New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-01
MRS. KENDALL.
HER EXPERIENCE WITH ALSs

From Murray's Magazine.
have sometimes been asked to give the history
Of play flom the Ms. TO the stage. may begin by
saying that very few pays indeed have ever been
acted before the public IN th3 state n wien they
dergo thousand changes. IL often happens mat
MS. IS submitted which contains very beautiful lead
ing idea, but badly worked In such cases tho
manager becomes, as 1t were, cOllaboa)f with tAs
author. Many plays altered IN this manner. The
same when they come TO rhealse; receiving Ok
course, hints in their from the author and %
the work gets into shape.
Mr.. Kendall and / get quantities Of plays brought
us, and we make it rule 10 read nearly every %,
Of them OF course they are not all worthy Of being
ished at the amount of good there is 10 be found IN
the first plays of young playwrlters- unknown yong
men aud women. There Is perhaps one sg3ne thatb
remarkably good or Il may be some leading idea o
character but so badly surrounded that the play vii
not admit OF production. always IN such cases wnis
back TO the author go on: You have the germ Do
not spare paper ard Ink and trouble, and you VIII
eventually find that the good fairy has touched you
with her wand" I should think in ac course OF
year we have hundieds of plays submitted to us. Ny
working-table is covered with them and have
cupbOards full besides. 4 great many comedettas
In one act sent me by young ladles-,ometmss uans-
lated from the French German-preuy little things
often. but too light and himsy for use; containing
nevertheless. decided germs of TALENT. l think TO
matinees which have come into fashion are ysT
great boon. OF course they I'm some ways detr-
mental to art. but they have many advantages With
more than counteract any harm they may do. hsva
seen some very bad plays produced az them, Dut
have also very good ones. They afford ~
excellent means of making the work of young auhH
known.
may as well confess that am not personally
good judge Of play or Of part will tell you ~
lost my husband and his partner very large sum Of
money. had sent TO ME so2!e long time ago a pay
/ thought the idea was splendid. but didn't like tho
way in which # worked out. one scene found,
l may say, ABSURD, namely, that a man should 50
fore her. | thought this was such blemish in mo
play, and so ludcrous, and such bad starting point
the audience might forget that falling in ii. stll u
would make a bad beginning. and would moro or les
a and t told him o. so e That play vas produced
matinee. IL was an enormous success, ana was eveh
Let me here blushngly. and with the deepest CON con
triton. say that that play was called " Jim fHe f'
As a rule. Mr. Kendall reads most Of the PLAYS s,he
10 He Is an excellent Judge ana po n,onsv in a
play. He is very difficult TO please anq bayo t,aeiy
wrong his judgment IS 50 cool; rs xc cas myscit
by saying that do not believe an me qniy person.
who has erred in such matters OF judgment ,or mad,
success with play that has been refused else;yhere:
could not be positive on me l Po, "metimeD wha,
IS finally submitted the public is only onf-ha %hSs
the author originally wIGss 81 Incl@!, VIII We
practically took only half ne piece out LINK
picked ont all the Plumf' te for Fa@niieroy9 whrn
The piay was produced Mrs Burnett saiI 10 ne; ~
have about c rather sny ogrTs on, Of the play
would hnmby beg her pardon bur thar ,hSSGe,hs
had only Knitted nit on my sp Brighter or gloss That
means opIy What habit gives you the power Of doing
that and the instructive feeling of what VIII DC mO''
or efs no easy task to cut we'll ca that II
to be able TO make judcious omission, % seosrats
,Sc wheat from the chat or taking another a'e swek
TO gather the stitches together. as we do W.T." w.
Sometimes authors will leave plays with Us , ,Sr ses
or four weeks or for as many months beher we have
little WHILE they write and ash Us ,rlte very
read IT, and what our opinion Is We ovt ovrn 10 other
def allied opinion. which sometimes IS swSsr Of PLAYS
nan aqers and used as a lever The nuhuess dspends
we manage TO read in given time o, 'ou' bavs oler
ON whether we are busy at rehearsal os srd l. every
ts , - - o n lives read something or o'he, plsy
through a book that perhaps VIII MAJ il Is IN do
course put into rehearsal ~ r'y very nervous
arr present at the rehearsas ar ye, on The actors
Whf WHICH, ma differ good deal in tie way they Sai o1s
interpreters Of their work nd then one cuts It onese
finds ones par opt ana then one asks te a,d ~.
wrte I'M speech or to el srsSied readily sno
orally snch rSgpwever, boast Of writing plays ri
they are pleased 70 term N me artists Who nerpret
the pay ,nk that this Of NPGS at lsssi that by
out, and thar ar any rate, little somethlhS' "
actors ,,,c are always curious about nlPsys mahs
Tho puIvnSr, often asked whether piaywreLss thhg
,ers a s"rtines Good gracious me .,ony mention:
| they did ,MThicb Of course would never 90 20
ing nssshine generally. how money masS for thes
authors charge iSeT are original works hey WIN r sS
works AL. them for much down and then s ~ viii
times s p, think authors holding high posi- more
| nigh's, omething Ike 10 per cent, somenmo'
,ss gross receipts a.. a., ,,eee acted v s'
y Sy" ret onlyfthrty pounds or fft sS an
snd the ,s manager ,Ss s %ss :s'
known cot his place he charges. OF coui no do'St
Considers he has right to snsrge yS have go
you Naturally these men, who know = believe nv
mcncy expect part o. the ~ Tpsaaee,y b, hno.
or man who now occupies anythnig NE play to -
NV brother occupied who would az ,,h eomodlsItA
piay ed for that sum ~ inisn' " "
t,t will nothing elSoA