Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-05-28

/ iSoo otill iitiS ti4tlil lIt DcCd!Itt u WTIlpr
of popular" plays for revenue only Tom
| Davis had to use q great deal Of persua-
sion to induce him to write son the Bow
cry" Having made the plunge, he fol
| lowed it with another by becoming Davis
| general agent. 'On TIE Bowcry'' was SO
great a popular success that Davis imme-
| diately commissioned Stephens to write a
farce comedy for Frank Bush to appear In
at the head of company of funmakers.
| Stephens had already taken Bushs meas
ure, and after some weeks of industry be
turned out farce comedy which will be
brought out next season, the title to be
perhaps "The Real Thing, perhaps some
thing else.
Meanwhile l. had occurred to Davis that
an odd and striking title for play would
be 'The White Rat" The Frank Bush
piece being finished, Davis said to Stephens
one day, "You'd better start ia and write
Il play to fit the title The White Rat 3"
What kind of play do you want?"
asked Stephens. "Better make it New
York melodrama," said Davis, adding,
Put plenty of comedy into it." Here was
nice order. A New York melodrama
about white rat! But Stephens soon saw
that n dramatic plot could easily be made
dependent on just such a specimen of the
rodent family as Mr.. Davis had named
Exactly what mclodramatic purpose
white rat can fill is to be left to tho imag-
nation until the story of Mr.. Stephens
play is made known. Doubtless people
who have mover read two of Poe's best tales
wonder what sort of u thrilling story could
be written about a Black Cat or "Gold
Bug" 1t is said that "Thc White Rat
deals cxcitingly and amusingly with lower
New York life at night and contains much
that is novel to the stage.
1.-THE White Rat having been complet
ed, Stephens thought he might take rest
from playwriting for Davis 81 Keogh
for awhile. But Davis had forleed the in
tcntion of putting John Kernel in new
piece next season, and there was nothing
to do but to set Stephens at work again.
A few weeks steady labor resulted in the
manuscript Of The Alderman, - in which
Kernell is, of course, expected to make the
"hit of his life" Davis & keogh will
thus have four Of Mr.. Stephens plays in
presentation the coming season--'On tho
Bowery, "rThs White Rat the Frank
Bush farce comedy and "Thc Alderman"
Having become a playwright by sheer
force of circumstances, Stephens accepted
the situation and intends to remain one.
But he aspircs. While he has been turning
out popular farce comedy and melodrama
during Office hours he has been working
nights and Sundays i'll his little fiat up
town on % play of % kind such as would
have been expected from him by those ac-
quaintod with his journalistic work and
his personal inclinations. 1t is prose
romantic drama, its scene laid in France
in the sixteenth century, the period being
not far from that of Stanley j. Weymans
novel, "A Gentleman of France" Ste
phens thinks that the romantic play of in
cident and character, availing itself of pic
tIiresque circumstances of moro romantic
times, should have as prompt acceptance
from the public as the new romantic novel
has found He has not allowed himself to
be trammclcd By historical fact, nor has
he bothered much about archaeology. The
main thing in his play is tho story. He
has not vet offered the piece to anybody,
and he has read Il to nobody but his wife.
She was a most enthusiastic audience. As
she is a constant theater goer and as good
n Judge of the popular qualities of u play
as of its artistic merit, and moreover, as
the successful plays are the plays that
please women, Stephens has the utmost
confidence in his new drama.
= One might not expect romantic drama
of the sixteenth century TO come from the
author of "On the Bowcry, but then nei
Their would one have expected ION the
Bowery' to come from the writer of such
verses and stories by Stephens as have been
published now and then.
"If l have sinncd in writing hurrah
plays for the masses, said Stephens to me
the other day, Il may atone some day by
producing more ambitious plays for the
classes am doing the one thing in order
-, s,.. tho means sn do the other. Did
mind having 'On the Bowerr slated by
the critics? Not at ALL 1t is one If those
attractions whose prosperity is aided by
critical disapprobation. There ara many
theater goers who know that as a rule what
ple;lses them does not please the critics,
and vice versa. often wonder what l
would have said about On the Bowery'
had some one else written it and had /
still been dramatic reviewer on a news-
paper when it was produced. But l would
have had to admit its power to draw large |
audiences and to please them immensely. |
Its a rafting good show, said Chicago |
critic to mo as he left the theater to go and |
roast it from the lofty point of view that |
it was his custom to take in his newspa- |
per-" OCTAvUs COHEN.
New York.