TLS: Tuesday, September 07, 1920

Provincetown, Mass.
Sept. 7, 1920.

My dear Madden:

I received yesterday several clippings from Baltimore papers announcing the opening of "Beyond". They also prove that what I feared might be true is so - that is, they say that Bennett is to play "For The Defence" and my play on alternate nights. Now I think that Williams by doing this absurd stunt is rubbing it in a bit too thick, don't you? In fact, I am sore as hell about it and I wish you would tell Williams so. Outside of the fact that I believe "Beyond" is well entitled to a chance of standing on its own feet on the road after all the excitement it created last year, this split week dope is absolutely unfair to the author under the sliding scale of royalty in the contract. No matter how well my play draws Williams will never have to pay me more than five percent under the existing arrangement, as I make it out. Am I right or wrong in this? It seems to me the only square deal would be that if the play is only given four times per week and played to four thousand dollars, say, then the author should receive one-half what his royalty would have been under the sliding scale on a full week of eight thousand dollars. Any other scheme is grossly unfair, it seems to me, and I think the contract should protect an author against just such unjust fiddling as Williams plans. I don't see why these things fall my way when they don't seem to bother any other playwright. It is no silly boast on my part to say that "Beyond", as one of the outstanding hits of last season, is fully able to play a road season without interruption from a cheap melodrama that was not a success in any way, shape or manner.

You can tell Williams in my behalf when you see him - and I hope you will make it a point to get after him on this - that if he ever wants another play of mine he will have to change his tactics. Just now I feel as if I were off of him for life whenever I think of the postponement of "Gold" and now this other blow which reduces my income one-half. I am about sick of standing for such underhand tricks.

It will be a great favor if you will let me hear all the dope on this affair just as soon as you can.

With all best wishes,

Sincerely,

Eugene O'Neill

P.S. If there is any way under the contract by which you can stop this split week scheme, by all means do so!