The New York herald., 1922-02-12
Believed 1t Reverted
To Him and Made a Copy

Taylor, upon learning Of the death of
Silsbee and of his failure to produce the
play, fully believed that the rights reverted
to him, whereupon he made another copy
and, forwarding it to his agent in America,
instructed him to find a purchaser and
producer. The much refused comedy
travelled the rounds of the various man.
ayers Offices, but none could be found who
would give it consideration. 1t began to
look as if oblivion this time would claim
the manuscript for good and all when 1t
fell into the hands of Laura Keene.
At this period Miss Keene was hard
pressed for material to keep her theater
open, and the manuscript Of Our Amer
ican Cousin" seemed to her to contain
many possibilities as a stage vehicle and
at least worth a trial.
Miss Keene paid 81 200 for the rights to
the comedy unaware that another version
existed and absolutely unacquainted with
the plays previous history. The first i'm
preston created was not strengthened by
subsequent readings so that for some
weeks the manuscript lay neglected upon
her desk, until one day by chance her hus-
band picked it up and casually glanced
over it's pages. He became so interested
in the story that he gave it more serious
attention, and upon the conclusion of his
reading insistently urged his wife to pro-
duce it without delay.
1t has been told how Miss Keene turned
the manuscript over to Jefferson for his
judgment and why he made IL a favorable
one. Acting upon 1t Miss Keene hastily
called her company together and gave a
reading to the play, afterward distributing
the parts. Sothern did not think much of his
and was going to refuse to play IT, re-
considering his decision only when Miss
Keene gave him permission to do what he
liked with the part Sothern did, and
altered II and added to it every night and
thus like Topsy, Lord Dundredry lest
growed"
Little tendrils of circumstance leading
back to the root, chance, inextricably bind
up this ancient play with varied and inter
esting incidents that seem, casually
glanced at, to have no particular connec-
tion. The one that has the most signif
cance is the assassination and throughout
the life OF "Our American Cousin" where
mention of the tragedy is made the name
of this play creeps in.
This chance connection may be said to
have kept the piece alive. vying with the
enormous interest with which Sothern in
vested the character of Dundredry This
interest is summed up in the bright words
of fellow actor, who said: The most
popular actor seldom gets beyond a neck
tie or photograph, but Dundredry created
peer and style"
Once only the piece failed. 1t was when
Sothern presented it in Paris with an
English speaking company, which included
the American actor John T. Raymond and
clever young Engishman named Henry
Irving"
on the slope OF a hill overlooking the
Golden Gate in San Francisco stands a
monument erected by unknown hands to
the memory of the actor, Joshua Silsbee.
Chance once gave him the opportunity to
produce "Our American Cousin" He re-
fused It.
Had he produced the piece as he would
have DONE without Sothern its trip to
oblivion might have been fastened. 1t
might never have been seen in Wash
ington.
President Lincoln might have followed
his first inclination and remained at home
on that fateful April night without the al
lure Of so popular a play and, deep
national sorrow might have been averted
But these crises are on the knees of the
gods, among whom the ancients seated
Chance