FROM THE ARCHIVES:The Abbey Theatre's performance of The Playboy of the Western Worldin New York attracted protests during its American tour in 1911. In this letter to the editor, John Quinn, the Irish-American lawyer who was a prominent promoter of Yeats and Joyce among others, described what happened. –
SIR, – NOW that the Irish players have been to New York, and their work seen and judged, the readers of your paper may be interested in the publication of a few facts in connection with their visit. For some time before the company came to New York there had been threats of an organised attempt by a small coterie of Irishmen to prevent the performance of Synge's " Playboy."
It was difficult for many people in New York who are interested in the drama and art to take these threats seriously. There was an organised attempt by, perhaps, a hundred or a hundred and fifty Irishmen on the first night " The Playboy" was given here to prevent the performance by hissing and booing, and by throwing potatoes and other objects at the actors, and red pepper and asafoetida among the audience.
The disturbers were ejected from the theatre by the police. All the great metropolitan papers, morning and evening, condemned this organised disturbance. The second night some six or seven disturbers were put out of the theatre by the police.
The issue was not between the plays and the players, on the one side, and the disturbers, on the other, but between the New York public and the disturbers. This fight over Synge was of vast importance for us as a city. One night settled the question, and settled it conclusively. There was no compromise of principle, and the battle was fought and decisively won.
The organised attempt to prevent the performance of the play by force having failed, and appeal to the authorities for the suppression of the play having failed, misrepresentation and distortion in the papers began.
I have seen in some of the daily Irish papers and in one of the weekly Irish papers a statement to the effect that “The Playboy was hooted from the stage . . . after the worst riot ever witnessed in a New York playhouse.” The statement that it was “hooted from the stage” is utterly false.
The greatest disorder occurred during the first act. A few minutes after the curtain fell at the end of the first act it was raised again, and the statement was made by a member of the company that the act would be given entirely over again. This announcement was greeted with cheers and applause from the great majority of the audience, who indignantly disapproved the attempt of the disturbers to prevent the performance. The act was given over again, and every word was heard.
Among other things it has been stated that the Abbey Theatre company was not a success in New York. On the contrary, the success of the company has been beyond anything in my personal experience.
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