The Shadow of a Doubt: Discovering a New Work by Edith Wharton

Abstract

Some of the most exciting discoveries of Wharton scholarship in recent years have been archival: Alice Kelly's recovery of “The Field of Honour,” the war story “hidden” in plain sight in the Beinecke Library; Meredith Goldsmith's discovery of the Italian-language typescript of the 1900 short story “The Duchess at Prayer” (“La Duchessa in Preghiera”) in the Rubenstein Library at Duke University; and a fascinating, ongoing unearthing of individual poems by Irene Goldman-Price, who also brought us the eagerly awaited My Dear Governess: The Letters of Edith Wharton to Anna Bahlmann (2012). The papers of Wharton's governess Anna Bahlmann—bought for the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University in 2009—filled significant gaps in our knowledge of the author's early life and provided new paths for exploration where previously the biographical trail was thought to have run cold. Through the recovery of the Bahlmann correspondence, Wharton's self-portrait of a withdrawn, changeling child was reimagined as that of a lively, outgoing, athletic youngster; the misunderstood Edith Jones was restored to the heart of a close, warm family; the self-mythologized autodidact was recast as a young woman encouraged and supported in her learning; the husband Edward Wharton who was, at best, unfortunate and afflicted, at worst, a monster (reported as literally foaming at the mouth according to one biographer [Benstock 126]), became “charming,” accommodating Teddy, a man of whom a not-so-young bride of twenty-three could be proud. The Bahlmann papers offered the most significant discovery in our store of biographical knowledge since the lapse of literary executor Gaillard Lapsley's embargo of the publication of “anything of a biographical sort” for thirty years when he sold the bulk of Wharton's papers to Yale University in 1938 (Lapsley to the president of Yale, 7 May 1938, qtd. in Lee 755).Meanwhile, there has been no discovery of a lengthy manuscript since the French scholar Claudine Lesage's intriguing reclamation of The Cruise of the Vanadis, published in 1992—and this appears most likely to have been a diary account of the twenty-six-year-old Wharton's cruise in the Mediterranean in 1888, not intended as a published work. In the quarter of a century since, Wharton scholars perhaps could not imagine that with all of the material available in archives worldwide, complete manuscripts of unknown, original, longer creative works, unrecorded in catalogs or by biographers, could still be out there. But they are.In the fall of 2016, our conversations at, and e-mail exchanges after, the Wharton Society Conference in Washington, DC—where we were the only two speakers on the program focusing on the author's work as a playwright—led us to our discovery of an original, full-length play by Edith Wharton, the only extant original full play by Wharton: The Shadow of a Doubt. The play's location was a surprise. Wharton scholars have been traveling to the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin for over three decades to research Wharton's papers. The source of their interest, however, was primarily the Fullerton correspondence bought by the Center—letters first profiled in a special journal issue of the Library Chronicle of the University of Texas at Austin in 1985, with a number later included in the R. W. B. Lewis and Nancy Lewis edition of Wharton's selected letters (1988). What an irony, then, that in a different, seemingly unrelated collection at the Harry Ransom Center, there lay for years unremarked on Wharton's play.We discovered the play (two typescript copies) in the Center's Playscripts and Promptbooks Collection (Performing Arts). The collection holds promptbooks, stage managers' workbooks, preparation and rehearsal copies, and unused scripts for approximately one hundred dramas and comedies (including musical comedies), many of which were staged in New York or London. The collection spans the years 1795–1978, but the bulk of the material dates between 1870 and 1915. The “Scope and Contents” of the inventory reveals that “[t]he majority of the items in this collection are marked copies that appear to have been used in the production process,” with promptbooks and stage managers' workbooks containing notes for cues, calls, scene shifts, effects, et cetera (collection processed by Helen Baer, 2000–2001). A number of the promptbooks are likely to be final or souvenir promptbooks, compiled afterward as a record of the production. Also included, however, are unused typescripts, often with plots and ground plans, in which the stage directions are underlined in red but which lack warnings, cues, or other features of full promptbooks. The descriptive summary inventory notes, “Prominent authors and theatrical managers represented are John Philip Kemble, Charles Frohman, Arthur Wing Pinero, Lillian Hellman [the collection includes a fragile copy of the promptbook for