The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-01-05
THE CONSTRUCTION OF PLAYS.


The Bankers Daughter" calls to mind some
notable cnscs Of alterations from the authors
manuscript in other phys. which lave not nj
ways been SO frankly acknowledged. In mod
ern times. at least. no original play has ever
become successful until 1t has undergone inn
portant changes at rehearsal. Even tho works
Of Shakespeare. Ms they have come down 10 us
In the present day. arc not actnhle. and who
can say. in Shakerpcare's own times how much
the stage manager had to do with their produc-
ton? After oil that has been said about Cooley
Cibher and his edition Of " Richard III. com
pletoly changing. ns he did. shakespeare
characterization ~ the hum hackcd kinp-h
Is generally admitted that his II the better act.
ing play.
Shoridan's School for Scandal" was not
actahe when II was rut into the hands 81 tho
manager Of tho Drury lime Thentro. The
success It achieved was largely due to tho gngs
OF the actors and the suggestive wittlcisms of
the Gallanis who used to drop in at rehcarsns.
II sheridan could revisit the cimpses Of the
moon" and 500 the play NJ II is now produced
in complete sets" and with the convulsiyc
changes that have been made In It's construc-
ton to render those possible. hc would. rs
conscientious mAn. publish Il card in the news
papers. disavowing the credit ~ its authorship.
Tho Don CwsHr de Hnzan ofto-day Is very
different from the original Ruy Bias. bv Vie
tor Hugo. D'Ennery. and Lo Maitre wrote the
play. taking the title role bodily from " Iiuy
Bias lie Maltre. having made a hit ae DIM
C'rsdr. cut down the plny from five 10 three acts
so ms TO killthe supporting parts and leave him
self the central figure. The Lady Of LYONS
ia indebted to Bulwer for nothing hut tho Ian
guage. The story il from tho French play.
THE Bellows Mendcr:" and the arrangement
Of the scenery. the cutting Of the speeches, the
entries and eNitsin fact. all the details that go
to make the practical portion Of the pipce-are
the work Of tho able Macroady To Maoready
also belongs much Of the credit for 'ho success
OF " Richeicu." Bulwer. in the prcfn' D. nc
knowlcdges his indebtedness to De Nigbes
Gina Mars. and to French play. la Jour
nee des Dupcs" but he does not mention G. Z.
H. James's novel. " Richcleu" 10 which he was
more indebted than to either OF the other
sources.
Few plays have undergone more important
changes after leaving the authors hands than
London Assurance" UduI- Richdrd ODdS-
gle II was orRinnlly-was n Young Irishman. the
part having been designed by John Broughani
for himself Charles Mathews. who. almost
equally with Bouclcault. had n hand in the con-
struction OF the play. wanted to play Dazzle him
self but rs he could not act an Irshman the part
was changed 20 an EnGlishman. The II tag Of
the closing speech. which defines the true gem
tleman." was originally put into the mouth ~
Mar Hdrkd"og. who really is about the only
true gentleman in the play. But Fnrren.
who was cast for Sir HdrcOt,f County. insisted
tina; the lines should bc given to him. and the
actor who impcrsonates tho dissoute baronot
has had them ever since.
Louis NG.." in the original French. Is n
classic drnmn by Casimir DE Ia vgnc. rank
ing with such plays as Otways Venice Pro-
served " and Is an admirable picture of the
times OF the King and his court The English
translations or adaptations-there have been
several-arc all written with the view Of pairing
away everything but what will help 10 ondow
tho title role with Importance rs the great CEN
trail figure.
Our American Cousin 4" has undergone this
pairing process TO u still greater degree. As
originally written by Tom Taylor aud a. origin
ally played at Laura kerno's Theatre IL was a
nvc-act comedy. the chief parts being isd TEN
cidrd and ibei NWcon which were given 10
Jefferson and Coudock. Lo,1 D,,n,i,ea,.y was
such poor part that Sothern would only accept
1t ON condition that he should bu given ca,gs
Blanche 10 gag it and Introduce such business
as he. might think would help II. Tho actor
availed himself 80 freely az this privilege that
the part kept growing and growing. and the
other parts dwindled away until some Of them
were lost sight Of altogether. Tho play IL now
done In three acts instead OF five. and tho only
important parts are those Of Dnd,eaip and his
valet. As comedy II is spoilt irretrlevably:
for the public hrs hccome 30 used 10 IL In us
present form that It would not accept II now as
It was originally written. Tom Taylor has
becn more successful in preserving intact az
nc wrote il his " Ticket-of- Leave Man If A
can be called his for IN is an nctuHl translation
ot Leonard, French play 10y NJ Nus. There
IL no alteration in tho plot. the only important
change from the original being the substitution
81 the Lancashire dialect for. a French proyin-
cial paiois.
Bouciraut has. doubtless. done more play
adapting and translatinG than any other person
living. anu. with the exception of two or three
plays he spoiled In adapting IL NAV be said that
from his oldest. Don Casar de Bagan. ia his
latest. Clnrissa Harowe. " h. touched nothing
TINT he did not adorn. Skilful dramatist rs he
Is however. he Is never satisfied with his work
until IT has been changed and changed nRnln
during rehearsal; and after apparently every
thing has been done that can be- done for IL. he
VIII change once more. and. in doing 50. will
rewrue perhaps entire scenes. He has made So
many alterations III plot dialogue and situa-
'''' " '''s' VI Nh' I9N1 ilt ms ikktl from the
French. that II may b- said. ut least tina, they
are rs much his own rs Romeo and Juliet IL
Shake-peare's. The Colleen Bawn, perhRps
his best work. was built on Creydon's old play.
Ely Otonnor' and Grinlhs novel. The
Collcgians.' one Of Mr. Bouccauhs most sue
ccss'ul plays Is " Led Astray." II Is. In parts.
almost translation OF Octave Feuilet's lie
Tcntatior,' from which it is taken. Tho impor-
tant concession IL made. however. to the moral
sentiment ol the American public. that the wife
does not actually commit adultery. ~ in tho
French play. although Tho audience Is allowed
to So" plainly enough that sho would Il given
HE opportunity. The last act " Led Astrny.''
is almost wholly the creation ol Mr.. Boucicault
and 1t Is the cloanest and most pleasing.
1t would be no onsy thing u say how mucb
the Union square Theatre has bocn indebted IN
Dir. C'Haurans skilful pen in the adautation of
tho many French plays produced there during
inc past two years So rs to make thom accent
able to nm American audience In tho original
production Of Tho Two Orphans" at tho
Porte 81. Martin Theatre in Paris four-horse
conch' dashes ncross tho stage. In the first not
and Pierre FfochGrd, the cripple. at the risk of
his lie. snatches Louise. the blind girl. from
under the wheels. and saves her. As the pioce