The herald., 1896-06-14
MRS. RYLEY WROTE A PLAY
Took Five Weeks to Write II and Five
Years to Place Il
The Play Was Christopher. IT,, In Which
John Drew Has This Season Made
Tremendous Success

The story Of how Madeline Lucette Ry-
ley became playwright Is interesting.
She tells 1t herself. And particularly
interesting is the little lady's revelations
concerning the trouble she had in get
ting Christopher, Jr.. put upon the stage.
This is the comedy in which John Drew
has made one Of his greatest successes.
about eight years ago." the little
lady says. II accepted an engagement to
head an operate comedy company. We
had no repertoire, and our one vehicle,
f1imsy little French piece, proved of in
sufficient strength to furnish an entire
evenings entertainment. Everywhere
we went I was asked, why don't you
get play?' Managers in Boston, Chica-
go, Philadelphia, ETC., all offered me good
dates and an increased percentage, pro-
vided I returned with an opera or a
musical comedy.
1.-THE company disbanded and I came
to New York to find musical play.
Il discovered that plays of any merit
cost money-a lot of money-and had
none. / never have had any money. My
talent for being hard up amounts to a
genius, notwithstanding have worked
necessarily since was IA.
well, / wept a few tears over my lost
opportunity. and decided to try and write
q play for myself, in case my chance
should ever come around again. Prev
ious to this my literary efforts had been
confined to ballads. comic ditties and
magazine stories. all of which had writ
ten, gratuitously, for amusement.
But to the play. I wrote it in about
two weeks. 1t wasn't quite what had
started out to write; it had pathos in it,
and had never attempted pathetic
role. AS matter Of fact, was rather
shy about the affair and put the work
away. Two years later Miss Minnie
Maddern played the piece and played it
most charmingly. 1t wasn't much of a
success. and yet the verdict was great
PROMISE When the MS was returned
rewrote the play from beginning to end,
since which period it has never been
read.
About this time I was the singing
comedienne with the McCaull company,
and Col. McCaull. finding was quick at
writing songs and fixing up scenes, en-
ployed at what is termed hack work.
on the understanding that my name was
never to appear. He explained that
women were not supposed to have a
sense Of humor. and topical song or a
comedians scene coming from woman
would not be tolerated.
my second play was Christopher, Jr.
I conceived the plot from q very trifiing
circumstance. A young friend Of mine
who had passed his life getting into and
out of scrapes. was finally turned out of
his fathers house for something for
which he was not to blame. 1t was a
case Of give a dog bad name.' ETC.. and
the end Of the second act of Christopher.
Jr., was my starting point.
"Mr. and Mrs. Glibb are old acquaint-
ances, whom have exaggerated very
little, and Mr.. and Mrs. Colt, with their
peculiar attitude towards one another,
are, regret to say. members of my own
family at home.
christopher. Jr., took me just about
five weeks to write and Just about five
years to place, or, let me say. to place on
Broadway. The first person to whom I
read 1t was e. III. Sothern. On his recon-
mendation Mr.. Daniel Frohman read 1t
and purchased the right to hold 1t for
two years. At the end of this time 1t
came back to me and ! submitted It to