David Belasco and John Luther Long

Name: Representative American Plays
Author: David Belasco and John Luther Long

Biographical details

David Belasco and John Luther Long published works such as Representative American Plays. These writings evoke Suzuki, Butterfly and Sharpless.

Quotes by David Belasco and John Luther Long

David Belasco and John Luther Long, Representative American Plays (1922)

“ A knocking is heard but she pays no heed. She sets the child on a mat, puts the American flag in its hand, and picking up the sword, goes behind the screen that the child may not see what she is about to do. A short pause—the sword is heard to drop. Madame Butterfly reappears, her face deathly—a scarf about her neck to conceal the wound. Suzuki opens the door, sees the face of her mistress—backs out of the room in horror. Madame Butterfly drops to her knees as she readies the child, and clasps it to her. A hand is thrust through the shoji and the bolt is drawn. ”

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Source: Wikisource

David Belasco and John Luther Long, Representative American Plays (1922)

“ Everything in the room is Japanese save the American locks and bolts on the doors and windows and an American flag fastened to a tobacco jar. Cherry blossoms are abloom outside, and inside. A sword rack, a shrine on which lie a sword and a pair of men's slippers, a chest of drawers on top of which is a tray containing two red poppies, rouge, powder and hair ornaments, a stand for the tobacco jar and tea, are the only pieces of furniture in the room. As the curtain rises, Madame Butterfly is spraying the growing flowers with a small watering pot. ”

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Source: Wikisource

David Belasco and John Luther Long, Representative American Plays (1922)

“ Sharpless. Don't be foolish. I advise you to consider the rich Yamadori's offer.
Madame Butterfly. (Astonished.) You say those? You, 'Merican consul?—when you know that me, I am marry?
Sharpless. You heard Yamadori: it is not binding.
Madame Butterfly. Yamadori lies!
Sharpless. His offer is an unusual opportunity for a girl who—for any Japanese girl in your circumstances.
Madame Butterfly. (Enraged—she claps her hands.) Suzuki! The excellent gentleman— (bowing sarcastically) who have done us the honor to call—he wish to go hurriedly. His shoes—hasten them! ”

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Source: Wikisource

David Belasco and John Luther Long, Representative American Plays (1922)

“ Suzuki. (In the distance, wailing.) Ay . . . ay . . . ay . . .
Madame Butterfly. Tha's wail . . .
Suzuki. (Nearer.) O, Cho-Cho-San! (Madame Butterfly goes to the door to meet Suzuki.) Cho-Cho-San!
Madame Butterfly. Speak!
Suzuki. We are shamed through the town. The Nakodo—
Nakodo. (Appearing.) I but said the child— (he points to the baby, whom Madame Butterfly instinctively shelters in her arms) was a badge of shame to his father. In his country, there are homes for such unfortunates and they never rise above the stigma of their class. They are shunned and cursed from birth. ”

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Source: Wikisource

David Belasco and John Luther Long, Representative American Plays (1922)

“ When your fath-er knows how they speak, he will take us 'way from bad people to his own country. I am finish here. (Taking the American flag from the tobacco jar and giving it to the child.) Tha's your country—your flag. Now wave like fath-er say w'en excite—wave like "hell!" (Waves the child's hand.) Ha'rh! Ha'rh! (A ship's gun is heard.) Ah! (Madame Butterfly and Suzuki start for the balcony. Madame Butterfly runs back for the child as the gun is heard again; then returning to the shoji, looks through the glasses.) Look! Look! ”

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Source: Wikisource

David Belasco and John Luther Long, Representative American Plays (1922)

“ You thing fath-er naever comes back—tha's what you thing? He do! You write him ledder; tell him 'bout one bes' mos' nize bebby aever seen. . . . Ha—ha! I bed all moaneys he goin' come mos' one million mile for see those chil'. Surely this is tie—bebby. Sa-ey, you didn' mean what you said 'bout me not bein' marry? You make liddle joke? (Moved, Sharpless nods his head in assent, to the great relief of Madame Butterfly.) Ha! (She lays the baby's hand in Sharpless'.) Shake hand consul 'Merican way.
Sharpless. (Shaking hands with the child.) ”

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Source: Wikisource

David Belasco and John Luther Long, Representative American Plays (1922)