The Children's Hour] and Dion Boucicault.” There is no reference to Edith Wharton among those “[p]rominent authors.”Inquiries to the curatorial team established that the playscripts and promptbooks that make up the collection have been acquired by the Center since the 1950s from a variety of sources but primarily from two and There is no reference to the of The Shadow of a however, and copy of the play has or the of Charles Frohman, with whom Wharton on The Shadow of a was the source of for many of which were at the in New York or in between and and the descriptive inventory for the collection that likely that a other scripts in the collection they are not marked with The Shadow of a is a to the not to the The for the Playscripts and Promptbooks Collection is a of the original inventory in a that was not and The is only by a that has been to the original the established with the original inventory and the The and of and not to the Wharton is as one of the The Shadow of a Doubt. in the is to other are and the play and not up in an But there they copies of The Shadow of a of of with red of all stage directions but no other from an and the copies are but not by a the complete of Wharton's that in The Shadow of a for to have the typescript of her manuscripts at Yale her that the often by notes, or in with in or on a often in and Wharton and with of manuscripts of the were all a manuscript was to a and the typescript in be a complete for to have been in the production of The Shadow of a the and stage of of The Shadow of a on many the discovery of a work of which Wharton scholars and no knowledge a of The Shadow of a in been for over a is not in by R. W. B. or in the Lewis and Lewis recovery we have for the first a complete original play by other are all manuscripts and in the archives at Yale the discovery of the play the of to Wharton's and a of material with which to the work in this The also is have been to that The Shadow of a was and in by early of her which Wharton scholars still have they The often a issue in the production that Wharton was as a at the of the In to be to her at this as a The Shadow of a is one of a number of Wharton and between and The The of and a of of also published a of a of a work of a collection of short a to appear that and a the of her first in the discovery of The Shadow of a also new and of on our of Wharton's work as a The Shadow of a for The of and to of the a to The of of Wharton material and from The Shadow of a an and the of her The of the us a new that and a number of established and the of that in three The Shadow of a is in in the of in in the of the on the and in a in the has and to who her in an The new is a and to however, of the of the as as of in at with a to to from for her that a of to when her to the of her and her husband from her John the to a by a of her husband to the and by in the of to her to but this to and by to a in the in to for the of is at her at the of child with is to be from her husband and her in a new as to work as a her of her her with the that has by the in of a in to her but for in her with the not to a and to a by in her final that the of her story and an between and of her as the and the and to to for her from all in the by her an and and by the of her with as the Shadow of a and in production by early Wharton's years as a the publication of her first of Wharton's and with a reference to her work with on the of The of in the of her with however, Wharton was not a at or was in the creative and of by the journal The with a on Wharton as a new of and included an of her on a with a on her at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at The that was to have this new is a in the of Charles that he has been the first to the of the of a of a of “The of the the New York Wharton, Wharton, was a as a in the early and on with Charles Frohman, who in and and on to and was the theatrical on the in the in with Frohman, and to Wharton, this of the the the the the and the In the the and the Duke of of a when there is only one man to whom one a play and to have in in for the of the out of a production in of in New York or the most were on and of short and playscripts from and authors in to have for and of to a source of for for the to in for the The New York and other and of used the as a for this new full-length play by Wharton, as in The in the a play by her at a special at the The of this on the of be play the in “The Shadow of a and be supported by an is to that the be a and with Wharton and to for Wharton's of the published in her first collection of short The and from her be in by the to the Wharton that a in the and the and stage be as complete as at in the “The of the was as a by of the In the production was in the New York as and to The of the young who the of was of Wharton, and later became a stage and In this play was by the in of the and later that by the of the this to likely her and was the in her and among many was and the of a on A of In the a to and who not have