The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-04-21
BILL NYE WRITES
CONCERNING THE PRACTICAL AND
THEORE TIcAL DRAMA
The Cat chiness of SMALL Pox on the
Stage - Introducing He'll
Gato-Diet, Etc
boston 9iobe.

boston @obe1
The following letter was written recently
in reply TO Mr.. Scott Marble, author Of
estate Attorney" "Black Diamond" "over
the Garden Wall.' ETC., etc., who proposed
the matter of writing a play jointly:
HUDSON, Wis, Oct. Is, 1885 -Scor,
MARBLE, ESQ. DEAR SIR: / have
just received your favor of yester-
day, in which you ask me to unite with you
in the construction of new play This
idea has been suggested to me BEFORE but
not in such a way AS to inaugurate the seri-
GUS thought which your letter has stirred
| up in my seething mass of mini would
like very much to unite with You in the
erection OF such dramatic structure that
people would eheerfully come to this coun-
try from Europe AMI board with US foi
months in order to $50 this play every
night
| SHOULD BE DONE, BUT Howa
You will surely agree with me thatsome
holy ought to write play. Why it ha
not been done long ago l cannot under tan l.
A well-known comedian told me year age
| that he hadn't been able to look into 3
paper for sixteen months He conld moi
| sven road over the proof of his own pres
| notices and criticisms to ascertain whether
the printer had set than up as he wrott
them or not, simply because it took all hi
spare time off the stage to examine the
manuscripts Of plays that hal been sub
mitted to him
Bat l think we could arrange it so that
we might together construct something ii
that line which would at least attract thu
4 . So.
telling me- for instance, how TO write a play
You have been in the business before. and yov
could tell me. Of course some OF the salem
points about it, Do You write it with type
writer. or do you dictate your thought, 1,
SONS one who does not resent being die
tateI "a
10 you write play and then dramatic
it or do You write the drama and thei
ilay on ii, Would it not be good idea I,
secure plot that would cost very little AM
then put the kobosh on it, or would woul,
put up the lines first and then hang the plo
OF drama, Or whatever it is, on the line |
it absolutely necessary to have a prologue
II so, what is q prologue' Is it like cata
lossue'
GOOD IDEAS, BUT CRUDE.
havs a great many crude ideas, bu
you sec ! am not practical One of m
crude ideas is to intro luce into the play a
artists stu lilo. This would not cost much
for we could borrow the studio evening
and allow the arti,t to use it daytime;
Then WI would introduce into the studi
scene the artists living model Every bod
would be Mortified. but they would go. The,
would walk over each other to attend til
drama, and we would do we'll Our Twin
model in the studio act would bs made c
common wax, and if it worked well, "
would discharge our members Of the con
pany and substitute wax. Gradual
wo could get it down to where tt
company would be wax, with I'll
exception OF janitor with a feathe
buster Think that over But ser
ously, play, it seems to me, should en-
body an idss, Am correct in that theor
or not' 1t ought to convey some gres
thsught some maxim or aphorism, or som
such thing rs that How would it d [
arrange play with the idea Of impressin
upoa tho auiisncs that -the fool and h
money are soon partsdr Are you using
hero and n heroine in your plays nowa
go, wouli yoH mind writing their limos Il
Them whio l arrange tho details AMI n
marks for the young man who i discoyere
asleep on divan when the curtain rise
and ~no sleeps ON througn the play ait
his moath lightly aiar. till the close I'll
close of the play, not the cio-e of his mout
when it is discovered that he is deal
taen plays the coll remains in the clio in
, tablean, and fills new-maie grave at !
. | Der week