when the play was frat Complet.
ed we found We had that stage break
down seven times in the frat act. We
saw that that wouldn't do-the piece was
going to be too stacy u didn't notice that
that Is very goOd). Yes, the critics and
everybody would say this sort Of thing
argued poverty Of invention. And icon.
6dentially) it did resemble that. No, OF
course, we set to work and put some lin.
itations upon that accident, and We threw
a little variety into the general Style Of
it, too. Originally the stage coach always
came in about every seven minutes and
broke down at the foOllights and split
the passengers down among the musicians.
You can see how monotOnous that Was
to the musicians. But we fixed all that.
Al present the stage coach only breaks
down once; private carriage breaks
down once, and the horses Of another car.
riage run away once. We could have
left out one or two OF these, but then we
had the horses and vehicles on our hands,
and we couldn't afford to throw them
away on n mere bubble. l am making
this explanation in the hope that it will
reconcile you to the repetition Of that &C.
cident.
This play ia more didactic than other.
wise. For the instruction OF the young
We have introduced game Of poker in
the first act The game OF poker il all
too little understood in the higher circles
Of this country. Here and there you
lind an ambassador that has some idea OF
the game, but you take the general aver.
age Of the nation and our ignorance
ought 10 make US blush. Why, / have
even known clergyman liberal, cul.
tivated, eStimable, purs.heArted man and
most excellent husband and iather-WhO
didn't value an acc full above two pair
and a jack. Such ignorance as this is
brutaliLing. Whoever sees Mr.. Parsloe
in this piece sees rs good and natural
and consistent a ChinRman "a he could
zee in San Francisco. | think his p0r.
trayal Of the character reaches perfrc.
ton. The whole purpose Of the piece il
to Afford an opportunity for the illustra.
ton OF this character. The Chinsman is
going TO become very frequent specta.
Gle all over America by and by, and
difficult political problem, too. There
fore it seems well enough to let tho
public study him little on the stage be-
forehand. The actors, the management
aud the authors have done their best to
begin this course Of public instruction
eGeCtuslly this evening. l will only
say one word more about this remarka.
BILE play. 1t ia this: When this play
was originally completed it was no long
and so wide and so deep lin places and SO
comprehensive that it would have taken
two weekS 10 play II. And thought
this was good feature. supposed we
could have sign on tho curtain, ITO 10
continued" and it would be all right;
but the manager said no, that 1t wouldn't
do, to play play two weeks long would
be sure to get us into trouble with the
government, because the Constitution Of
the United States says you shall not in.
tlict cruel and unusual punishments.
So he set to work to cut it down and cart
the refuse to the paper mill. Now tina.
was 4 good thing. never saw play
improve as this one did. The more we
cut out Of it the better 1t got right along.
He cut out, and cut out, and cut ouI;
and | do believe this would be one OF
the best plays in the world to-day II his
strength hal held out, and he could have
gone on and cut out the rest Of it. With
thiS brief but necessary explanation OF
the plot and purpose and moral Of this
excellent work, make my bow, repeat
my thanks, and remark that the scissors
have been repaired aud the work Of i'm
provement will still go on.