The Litchfield County post., 1828-11-06
THE THEATRE.

The Theatre was from the very first
The favorite haunt of sin; though honest mep,
! Some very honest, wise and worthy men,
Maintained it might be turned to good account:
And so perhaps 1t might, but never was.
Fem FIRST to last it was an evil p.ace
| And now such things were acted there, as made
| TIE demons blush; and from the nelghborhOod,
! Angels and holy men trembling retred.-PoLLoK.
We copy the following from the Boston
Galaxy So paper which we believe was
never suspected of Puritanism, and which,
u the language of the Editors, "has al
ways supported Theatres against the at
lacks of the bigotted.---N. Y. Obs.
stage, we are told, is place
whence thedPresent generation may learn
10 emulate the good actions of former
times, ny observing the scenes of former
ages, as they are drawn forth and exhibited
with the accomplishments of dress, paint
ing, and music. The stage isto give US a
more definite idea Of things al sthey have
been, by placing in each department per-
son to sustain the character of hero or a
martyr, than we could receive in our study
by merely reading the sober details Of his
tory-and more inviting language heigh-
tens the illusion. This is the Drama. And
how are all these promises of the Drama
borne out to the conclusion? Let US en-
quire how much better is an audience of a
thousand persoDs--composed ofboth sexes,
and of all ages and Characterization wit
Messing from the stage single play. OBJ
serve the boxes-beauty and fashion fill
the front seats, tops and dandies are in the
rear, and if single thoughtful brow is in
the house, you will observe it from cor
ner of the second tier. Above-every one
knows to what purpose the third tier is de-
voted-and the gallery is for the lowest
class. How does the acting ofthe present
day operate upon such heterogeneous
mass-upon so many different grades ofin-
lellect, and upon SO many different states
of feeling, as are here collected? Can it be
analysed? The lower row enjoys the sem
timent, the pit whatever is heroic in ap-
pearance, and the upper apartments what
is indecent and vulgar-and who is impro-
we'd, and to what amount?
The effect of single performance may
be more easily imagined. if we take sim
gle case. Suppose an individual gifted with
the power of discrimination, who knows
what nature is, and who is ignorant of the
art of acting,if such person can be found;
place him where he can see the stage, and
be carried back to the scenes represented.
Let your play be William Tell, for in
stance EVERY body has heard of his ex-
PLOTS, every body has praised them, and
wished to initiate. What must be the o.
pinion Of our spectator, who has, in his
own mind, supposed the patriot to be
man above the common stamp, one who
has done and suffered much for his country,
and who has in his language and manners,
the dignity becoming mani He will tell
you at once, that one of the most affecting
and interesting portions of history was
vilely carricatured; that Gesler was ac-
coutred in parti-colored harlequin dress,
with long sword, curls in his neck, and
ferocious whiskers; that Ernest and YER
nor, and the combination of patriots, were
clad in the habliments of po0r-house, to
show the oppression under which they liv-
ed that the piece was filled out with the
ummeaning mummery of a fool, and that