Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-11-01
BILL NYE
As a Possible Playwright Tho
Gentle Rumorist's Ideas
On the Practical and Theoretical Drama
His Great Scheme for a Wax
Company, and the Catchi-
ness Of SMALLPOX
on the Stage.

VI utS SAd5Ss
The following letter was written recently
in reply TO Mr.. Scott Marble, author OF
States Attorney" BLACK Diamond,
Over the Garden Wal" ETC., etc, who
proposed the matter Of writing q play
jointly:
HUDsoS, Wis, October l3, 1885.
Scott Marble, Esq;
( DEAR Sal have Just received your IA
vor of yesterday, in which you ask me to
unite with yen in the construction OF 8 new
play.
Road ike very much to unite with you
in the erection or such dramatic scruc-
ture that people Would eheerfully come to
this country from Europe and board with
Us for months in order 10 see this play
every night
You will surely agree with me that some
body ought 10 write play. Why 1t has
NOS been done long ago cannot under
stand. A well know comedian told me q
year ego that he hadn't been able to look
into q paper for sixteen months He could
not even read over the proof of his own
press notices and criticisms to ascertain
whsiher the printer had set them up as be
wrote them or not, simply because 1t took
all his spare time OF the stage to examine
the manuscripts Of plays that had been
submitted to him.
But think we could arrange il so that
We might together construct something IN
that he which would al least
ATTRACT THE ATTENTION OF OUR FAMILIES
Woald you mind telling me, for instance,
how you write play? You have been in
the business before, snd you caR tell me,
of course, some Of the salient points about
il. Do you write it with q typewriter, or
DO you dictate your thoughts TO some oae
Who does not resent being dictated to?
Do you write q play aud then dramatize
II, or do you write the drama aud then play
on il? Would II not De good idea 10 &C.
cure a plot that would cost very little and
than put the kibosh on l., or would you
nut I'D the lines FIRST and then hang the
plot or drama, or whatever it is, on the
/ lines? Isit absolutely necessary to have a
prologue? If so, Wha; is q prologue? Is
i. like q catalogus2
( have 8 great many crude ideas, but
you see | an net practical One OF my
crude ideas ia to introduce into the play
an artists studio. fhis sou!d not cost
much, for we could borrow the studio even.
iugs aud allow the artist to use it dsytimes
Then we would introduce into the studio
scsus the artists living model Everybody
wozld be Mortified, bat they would 60
Tpsy would walk over ssc5 other TO attend
the drama. and We would do veil. Our hT-
ing model in the studio act would be made
OF common wax, and il It worked well, We
would discharge other members OF the
company and substitute wax Gradually
We could get it down to where the company
would be wax, with the exception of q
isnitor with q feather duster.
THINK THAT OVER
Bat seriously 3 play, it seems TO me,
should embody 90 idea Am correct IN
that theory or not? 1t osght 10 convey
some great thought, some maxim or sphor-
ism. or some such thing as that. How
would it do to arrange play with the idea
of imposing upon the audience thst the
fool and his money is soon psrtedH' Arc
YOU usibg 3 hero and 3 heroine IN Jour
plays now2 II so, would you mind writing
their lives for them while arrange the de-
tails and remarks for the young man who
, ia discovered asleep on q divan when the
curtain rises, and who sleeps on through
the play with his mouth slightly sjsr, TIL
+ the closs-the close Of the play, not the
close of his mouth-Ehen il is discovered
that he is dead He then playa the cold
remains in the closing tsblesu, and Ills 6
neu.made grave OF SO per week.
I | could also write the lines, I think, for
I the Young man who comes IN wearing q
/ iish sammsr cans SG6 seersucker coat
/ go tight YOU can count his ysrtsbre. |
could write What he would ssy without
great mental strain or my intellect might
shit down the bsct, and would be men,
/ tai wreck, good for nothing butte
srREw rHE SHORES OF TINE WITH Myself.
yarious other crude ideas present them
selves to ny mind, bat they need to be
clothed. You wiz cay that this is uuneees-
sary. know you viii st sHes Feply that,
for the stage, the less you elothe an ices
the more popular it will be, bat could not
consest 70 have even bare thought ol
mine make IN appearance night after
night before = cultivated audience.
/ What DO you think Of Introducing q
genuine case Of small pox on the STAGE
/ YOs ssy u your letter thst what the Amer
I ican people slanor for is something
catchy" Thai would be catchy, and II
would also introduce itself
| wish you would slso tell me what kind
Of diet you eon6ns yourself to while writ
ing q play, and how you 60 work to pro
curs il Do you i've on 3 mixed diet OF
on yOaF relsti1es1 Would you soak your
bead While writing 9 play or would yo1
ask your oyercoat1 / desire to know al
thess things, because, Mr.. Marble, 70 tel
-ou the truth, An IS ignorant about tia:
.sr a. the babe unborn. In fact pos
5ui have 10 get up early IN thu
krcs leSs shout plAy.wrihDg
eeeseded in kno~ing.
rake o kind Of comedy