“ Nakodo. (Reading.) "To die with honor, when one can no longer live with honor." (He bows, then turns and bows towards the shrine and goes back to his cushion where he sits.)
Madame Butterfly. He's kill' himself accoun' he soldier of Emporer an' defeat in battle. Then we get—ver' poor. Me? I go dance liddle. Also I thing if some rich man wish me, I gettin' marry for while, accoun' my grandmother, (she bows respectfully—Nakodo bows—Sharpless politely nods) don' got no food, no obi. ”

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Source: Wikisource

David Belasco and John Luther Long, Representative American Plays (1922)

“ MADAME BUTTERFLY
Madame Butterfly represents the spirit of romance which has never been entirely absent from our stage and which seems to be in process of revival. It represents also the dramatic ability of Mr. David Belasco working with the material furnished by the imagination of Mr. John Luther Long.
David Belasco was born in San Francisco, July 25, 1853. Even before he left school in the early seventies his mind was on the theatre, and during the next few years he was callboy, actor, stage manager, adaptor, and writer of plays. Mr. ”

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Source: Wikisource

David Belasco and John Luther Long, Representative American Plays (1922)

“ Accepting it, he goes up to a cushion and sits.) Tha's bad man. W'en my husban's gone 'way, he try for get me marry again.
Nakodo. The rich Yamadori. Madame Cho-Cho-San is very poor.
Madame Butterfly. (Bowing politely.) O, liddle ol' frien'; those are my business.
Nakodo. Rejected advice makes the heart sad.
Madame Butterfly. We-el, if those heart hurt you so much, you better not arrive here no more.
Sharpless. Madame Butterfly; may I ask—er—where are your people?
Nakodo. They have outcasted her!
Madame Butterfly. Sa-ey, tha's foanny! My people make me marry when I don' want ”

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Source: Wikisource

David Belasco and John Luther Long, Representative American Plays (1922)

“ Tha's his . . . two dollar. All tha's lef of his moaneys. . . . I shall need no more. . . . (She hands Kate the envelope which Sharpless has just given.) I lig if you also say I sawry—no—no—no—glad—glad! I wish him that same happiness lig he wish for me . . . an' tell him . . . I shall be happy . . . mebby. Thang him . . . Mister B. F. Pik-ker-ton for also that kindness he have been unto me . . . an' permit me to thang you, augustness, for that same. . . . You—you mos' bes' lucky girl in these whole worl'. . . . Goon-night—
(She stands stolidly with her eyes closed.) ”

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Source: Wikisource

David Belasco and John Luther Long, Representative American Plays (1922)

“ Madame Butterfly. (To Sharpless.) Sa-ey, when some one gettin' married in America, don' he stay marry?
Sharpless. Usually—yes.
Madame Butterfly. Well, tha's all right. I'm marry to Lef-ten-ant B. F. Pik-ker-ton.
Yamadori. Yes, but a Japanese marriage!
Sharpless. Matrimony is a serious thing in America, not a temporary affair as it often is here.
Madame Butterfly. Yaes, an' you can't like 'Merican mans. Japanese got too many wive, eh?
Sharpless. (Laughing.) We are not allowed more than one at a time. ”

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Source: Wikisource

David Belasco and John Luther Long, Representative American Plays (1922)

“ Suzuki. No got moaney for thousan'.
Madame Butterfly. Wael, twenty, mebby; an' sa-ey, w'en we see him comin' quick up path— (imitates) so—so—so— (lifts her kimono and strides in a masculine fashion) to look for liddle wive—me—me jus' goin' hide behind shoji (making two holes with her wet finger in the low paper shoji and peeking through) an' watch an' make believe me gone 'way; leave liddle note—sayin': "Goon-bye, sayonara. Butterfly." . . . Now he come in. . . . (Hides.) Ah! An' then he get angery! An' he say all kinds of 'Merican languages—debbils—hells! ”

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Source: Wikisource

David Belasco and John Luther Long, Representative American Plays (1922)

“ E. H. Sothern starred, on August 21, 1888, and The Charity Ball, November 19, 1889, all at the Lyceum Theatre, and all associated with the sterling group of players then gathered together there. Men and Women, also with DeMille, was produced at Proctor's Theatre, October 21, 1890. ”

David Belasco and John Luther Long

Biographical details

Quotes by David Belasco and John Luther Long

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Works by David Belasco and John Luther Long

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