The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-06-30

plsh. was very much grieved when !
raw that such things had been printed
In America. The fact Is this: FOR years
/ have hired clerks 20 do some OF the r ou
tine work OF data gathering. IL "ouau
have been absurd for me not 10 nav
done 80. Do you expect banker 10 20
out and make his collections IN person
Ever since I have had money enough
have had some OF this work done ioI
me. As long as I live i snail conlln
10 save myself as much OF the disagree
able routine a. possible. That is All the
help | have ever permitted any one else
10 give me on my plays except, OF course
where | have written plays In eoiiaDord-
ton with other writers. That II ali the
help / ever shall have on any play, un-
less the piece Is announced or the pllis
as the Joint work OF another man ana
myself.
] told you how ] built the foundation ior
my house. Then the structure itsell
goes up In this way: Suppose that nave
selected my plot and my data from that
cabinet" He waved his hand toward
that wonderful piece OF furniture as III IL
contained unlimited plots and facts enough
10 keep the stage full for the next cen.
tury. '"Then ! set to work to map OUT
what may be called the situations. TINS
Is done on very few sheets OF foolscap
paper. II is perhaps the slowest and hard-
est part OF the work OF play building. IL
tDHlfi4lNtf AdhfF me a lyIB llfIlts W li'l
this Is once done. | send IL TO my copyst,
and he straightens out all the corrections,
all the ensures and makes II legible. i
make great many corrections on THIS
first graft. and sometimes they so detace
my manuscript that | can scarcely read
II myself When he returns the copy 10
me. clean and free. however. / know what
/ have done. Then ! take that copy ana
70 over II again. BY the time 4 have
finished with it, IL is generally as badly
marked up as the first one was when
II left my hands ] send II to the cOpyist
again. have not, up to this point, writ
ten line OF dialogue. Two or three
months nay very likely elapse before the
play passes this stage. When at last
have completed this first draft to my
satisfaction-and when II Is finished every
situation, every argument almost every
piece OF stage business. is carefully ana
completely outiircd-l begin on the dia-
logue. That Is comparatively easy.
have built the framework OF my house
ON the foundation which the data and
general scheme provided. and II merely
remains for me TO put the boards on.
or, better yet. ! adopt that wonderful
now construction which Amerca follows
In her vastly high buildings. / finish the
framework to the very roof before lay
brick. The walls are not hard 10 build
IN then"
Sardou is now ca years old he docs
not look quite as old as that but stu
there are wrinkles in his face and his
thin flowing hair has many traces OF
white in IT, But younger eyes never
looked out of 25-year-old head. No
yct ger tongue ever told good stories and
discussed the drama with an American
newspaper man. No younger step ever
glided over a Partisan carpet IN haste
to illustrate a point. His face is as eX-
presfve as are his gestures.
His relations toward America are pc
euliar and pleasant. They may be SAID
10 have begun when be met an American
girl in Paris and found in her the basis
Of comedy which he called Uncle
sam This play was most go)d-natured
and in every respect free from offence,
but the French Government probably
because OF some petty intrigue, interdict-
ed its performance I'm Paris on the grOLnd
that TO caricature the manners Of the
people OF q friendly power might be IN
pleasantly construed. But an enterprs
ing American manager who had seen
rehearsal OF the play, recognized the abb
surdity OF the theory that America Is not
big enough 10 take a Joke, and bought 70
Tor production In the very country which
the French officials claimed TO be afraid
OF offending. lie brought II out in New
y Ork, and 10 made an immense success.
This, Of course. settled the question of
its giving offence. and II was promptly
produced III Paris. II succeeded as well
there as it had in the United States
"Thermidor.' VI. Sardou's other inter
dicted play. 1t will be remembered, was
also performed In the United States after
II had been STEPPED in France. Miss
Elsie De Wolff was the plucky ACTRESS
TO give II TO New York, and while IL was
not play over which the United States
could become enthusiastic, 1t was still a
pleasant thing 10 SardOu for II 10 have
been performed there. Concerning 'Th,r-
mdor," which caused him to Withdrew
from the Coincide Franchise, and which
Is a very sore spot with the playwright. |
ne said:
The play was not written against the
Revolution or against repuf licanism. II |
as written against the asssssin and the |
guillOtinc. | made a distinction between |