The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-09-05
NY SUCCESS As A PLAYWRIGHT.
That Is. It Would Have Been IL It Had
Not Failed.


Not Failed.
II all happened at the hotel where wa
were spending the summer. The ladies OF
the place were very much interested in
some local charitable institution. and be-
cause il gave them something TO do. the
young people decided to have a dramatic
entertainment. II there is anything in the
world calculated TO distress a sensitive
mind it Is amateur theatricals, but be-
cause happened TO be a dramatic critic on
a city paper, the instigators Of the eonspir-
acy did not credit me with having a sen
sitive mind, and appointed me master Of
ceremonies. and put all the hard work on
my shoulders.
/ will pass over all the early stages,
spent in rehearSals and sorrow, and 90 AZ
once TO the business" as the phrase Is
You probably have never seen the play, be-
cause wrote it myself, and probably never
will, but for fine dramatic effect chal-
lenge Sardou to produce its equal. There
was a crescendo movement all through,
and the climax was reached when the
heroine, deliberately and with malice
aforethought, declines the hero and con
fesses love for the villain. 1t wasawork
Of art, even il / dc write It myself. for
being, as l have said. a dramatic critic, l
am in position TO state. / will narrate
the events Of that evening in their proper
sequence.
The dining room of the hotel which was
given up for the occasion, was crowded 10
suffocation, and the audience were kept in
a state of alarm before the rising Of the
curtain by the advent Of couple Of bats.
At length the curtain rose, and the audi
ence forgot the bats and the performers
their lines, but the prompter soon set them
straight, and the first set went OF as mer-
rily as a manageable belle. At the close
Of the second act the hero and the heroine
were discovered alone. The play ran in
this wise:
Hero-My own. Silence on the part Of
heroine)
Hero-My own. Continued silence on
the stsge; great applause in the audience)
night remark, en- PEASANT, that the her
oine in real life dearly adored the hero,
whose real name was Peter; but somehow
or another there seemed 70 be a orablike
retrograde movement on the part of Peter
in the matrimonial line. Peters stage
name was Reginald.
To continue;
Hero-My own. Sigh from the heroine,
followed by silence
Hero Gin desperation IL have long waited
for this chance, my own (applause), and
now come to cast myself at Beauty's feet,
and ask of her the love VI n true and trust
ing woman. prolonged applause.)
was standing in the flies directly oppo-
site 10 the heroine. and saw her eyes dxed
on the ceiling in a rapt way. She did not
speak her lines a. she should have done,
but continued her gaze above, and after
moment the hero went On:
"wilt thou marry met" Continued gaze
BY heroine, who evidently imagined the
scene TO be resl)
Hero-Wilt thou marry mei (Applauss.)
Prompter-No. Heroine silent.l
Prompter-NOi audience iaughs)
Hero getting nervous)-Wilt thou marry
me'
Heroine Suddenly awaking from her day
dream -Oh. Pete, yesi (sompany behind
scenes roars)
No. what could / do but ring the curtain
down and then get madi The play was
spoiled, knocked eudwise, so TO speak, at
the critical moment when she ought 20
have refused him instead Of being so aw-
fully worldly commonplace.
But as that was the end Of that act the
curtain had to come down anyhow, and
the company gave another act without any
support from NE, and finished amid wild
enthusiasm
They killed the villain. killed my play
and had lots Of fun among themselves,
and the audience took it all In. Bnt the
hardest blow was afterward, when lady
came up 70 me and said
ooh, that play of yours was perfectly de-
licious; and 20 full OF surprises-particu-
larry the last act "
And that is why have never written
another play.-Flavel Scott Mines in Puck.