TLS: Wednesday, November 05, 1919

Provincetown, Mass.
Nov. 5, 1919.

My dear Madden:

I received a letter today from John Toohey of the Tyler office. He says he has read "The Straw" and thinks it is the best thing I have done. He also states that Tyler took the script with him on his trip to Virginia with the Arliss company. So on his return we ought to get a decision.

Toohey asks whether you have the agency for the European countries outside of England for this play. It seems that Harry Bissing, who was for years the European agent of K. and E., read "The Straw" last week and was much taken with it. Bissing thinks that, although it may be doubtful whether the play could be popular over here, there would surely be a Continental market for it in Scandinavia, Germany and Austria. And, as I understand it, if you do not intend to do anything with the play with a view to those countries, Bissing would like to have the agency for it there.

Do you know of Bissing? And what do you think of this whole matter? The way I feel about it is that I would care a damn sight more, with a play of this kind, for one European performance than for fifty in this country, and I would be very grateful if things could be so arranged that the script could be given a hearing in Europe. I feel sure that someone would produce it over there. I have made a careful study for years of Scandinavian, German, Austrian, Russian and French drama, I know what their modern drama is like, and so I speak with some authority.

I'll repeat that I feel this angle on the play to be the one which is of greatest importance to me from a standpoint of artistic reputation. So will you kindly let me know at your earliest opportunity just where you stand in regard to Bissing, and whether your company places plays unproduced over there in Germany, etc. It might be a good idea if you could get in touch with Bissing, don't you think?, and arrive at some arrangement with him.

With very kindest regards,

Very sincerely yours,

Eugene O'Neill.