Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-10-11
HOW 1T CAME ABOUT.
The Way Popular Play Was Written and
an Old Custom RevoIutionized.

an Old Custom RevoIutionized.
In 'Leavss from Dramatist's Diary" Dion
Bou.acault relates how he came to write one
of his most successful plays. It was toward
the close of 1859 that Boucicault entered into
an engagement with Miss Laura keene to
perform five months at her theatre, the
Olympic, in New York. He opened in ''Jen-
ME Deans" which met with great success,
and was followed in time by vanity Fair"
a comedy in three acts, which failed. Mr..
Boucicault, who writes his "reminiscences in
the third person, so to speak, continues in
these words: "rhis work had been relied on
to carry the engagements prosperously to
the end of May; twelve weeks of disaster lay
ahead, i'll which all the profits of the season
and more, too, must inevitably disappear.
Have you nothing-no subject, no play
half written? Can you think of nothing to
replace this unlocked for collapsed" pleaded
Miss Keene.
81 have nothing replied Boucicault, 'ex-
cepting very poor sketch of Little Dorrit,"
and another of 'Bleak House," but let us
meet tomorrow and talk it OUT
ut 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 a 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 he in
tended to spend the hours of the night. Bren-
tano pointed to a shelf where scanty row Of
cheap novels represented his stock in trade;
-
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 Keene
received this letter:
"MY DEAR LAURA have It'll l send you seven
steel engravngs Of scenes around Killarney. Get
your scene painter to work them at once. l
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 Fri
day; we rehearse that while am writing the sec
ond which will be ready on Monday; and we
hearse the second while am doing the third We
can get the play out within fortnight.
''Yons, D..
Among the books picked up at Brentano's
was, happily, THE Collegians,' by Gerald
Griffin Throwing it aside Boucicault evolved
THE Colleen Bawn.' These incidents may
appear too trivial for such particular record,
but these results will be seen to have signal
Importance. The least important was the
revolution effected by this play in what may
be termed the Irish drama and the represen-
tation Of Irish character. But the adven-
lures of the Colleen Bawn in England will
be seen to have contributed mainly to fun
damental 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-
cault to carry out the plans he had vainly
endeavored to put into operation in 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 third company
were organized and sent out.
SIN 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, perceiving
tte very ldISe pfolluS accrulIS IfO1n InlS 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 a meeting of the French dramatists
and composers, held in Paris in 1866, Mr.
Boucicault 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