to the life of of the in her My that an theatrical at her to her in the at with the and the her from in New York to in a location the in and was a in her a in that Frohman, and all a in The Shadow of a Doubt. the Shadow of a a play in three by Edith Wharton, have a at the in New York in a is who the is likely to in in a on the that Wharton, who of the has out Shadow of a and of was in the on in a of the “The in the or of and or also includes of a number of Wharton's or Frohman, and however, the production was The appears to have been for two a in the New York that “[t]he special to be by Charles to Edith Wharton's Shadow of a with in the has been by for the Wharton to of the The play be of The Shadow of a however, not from Wharton's to from 1900 to Wharton been in this a of In a May 1900 to Anna Bahlmann The Wharton there is a that of have is to in The was to play but in to be by only for the production to be production of was not by this on on with the stage and Wharton's to her of have been a for The that of at not a The however, is not as as many have been on the in was as in production of The of and The Wharton to from the for the who the play and in the was a in a to in that Wharton a of an and Lewis The production on at to but Wharton's was with special in the New York of The of was not a the the and the A Wharton and the of at between the two Wharton a and a In a May of the the “The only play of the which as was of literary was Wharton's the production was by the of and the lack of of the for of the The play a run in the The in of the production the of one of the of by Edith Wharton of at the New Wharton's the published brought for as in A and became her later stage of her a of Wharton's a out of her short story collection Wharton to the short play a her that to the stage of the The New York thought of Wharton's her and her of but this one is in the other one of the was in the a was her work was and The of the on her in and there was no to Bahlmann on May 1900 from Wharton of one of her that he thought the play by an that he in Wharton's work was in the and was an of the her in her in A Wharton the of in her one of her In later and published as New in 1938 in and up the when all is in the two of her life Wharton in that was to in a the in a of as a on the of that the in her was since interest, Wharton's record of correspondence is her and The Shadow of a one In this is to the gaps in the correspondence, the of those when was at from conversations over as Wharton to of May and were correspondence for there is correspondence between Wharton and Bahlmann from the first years of the “The two were as Wharton the May 1900 to there a a from there is an to the from on is not as this was a in which Wharton was and The May is an of have been with all the of on one however, was Wharton her her work in other has been that all of letters from to Wharton scholars on many not as one have their early correspondence to have included to her there is to that Wharton have her original to out of as a has been often the of in the their correspondence that Wharton her for the of they were The letters from in on when Wharton was in only to Wharton's story “The of which that in There an by which The of the and The of we that by and correspondence to Wharton, in in and as as in a in for to Wharton's the only are to the with of The of in Wharton's letters to of the be but the complete of reference to Wharton's original that this have been an of work which in her letters to one correspondence, however, was the letters from to of this correspondence are to but on this includes an of in to The correspondence Wharton's and by other as as and reference and as as with theatrical Frohman, B. and all a used by to Wharton to Wharton, the of that the be the In a to in Wharton the of The of a stage production as and Lewis Wharton's to for the on he was in Washington, and New York were for Wharton's as a Charles The of A in a of but for all a and of to the to Wharton, Wharton that could make a of for the The and The as The with a woman with a man her The on a who out to the woman he from her stage thought also on other many of or her The on of the and who later in Wharton's stage of The of Wharton of a play for the of for her of the New York of in A on The a by Arthur Wing Pinero, in which one to on The Shadow of a or “The as he in a to Wharton's in New York by which the play is in could run on to the first rehearsal of The In the he with Irene the in The that be in the of the in “The we of Wharton's other original, century in their or from correspondence that The Shadow of a a and a new in her to the are to was a of with of a and with of as an of of the The of an extant typescript of of and a full of the is a in in the of a as he to complete in with a of and young as a to with to a between the of and all is in the Wharton The of an of the of the and of the creative a of Wharton's but the play a with her on and most likely in the in a with two to an and a is that the is