/lit/ - Literature

By 1895 Henry James had published eleven full-length novels and numerous novellas and short stories, but in an effort to reach a larger audience (and make more money) he decided to try writing a play....the equivalent of writing a screenplay nowadays.

On opening night of his play ("Guy Domville"), James was so nervous that he couldn't stay and watch his own play, so he went instead to see "An Ideal Husband" by Oscar Wilde, which he thought was vulgar.

Meanwhile the opening night of his own play went disastrously: the audience hated it.

James returned to the theatre to find out how the premiere had gone, but the stage manager misunderstood and escorted him directly to the stage to take his author's bow. Although the front rows greeted him with tepid polite applause, the rest of the audience loudly booed, hissed, and catcalled at him.

James had a complete nervous breakdown and went into seclusion for several weeks.

Meanwhile the star of James' play quickly closed the production, and chose for his next vehicle the new play by Oscar Wilde, "The Importance of Being Earnest".