The Sun.
London, England, 1867-12-30 00:00:00

A SPECIAL AMATEUR THEATRE.

The change of St. Martin's Hall into the Queen's
Theatre, and that of St. George into a novel Opera
House, together with the loss of the theatre known
as the Bijou, in the destruction by fire of Her Ma-
jesty's, have greatly restricted our amateur dramatic
friends in their selection of a stage, for their repre-
sentations, in anything like a central position of the
metropolis. Whilst we deplore the loss of the last,
and cordially wish success to the spirited authors of
the transformations just mentioned, in alluding to
them as restrictions to our friends, we must can-
didly admit that when they were extant and open to
temporary engagements, there was but one of them,
the Bijou, which was really suitable for the amateur.
The stages and auditoriums at St. Martin's Hall
(for there word two), as that at Langham-place,
were better suited for musical entertainments than
for dramatic representations, and it is a theatre and
not a makeshift that is now required. We are well
aware that most all of our dratnitic buildings are
occasionally procurable, and the amateur can seize
the opportunities (now here, now there) as they
present themselves. In so doing, however, he enters
upon each fresh stage an entire stranger, unfamiliar
with its size and arrangements, and unacquainted
with its power of conveying sound. Such ignorance
ntcrferes Kith the prupriety—of his mnvemeri
whilst it leaves to hazard the modulation of his
voice. It is therefore not merely a stage oa which
the amateur can appear on chance occasions that is
required, but one that shall be devoted exclusively
to his class ;—one not merely to be the scene of his
representations, bat also the school of his rehearsals;
and looking at the increasing number of amateur
Thalian clubs and the growing predilection for
amateur performances, we think such necessity
might be supplied with profit, to the necessary out-
lay, as certain as it would be advantageous to the
amateur.

Among the benefits that a special building would
confer on amateur theatricals, that of drawing the
various clubs together would not be the least. This
would render them familiar with each other's
strength, and create a spirit of emulation. Each
club might profit from the other's progress,
and on particular occasions a concentration of
talent might be effected. If this were done the
most fastidious audience would be contented ; for
there is ability enough amongst our friends to place
any drama on the boards in a style worthy of high
professional skill. Unfortunately it is now too dis-
persed—too widely scattered—and consequently its
effect is generally hampered and frequently spoilt
by a vast preponderance of incapacity.
All that tends to promote the welfare of amateur
theatricals is of more general interest than the casual
observer would imagine, for it leads to the cultiva-
tion of a branch of education too frequently ne-

glected. How many there are who, but for the
amateur stage, would not have devoted their spare
time to dramatic literature, and therefore to the
study of this educational branch known as the art
of reading; for there are "readings and readings," as
Moliere tells us there are " Fagots et des fagots."
There may be but few who attain anything like
success upon the boards ; but how many acquire
thereby a ready facility in seizing the thoughts of
an author, and a correct and pleasing delivery of
his language. Thus many an hour that might
otherwise pass dull and unprofitably in the family
circle, the amateur is able to render cheerful and
advantageous, and thus even a Special Theatre,
as it would tend to increase their number, should be
an object of public interest.—Racing Times.