BIB_ID
431823
Accession number
MA 1617.444
Creator
Tree, Herbert Beerbohm, Sir, 1853-1917.
Display Date
London, England, 1890 November 14.
Credit line
Purchased as the gift of Edwin J. Beinecke, 1955.
Description
1 item (4 pages) ; 17.9 x 11.0 cm
Notes
Written from the "Theatre Royal / Haymarket" on its stationery.
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
Saying "I think it the reverse of considerate that you should write me about the opinions of some of your friends who happen to have seen the play. I will not irritate you by giving you the impressions of some of my friends - When you come to town and see the play yourself, I shall be very happy to listen to your criticisms with every respect - Meanwhile I will only say that I think your informants very foolish. As regards Brookfield his performance was simply admirable and his absence will be a lasting loss to the play. For the rest, I will only add that had you been present at rehearsal you would yourself have at once seen the necessity of amplification - far from cutting any of the scene explaining the Beau's conversion, I endeavoured to fill it out with all sorts of touches, and if you remember, I felt from the first that the scene was wanting in gradation - What I cut (with you permission) was the flippant talk of the "Beau" after the conversion had taken place, (the character shifting backwards & forwards). My dear Henley, the truth is some idiots have said that the only merit was in the acting and mounting - some other idiots have said that the only merit was in the play - Both are wrong. There was merit in both, I hope. The play has made a deep impression & there will not be an empty seat on Monday. I send you back your cheque & now forward the stalls & the numbers of which you already have;" the remainder of the letter is missing.
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