Mark Twain describes the time he co-authored a play with Bret Harte in 1876.

"Well, Bret came down to Hartford and we talked it over, and then Bret wrote it while I played billiards, but of course I had to go over it to get the dialect right.

Bret never did know anything about dialect."

Twain's literary executor, Albert Paine, records that Twain's statement is unfair, and in fact both men "worked on the play, and worked hard."

Twain missed the opening, but sent a humorous telegram to be read during the curtain call.

I have prepared two speeches -- one to deliver in event of failure of the play, and the other if successful. Please tell me which I shall send.

May be better to put it to vote.

 
It was staged in Washington D.C. and then New York, but ultimately it "set out on its provincial travels with no particular prestige beyond the reputation of its authors," Paine declared, "and it would seem that this was not enough, for it failed to pay, and all parties concerned presently abandoned it to its fate and it was heard of no more."

"As between Harte and Clemens, the whole matter was unfortunate. In the course of their association there arose a friction and the long-time friendship disappeared."

The name of the play was "Ah Sin", and while it's available on Amazon, it's very rare.

See also:

My favorite page from Huckleberry Finn and
Twain's unfinished Huckleberry Finn sequel