Details
SHAW, George Bernard (1856-1950). Autograph letter signed ('G.B.S.') to William Poel, Parknasilla-on-Sea, Co. Kerry, 10 October 1917, 1½ pages, 8vo; envelope.
Shaw on repertory and commercial theatre. Shaw declines to give his new short play, O'Flaherty, to a repertory theatre in Detroit, as this would make it 'unmarketable' for New York commercial theatres. 'I always stand by these little enterprises to the utmost of my means; for they are really keeping the drama alive whilst the commercial people are killing it. But they must be reasonable. There are heaps of plays by me that have not been revived in Detroit, and have had their commercial cream skimmed off so long that plenty of fresh has had time to form'; times are hard, and the financial considerations considerable: 'I daresay they haven't thought it out from this point of view; but the war taxation and the collapse of my own side of theatrical enterprise at home has stimulated me to vigorous cerebration on the subject'.
Shaw described O'Flaherty V.C. (1915) as 'a recruiting poster in disguise': it portrays the return home on leave of Dennis O'Flaherty, V.C., an Irishman who had enrolled in order to escape from his mother. It was not, however, acted in Ireland during the war, because of public order concerns.
Shaw on repertory and commercial theatre. Shaw declines to give his new short play, O'Flaherty, to a repertory theatre in Detroit, as this would make it 'unmarketable' for New York commercial theatres. 'I always stand by these little enterprises to the utmost of my means; for they are really keeping the drama alive whilst the commercial people are killing it. But they must be reasonable. There are heaps of plays by me that have not been revived in Detroit, and have had their commercial cream skimmed off so long that plenty of fresh has had time to form'; times are hard, and the financial considerations considerable: 'I daresay they haven't thought it out from this point of view; but the war taxation and the collapse of my own side of theatrical enterprise at home has stimulated me to vigorous cerebration on the subject'.
Shaw described O'Flaherty V.C. (1915) as 'a recruiting poster in disguise': it portrays the return home on leave of Dennis O'Flaherty, V.C., an Irishman who had enrolled in order to escape from his mother. It was not, however, acted in Ireland during the war, because of public order concerns.
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