The Project Gutenberg EBook of Representative Plays by American
Dramatists: 1856-1911: In Mizzoura, by Augustus Thomas

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Title: Representative Plays by American Dramatists: 1856-1911: In Mizzoura

Author: Augustus Thomas

Release Date: July 22, 2004 [EBook #12988]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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IN MIZZOURA

_A PLAY IN FOUR ACTS_

[Illustration: AUGUSTUS THOMAS]

AUGUSTUS THOMAS

(Born, St. Louis, Mo., January 8, 1859)

It is not a new thing for a dramatic author to write prefaces to his
plays. We are fortunate in possessing a series of personal opinions in
this form that constitute a valuable asset in determining individual
attitude and technical purpose. Read Schiller's opening remarks to
"The Robbers," Victor Hugo's famous opinions affixed to "Cromwell" and
his equally enlightening comments introducing "Hernani," and you can
judge the value autobiographically and philosophically.

The American dramatist has not been given, as a general rule, to such
self-examination; he has contented himself with supplying the fashions
of the day in the theatre, and has left to the ubiquitous press-agent
the special prerogative of whetting public curiosity as to what manner
of man he is and as to the fabric from which his play has been cut.
There has been no effort, thus far, on the part of literary executors,
in the cases, for example, of Bronson Howard or James A. Herne, to
preserve the correspondence of these men, so much of which dealt with
the circumstances surrounding them while writing or the conditions
affecting them while rehearsing. These data would be invaluable in
preserving a perspective which the modern historian of the American
theatre so wofully lacks.

All the more significant, therefore, is the edition of Mr. Augustus
Thomas's works, now being issued by Messrs. Samuel French. Thus far
the "autobiographies" of six plays have been prepared by the dramatist
in a charming, reminiscent vein. The present Editor is privileged to
make use of one, describing the evolutio