The new North-west., 1885-12-11
WHOLE NO. S57
BILL NYE WRITES
CONCERNING THE PRACTICAL AND
THEoEET.cAL DRAMA.
His Great scheme for Wax Com pany-.
The Cat hin.ss of Small. Pox on the
staip - Introducing He'll
Gats-Diet, Etc.

state "a tic n,y, @Biack Diamond "Over
the Garicn !.'al!." etc. etc, who proposal
the matter o. writing e play jointly:
HUDSON, Nis, Oct. Is. 1885 -Scorr
MARBLE, Esa, DEAR SIR: ! have
just received your favor of ysster-
day, in which you ask me to unite with you
in the construction of new play. Thip
idea has been suggested to ME before, but
not in such a way as to inaugurate the ssri-
Gus thought which your letter has stirrel
up in my seethiny mass Of mind. l would
like very much to unite with you in the
erection Of such dramatic structure that
people would cheerfully come to this coun-
try from Europe and board with US for
months in order to see this play every
night
SHOULD BE DONE, BUT HOWE
You will surely agree with me that some-
body ought to write a play. Why it ha'
not bsen done long ago cannot under stand.
A well-known comedian told me year ago
that he hadn't been able to look into a
paper for sixteen months He could not
even read over the proof Of his own press
notices and criticisms to ascertain whether
the printer had set them up as be wrots
them or not, simply because it took all hi,
spare time off the stage to examine the
manuscripts of plays that had been SUBJ
mitted to him.
But think We could arrange it so that
we might together construct something in
that line which would at least attract the
attention of our families. Would you mind
telling me, for instance. how to write playi
You have been in the bu ,insss before, and you
could tell ME, Of course, some of the salient
points about it. Do you write it with type
writer, or do you dictate your thoughts to
some one who does net resent being die
tated toi
Do you write play and then dramatic,
it, or do you write the drama and then
play on it. Would it not be good idea to
secure plot that would cost very little and
then put tine kobosh on it, or would would
put up the lines first and then hang the plot
or drama, or whatever it is, on the line 2 Is
it absolutely necessary to have a prologuel
II so, what is a prologusl Is 1t like a cata-
lo5uei
GOOD IDEAS, BUT CRUDE.
/ have q great many crude ideas, but
you see l am not practical. One Of my
crude ideas Is to intro luce into the play an
artists stuiio This would not cost much,
for We could borrow the studio evenings
and allow the artist to use it daytimes
Then we would introduce into the studio
scene the artists living model Every body
would be Mortified, but they would 20. They
would walk over each other to attend the
drama, and we would do we'll Our living
model in the studio act would be made Of
common wax, and II IL worked we'll, We
would discharge our members of the COM
pany and substitute wax. Gradually
wo could get 1t down to where the
company would be wax, with the
aYcanfinu fau xu;tk
duster Think that over. But seri.
ously, a play, 1t seems to me- should en-
body an idea Am I correct in that theory
or not' 1t ought to convey some great
thought, some maxim or aphorism, or some
such a thing as that How would it do to
arrange play with the idea of impressiny
upon the audience that @ths fool and his
money are soon partedr Ara you using a
hero and O heroine in your plays nowi II
so, wouli you mind writing their lines for
them while ] arrange the details and re-
marks for the young man who Il discovered
asleep on divan when the curtain rise,
and who sleeps on through the play with
his mouth slightly ajar. till the close
close Of the play, not the close OF his mouth
when 1t Is discovered that he Is deal Ii,
then plays the cold remains in the clio in
tableau. and fills new.made grave at 81
per week.
A CENTRAL CHARACTER.
could also write the lines, think, for
the young man who comes IN wearing a
light summer cane ami a seersucker coat so
tight that you can count his vertebr@
could write what he wouli say without
great mental strain, think. must avoid
mental strain or my intellect might split
down the back, as 1 would be mental
wreck, good for nothing but t, strew the
shores OF time with myself. Variou, other
crude ideas present themselves tn my min |.
but they need to be clothed. You will say
that this Is unnecessary. I know you will
at once reply that, for the stage. the less
you cloth an idea the more popular it will
be, but could not consent to have even a
bare thought Of mine make an appearance
night after night before q cultivated
audience.
What do you think Of Introducing a pen-
uine case Of smallpox on the stagei You
say in your letter that what the American
people clamor for Is something Catchy
That woull be catchy, and 1t would also in.
trslnce itssls. .E
WHAT KIND OF DIETl
/ wish you would also tell me what kind
OF diet you confine yourself to while writing
f'.yt "'1 Nv" you ~ W Worh 10 procure
it Do you live on a mixed diet or on your
relativesl Would you soak your head while
writing play, or would you soak your
overcoatf desire to know all these thing.
because, Mr.. Marble, to tell you the truth.
l am rs ignorant about this matter as the |
babe unborn In fact posterity would |
have to get up early in the morning to |
know less about play writing than have
succeeded In knowing
II we are to make o kind OF comedy. nv |
idea would be to introduce something face |
tious into the middle Of the comedy. No
one will expect it, you sea, and 1t viii tickle
the audience almost to death A friend of |
mine suggests that 1t would be q great hit |
TO introduce. or rather TO rsproducs. the '
He'll Gate explosion. Many were not able
10 be there at the time. and would willingly
90 q long distance to witness the reproiuc-
ton
wish that you would reply to this letter
at an early date, telling me what you think
Of the scheme suggested. Feel perfectly
free to express yourself fully. / am not too
proud to receive your Suggestions Yours
truly, BILL NYE