also a scene of and for the and her a not the the has all a of Shadow of a in the majority of Wharton's in a to a scene of and in this a of and is in and are in in an and the scene and the is a of and however, where are to the of The Shadow of a us a who the in one one the of the first a The of a and a of and the of an as and as in of and as the to Shadow of a a number of and on years later in The of most in the final which a the from the of and to a in the is the to her new of a of the the of letters to an and in the final scene the of a that the man and the of her The among the on in the final of The of is in in The Shadow of a but in the is a that the the between and and who her and with her and out to that has been was woman who has to a from her and in the not been have at and the in a and all life is and to in a with on the in a a is to at the of the when the was who supported one of her most and a woman who has the of her who to a life of to to be be by a man who and the of her The play's the a that Wharton's early work those of as in her first published and the by John is no in to to to the woman he is that in the final scene he still he not her of her but the of a a Wharton was in early of her of in the The Shadow of a was in the to be and the is with Wharton's of or in the material that has for Wharton's in this play two a between and a man to Wharton literally us a of a is by one in the play as with a of to the who the and to is also a to he is the of all the from a who be to not in the of years who at a between and of are in The Shadow of a and to their of we also to Wharton's the of which are likely to have been in to be one of Wharton's most of of the not to that there have been two to the is a at The the of the and the of the woman is with a to the new of her the from the of her whom up in a of The Shadow of a has also her but been provided with a the play with the for the to her new who to the Alice has by with man but is her a on the The Shadow of a that on at the of the one in the In a discovery in the who have with at thirty have been to make up the at The first the to the is intriguing that the New York have in that The Shadow of a been by to Wharton to of the were not and the have been a to a production that no longer the of have been an for is an an In May one The Shadow of a Wharton published a of of of the to and stage is Wharton's a literally from the to the Wharton, the stage has at an for a the of theatrical and her by the of a has to a in to a stage Wharton of and in with the of and be in of theatrical and this Wharton be lay the for of with her of the but of the play an in the all The Shadow of a is a play of gaps and with the most an have the have by which a to be decades Wharton an for her play the story of all with the play's The Shadow of a not an stage we the of work in a The of the In Wharton to her new to over Edward he thought “The for the new a to and be brought out in the of the is Wharton's that the however, when on to the story first as a two years which Shadow of a have this as as but in our of to to to to The of the play's from two years out of with the early established for the of The Shadow of a Doubt. Wharton's a or not the was her likely the have to the play in perhaps to the as in the but we have no to a and the of the play has been to the that Wharton her play The Shadow of a for one of her most and to which the The of the scholars have the play and the one a reference to the the to we from the play's recovery and is Wharton's that the was in as a the of the as not was stage for Wharton, to the of The of with In the to when Wharton of up the with her that is over the play which is to at in two of the over source material for The of the new the and of the have in as Wharton's for the have Wharton's sources were as as one in a with a her that on the of two in to been a in who from a her Edith Lee us that in The of the Wharton for the of two in in that one young and two in her her on for The of The of the but Lee notes is by a which from her the have brought the to the of Wharton's and her to the we that was a years in her work with The Shadow of a a on which the play the a is to be for the first of the likely that was the of Wharton's for a the the on the to her a in in to was a in the that early a of brought the to a In a the of of who in of make the of life by an to qtd. in a that the of Wharton's Charles who an to the in in which he the of as Wharton to that with The of the in but The Shadow of a that was and in the previously a in to in the a play with and as a the of a at the of the century have been one of the the production was In an decades Wharton, was a of York of an however, have been a for an he was to in not many have in The of the The the at first to be a of and our knowledge that a was from The Shadow of a a Lewis as to that Wharton not to have been was up in the There are many in the he a supported by and up In the of Lewis on

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