The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-19

The notable revival of Richard Brins-
ley Sheridans masterpiece, The School
for Scandal" by the James, kidder-
Warde combination, has induced a re-
naissance Of interest in the life of the
famous dramatist and the beginnings
of the great comedy. 1t is the boast
full cry of many dramatists that their
successes We're failures on the first
night. Not so with Sheridan and The
School for Scandal" and more's the
wonder. for renewal of the acquaint-
ance with the "reminiscences of the
chroniclers of Sheridan's time lead one
farther and farther in wonder at the
chaos overcome, the procrastinatiOn of
the author till the last moment and
the distressing accidents which We're
overcome at the last moment. AL
though Sheridan accomplishes his mas
terpiece by considerable sitting and
thinking" he says during 10 years, Yet
it took coherency and concretion only
at the last moment. The comedy was
hurried into the hands of the perform
ers piecemeal and the last act arrived
at the theater only five days before the
actual day of presentation. The man
uscript, those gOsSipy chrOniclers de-
clare. was issued forth in shredS and
patches, there being but one rough draft
of the last five scenes, scrihbled upon
detached pieces of paper while Of all
the preceding acts there We're numer-
Gus transcripts, scattered promiSCu-
ously through six or seven books, with
new interlinea lions and memoranda to
each. On the last leaf of all, which
exists, just as we may suppose it to
have been dispatched to the copyist,
there is the following curious specimen
of doXology. apparently written in
haste, and evidently in the autographs
of the respective parties: FINISHED at
last, thank God" "R. B. Sheridan"
and directly underneath. Amen" wv.
Hawkins" Hawkins was the prOmpter
and one of the writer's friends in his
deVout exclamation a whole history of
hurry, and anxiety and confusion, a
company disorganized and an unhap-
Ply functionary at the end of his pow
ers. The highly polished dicton of
THE School for Scandal" and the high
pressure of its keen and trenChant wit
does not suggest the excited work of
the early morning hours. inspired by
port. as was actually Sheridan's case.
for he was a favOrite fully launched
on the social sea, sOugh at every
turn to add his brilliancy to every
company of wits he must indeed have
had to steal a few hours from the
night"
Sheridan all through life affected in
dolence and carelessness, Yet we are
assured by his familiars that he stud
led every combination of plot, and
sharpened the blade of his Wit by re-
peated trials of its edge and temper
But Sheridan himself did not furnish
the only delay on the first night. Sew
eral of the actors were arrested in the
last days and on the ni-ht before the
performance the license was refused or
the ground that the character of Moses
was regarded as a satire on a money
lender who had recently been before
the public eye as candidate for the
office Of city chamberlain. But Sheri-
dams influence OVcrcame this 0bsta-
Gle. 1t is with small wonder that we
learn of his having told Lord Byron
that after the great triumph of the
first night he got very drunk and had
to be carried to the watch house fol
making a row in the street.
George H. BOardhurst isn't Very
much excited over the fate of his "Th,
Last Chapter" which was VariOuslS
treated by the New York newspapers
The Herald said it was d first rat,
play: the sun thought it would d. Will
the serious portions largely rewritten
the Journal ripped it up the back with
out mercy; the World described it a
somewhat commonplace, but having
some excellent qualities-and so tOrtl
and so on.
Before the production Mr.. Broad
hurst said in effect: If the play doe
not go ! will withdraw it and let tn
effort go a that. 1t has struck m