BIB_ID
430757
Accession number
MA 1617.123
Creator
Crichton, Haldane, 1852-1938.
Display Date
Derby, England, 1882 December 12.
Credit line
Purchased as the gift of Edwin J. Beinecke, 1955.
Description
1 item (4 pages) ; 25.9 x 20.4 cm
Notes
Henley granted Crichton the provincial rights for one year to produce "Deacon Brodie', a play Henley co-authored with Robert Louis Stevenson.
Written from the "Corn Exchange, Derby" on the letterhead of "Haldane Crichton's Company."
Housed with a letter from Mitchell & Baxter, W.S. to W. E. Henley dated 7 December 1882 and with a copy of a letter from Baxter to Crichton of the same date confirming the terms of the agreement of Henley and Stevenson with Haldane Crichton (MA 1617.131).
This letter is one of fourteen letters written by Haldane Crichton to W.E. Henley and/or R. L. Stevenson included in the Henley collection (MA 1617.117-131).
Written from the "Corn Exchange, Derby" on the letterhead of "Haldane Crichton's Company."
Housed with a letter from Mitchell & Baxter, W.S. to W. E. Henley dated 7 December 1882 and with a copy of a letter from Baxter to Crichton of the same date confirming the terms of the agreement of Henley and Stevenson with Haldane Crichton (MA 1617.131).
This letter is one of fourteen letters written by Haldane Crichton to W.E. Henley and/or R. L. Stevenson included in the Henley collection (MA 1617.117-131).
Provenance
Purchased as the gift of Edwin J. Beinecke, 1955.
Summary
Saying "I enclose copy of day bill; all printing is ordered and people engaged, so postponement is impossible; but the necessity to produce is more absolute for the sake of booking the piece as it is quite impossible to get dates before production. Good dates have to be booked 6 months ahead. It is I am afraid equally impossible to get a perfect performance, but I think it will answer all immediate purposes. The Deacon will be very good. / Lawson. A man double the expense of Hilton / Ainslie. Very good. / Smith. My poor self, may be passable. / Hunt. Very fair. / Walter Leslie. Very good. (A leading man) / Mary Brodie. Mrs. Crichton of course perfect. / Jean Watt. Very weak / Moore - ditto / Dresses. I expect no assistance from. I am risking between £20 & £30 (already) on this 3 nights, and I really find this is as much as I can afford considering it is the worst week of the year. It has just occurred to me that Mr. Stevenson or yourself might care to join me to the extant of - say £10 - which would enable me to engage more special people & go to further expense, as it would all assist towards the piece becoming a remunerative property. If you agree with me, send me a wire. It is merely a suggestion, kindly take it, as it is meant. This is our second week of rehearsal & as Bretton is the pivot on which all turns, and it is all plain sailing (with exception of one or two scenes), I think everything is going very well. I didn't expect to have you down till the 3 final rehearsals at Bradford (with everyone there) but of course I should be very glad to see you as soon as you can make it convenient to come. Dress rehearsals quite an impossibility."
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