BIB_ID
431815
Accession number
MA 1617.439
Creator
Tree, Herbert Beerbohm, Sir, 1853-1917.
Display Date
London, England, 1890 July 18.
Credit line
Purchased as the gift of Edwin J. Beinecke, 1955.
Description
1 item (4 pages) ; 20.2 x 12.6 cm
Notes
Written from the "The Grange, / Hampstead Heath" on stationery engraved with the address.
This letter is one of seven letters from Tree to Henley related to Tree's production of "Beau Austin, a play co-authored by Henley and Robert Louis Stevenson. The letters were written from June 26 through November 14, 1890 (MA 1617.438-MA 1617.444). These seven letters are housed with an undated letter from Henley to Tree which appears to be written in November 1890 soon after the production of "Beau Austin" at the Haymarket Theatre on November 3, 1890 (MA 1617.445) and a letter from Henry Dana to Henley, dated May 3, 1901, concerning a production by Tree of Henley's play "Macaire" (MA 1617.446). This small collection also includes three telegrams from Tree to Henley (November 3, 4 and 8, 1890) relating the success of the production.
This letter is one of seven letters from Tree to Henley related to Tree's production of "Beau Austin, a play co-authored by Henley and Robert Louis Stevenson. The letters were written from June 26 through November 14, 1890 (MA 1617.438-MA 1617.444). These seven letters are housed with an undated letter from Henley to Tree which appears to be written in November 1890 soon after the production of "Beau Austin" at the Haymarket Theatre on November 3, 1890 (MA 1617.445) and a letter from Henry Dana to Henley, dated May 3, 1901, concerning a production by Tree of Henley's play "Macaire" (MA 1617.446). This small collection also includes three telegrams from Tree to Henley (November 3, 4 and 8, 1890) relating the success of the production.
Provenance
Purchased as the gift of Edwin J. Beinecke, 1955.
Summary
Concerning Tree's proposed production of "Beau Austin;" saying "I would give four guineas (£4.4) a night for "Beau Austin", and two guineas (£2.2) a night for "Macaire", in London - It strikes me that you may prefer this to a percentage on the receipts - I should like to make a special arrangement for the provinces in regard to "Beau Austin", but for "Macaire" £2.2 a night seems fair - The same terms to be paid for all Matinées. I think the public taste is now much more ready to accept such a play as "Beau Austin" than it was a few years ago. I should, of course, devote every care to the production - As regards the cast I should say it would be somewhat as follows - myself for the Beau - Brookfield or Kemble for his valet - Mrs. Tree or Miss Neilsen for the ingénue, Fred Terry for the blustering brother, Miss Leclercq or Mrs. Gaston [illegible] for the old lady. - Of course, neither play would fill up an evening bill, [illegible] the terms seem to me therefore as liberal as possible. I should like you to say that I shall have the exclusive rights for both plays for two years - In the event of my not doing "Beau Austin" by the 1st November, I to forfeit £50 - leaving you free to deal with the play elsewhere;" adding, in a postscript, "Will you kindly send me a copy of both plays, as I can't find the copies you had sent me. I shall be in Edinburgh at the end of August."
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