Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-13
PLAYS AND PLAYERS.
Interesting Gossip About the Stage
in New York.
MARK TWAIN, DRAMATIST.
He Cannot Write Good Play, bnt He Has
Made Many From Those Accredited to Him
Many Recent Failures-A Lesson From the
Gallery-Two Good Stories.
Correspondents of The Evening Sta,

New YoRK, June IS, 1891.
Sc A ND WHAT ABOUT YOUR DRAMATIC
works?" The question was put to MARI
Twain, who has been in town this week prepar
atory to journey in Europe, and he had beer
chatting about his writings. 'Well," ht
answered in his familiar, thoughtful drawl, my
plays haven't made me prouder, but they have
made me richer. Within ten days his TON Saw
yer had been offered to lenient Bowery audi.
ence In the form ola farce, and had been rejected
with scorn and contumely. The antics of Tom
had not proved comical, as acted out by
q clumsy young comedian, and the stage
version OF the popular juvenile story had been
grotesquely worthless. Twain's own hand had
not written the play, but he had authorized it,
and without his permission his copyrighted
book could not have been appropriated to thil
purpose. As the venture lasted only a week
and was a loser of money, Twain was no richer
through it, but he had drawn over $50, 900 az
his share in the late John T. Raymond's popu-
lar impersonation of Colonel Sellers and he had
more lately received something handsome out
OF the earnings Of ''The Prince and the Pau
per" and SO he was right in balancing his Pc
cuniary gains against his artistic losses on the
stage.
| HE CAN'T WRITE GOOD PLAY.
4
himself, and the public has no reason to dis
agree with him. Soon after the great success
Of the book in which the character of Col.
| Sellers was principal factor the author made
a play out of the material. At about the same
time a Californian dramatized the story and
had it performed a few times, until
Twain stopped him BY legal processes.
| in business. looked about for an actor fit to
realize Sellers and found him in John T. Ray
mond. comedian who had been of no great
account before that. But Raymond had good
commercial sense, too and his first stipulation
was that he should be controlling partner in
the enterprise. Secondly, he condemned
Twain's play upon first perusal and insisted
that it should be altered radically. Even
when thus improved it was ruthlessly
guyed upon its original performance in
this city, and nothing but the success
of Raymond as the visionary hero saved it from
going out OF sight Immediately. Twains next
dramatic composition was a comedy or farce,
entitled 'The Inventor" in which he sought
syncrasles ran in the line of wild in
vention. The piece was tried at a special
| matinee in this city, and it was such q
hasco that no second reproduction has
ever yet been given. Twains next undertake
| ing in stage Literature" was to dramatize his
book. 'The Prince and the Pauper." but
| he gave it up, as he says, after he had written
| no less than four plays. Then he entrusted the
work to E. II. House, and soon afterward to
| Abby Sage Richardson. The woman's version
was condensed and reconstructed by David
| Belasco prior to Its use on the stage, where its
| success has been considerable. though not
enormous By rejecting the House drama Twain
| brought upon himself law suit, the upshot Of
which was compromise under which royalties
| were paid to both House and Mrs. Richardson
| These experiences of the talented and wealthy
Mark Twain are not remarkable in themselves
| 1t Is true and they are given here because they
| illustrate the difficulty which even a nan
of literary genius and business shrewdness
encounters when he attempts to prepare thea
| trical entertainment.
MANY FAILuPEs OF prAva
| Good actor. ora ont 70 ha 49, r.,
| :, poU Anis anu
o,."'.,, u p,"y 'ooer' "ah'ei' James
Neili and hlchard Mansfield are three men
| who have convinced the public that they are
| able players. as they certainly are, and these
| three men have Just failed utterly in the intro
duction Of new dramas to the New York pub
| lic O'NeiI took his defeat ungraciousIv and
made ridiculous accusations that our newspaper
critics condemned the piece because its author
| was a Philadelphia journalist: but the audiences
agreed with the critics perfectly and O'Neill
himself has at length become convinced that
closed the theater which he had rented for his
venture. and he is disposed to load all the re-
sponsibility of failure upon the author. Mans
field is a pertinacious man. He wrote a NAV
| about Don Juan, and 1T an absurd cop-
| glomerate of farce comedy. melodrama and
tragedy. Its audiences pronounced with the
| untrammeled critics against it. His course in
| the matter has been peculiar Instead If
giving up. like O'Neill and ManteII he hos
| boldly eliminated the melodramn ana TRAGEDY
| from his PLAY. leaving it farcicai comedy and
| this week his advertisements contain The I;no
| s.Receiyed with incessant laughter - That
NAV be sad fate for Mansfelds serions e.sa~ u'
but who knows that it may not win the dollars
after all?
This has been a great time for fo;,rro. ~,
| the stage. Within ten davs nov Jess tba,' .o..
new plays have been mt forth On tr;.l nnst ~
| them at sneciaJ natinees and Az Co., - . "a "a
welded ono snccess SayaraI - a. os
have hoen Of q nossohIo nna,;t 'ne e. onsiin6s
r;d;cnlons,v had M 49, .aa 49, S.ners were
orront nay,toG a nV tn "as soou enough 10
go thaatar -, al Nh VI W, he ', se'soh. Ohiy
vol With drama,io na-, 70 open heHt
musical entertainments will outIast the ,orn,aI
end Of the season. One important Broadway
house presents the astounding sight of brazen
conecuoh OF nighIy coiored pictures represent
no5trai,s "t ~. ootra.s.s ~ are Pu. out as
ponv ,ybinh bs h;tho. ~. oo
ppnIv - oho.r, nor;a. 81. lssicn
hi: ci,v Tharp .es n
s.nrao,.s W. ;.st:.5 20 pu oausu Us
,nts 81 IL. or;,;naI noion;ste Iesceno
$500 ah,f h 81 , v. Wv OIieans, eS
1900 80 n,,,iot' Mt: 1ons, quao-
aoo.oa ~ n..as ; Ia: Eye are
oPonou :" wi oi seeing 1nis uisPiay OF