Wichita eagle., 1889-10-04

these words: This work had been relied on
to carry the engagements prosperously to
the end Of May; twelve weeks Of disaster lay
ahead, In which al the profits o. the season
and more. too, must inevitably disappear.
Have you nothing-no subject, no play
half writtenl Can you think Of nothing to
replace this unlocked for collapser' pleaded
Miss keene
i have nothing replied Boucicault, 'ex-
ceptlng very poor sketch Of Little Dorrit, "
and another of BLEAK House," but let VI
meet tomorrow and talk it out
lit was bitter night, and the sleet, driven
by northerly blast, dashed the authors face
as he turned up Broadway. A few doors from,
the theatre dim light in cellar showed
that thrifty little Italian, who sold cheap
publications and small stationery, invited the
belated pedestrian to buy home made cigar
His name was Brentano. Descending into
the den, where he knew he would find the
usual display of ten cent literature, Bouci-
cault asked for two novels, over which be in.
tended to spend the hours of the night. Bren-
tano pointed to shelf where scauty row Of
cheap novels represented his stock in trade;
from these the visitor selected dozen at
hazard, and with the pockets of his overcoat
stuffed, he pushed his way through the sleet
and darkness TO Union square. near which he
resided. The following morning Miss Keens
received this letter:
my DEAR LAURA have it. send you seven
steel engravings Of scenes around Killarney. Get
your scene painter TO work on them at once.
also send book of Irish melodies with those
marked desire Baker to score for the orchestra
shall read act one of my new Irish play on Fri
day; we rehearse that while am writing the sec
ond, which will be ready on Monday; and we re-
hearse the second while am doing the third. We
can get the play out within a fortnight.
Yours, D.B
Among the books picked up at Brentaro's
was, happily, The Collegians, by Gerald
Griffin. Throwing it aside Bouccault evolved
The Colleen Bawn.' These incidents may
appear too trivial for such particular record,
but these results will be seen 70 have a signal
Importance. The least important was the
revolution effected by this play in what may
be termed the Irish drama and the represeu-
tatlon of Irish character. But the adven-
lures of the Colleen Bawn in England viii
De seen to have contributed mainly to fun
1amental change in theatrical affairs
throughout the world In September, 1860,
it was produced in London at the Adelphi
theatre, and its success enabled Mr.. Bouci.
cauit to carry out the plans he had vainly
endeavored to put into operation III 1852. He
refused to allow the Colleen Bawn' to be
played on royalty or fees. He engaged four
comedians, Mr.. John Drew, Mr.. Sloane, Mrs
Sloane and Mrs. Hudson Kirby, and instruct
ed them in the principal characters. He Of.
fered the play as the star supported by this
group of American comedians. He expe-
rienced much resistance on the part of man.
ayers In the provincial theatres, but at last
his terms were accepted, the play became the
thing and the author received half the gross
receipts A second and a third company
were organized and sent oatt.
I'm the following year he sent out THE
Streets of London and in 1865 he sent out
three companies with 'Arrah-na-Pogue'
The leading dramatic authors, perceivius
the very large profits accruing from this new
method, began to secede from the Dramatic
Authors society, and to follow the new
method, under which the name of the author
of the play was starred and his Importance
recognized. The provincial theatres became
so overrun with these new companies that
managers proposed to the authors to send
out, not groups, but entire companies Of
comedians By such means the managers
could dispense with local companies alto
gether. This suggestion was accepted, and
thus stock companies were swept away.
Sat meeting of the French dramatists
and composers, held in Paris in 1866, Mr.
Bouccault described this new method Of
harvesting the provincial theatres The
shrewd and practical Frenchmen adopted
the idea at once. But it was not until after
1872 that the United States finally gave up
stock companies and adopted the new sys-
tenn