The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-08-21
Saratoga CorrcspOndencc-No.
U. ). Horn, SARATOGA SpRINGs, Aug ~.
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English and american Stage.
The visit Of q leading member Of the Theatrical
profession in England to this place, and notice in
the journals OF the mission Of the DIeoeur Of the
Park 10 Europe, beat up for recruits for the en-
suing season, suggests some reflections on Ameri-
can theatricas, which, coming from an unpreiudl-
ced European Traveller" and one who is neither
himself an actor, nor in any way connected with
actors, though he has been well acquainted for
more than quarter OF century with the condi.
ton of the stage in different paris Of Europe, may
not be unacceptable to the American public. The
present condition Of the stage in England, as here,
is almost hopeessly low. There is no actor or ac-
tress OF the first order now living on the British
stage. Let US not, however, be misunderstood
II Is neither our wish or intention 10 undeTrate
dsparage the merits Of Mr.. Macready. BY dra-
matte artist Of the first order, we mean, one whose
performance Of Othello would bear to be put in
juxtaposition with that Of the Kean-whose Mac
beth might stand unbonneted beside that Of John
Kemble-whose Mercutio or Romeo might bear
some comparison with those of Charles Kemble-
or whose Richard one might venture TO name in
the same century with that of Garnck. There is
none such. BY an actress Of the first order we un-
ders,and, one whose Lady Macbeth or Constance,
might be referred to without ridicule, when we
think OF Mrs. Siddons, or whose Belvedera or
Mrs. Beverley, might be compared with the touch
ing delineauons of Miss C'Neal. No one, we pre-
sumo, will be hardy enough to clam for Mr. Mac
ready an equal rank with the former, or for Mrs.
Warner, Mrs. Charles Kean, or Miss Faucit, any,
the remotest approach TO either of the latter.
Mr.. Macready is great artist. He is entitled to
that praise in the strctest sense Of the term That
he is not without genius, the most superficial critic
must at once perceive. The fire Of genius bursts
forth in vivid uneqnivocal flashes. especially in the
performance OF those characters which have been
written fer him, such as Richelieu, William Tell,
and Vlrginius. The magnificent apostrophe to the
pen in contradistinction to the sword-the wither-
ing effect Of the address to his enemy ending with,
"the headsman stalks behind"-the supreme con-
temptuousness Of" If your grace must love some
thing-LovE ME !" in the first Of these roles, are
few among many instances which will occur to the
memory of the dramatic critic. But with all this
Macreadys high position in his profession is MAIN
ly due to his pre-eminent artiical excellence. He
alone among all living managers can put one OF
Shakspeare's plays on the stage in manner wor-
thy Of their author. ss8 ss!,s e.tog7 8s
Mr. Simpson is then gone to cater for the next
season. What has he done as yet? He has en-
gagged Mr.. Anderson. Indeed land "who is MIR.
Anderson the whole American public will with
one voice cxclaim We will tell thern-at least
as well as we can. Some years since, when MI.
Macready held the managerial reins of one of the
London houses, he wanted respectable actor to
fiji the more prominent OF the subordinate parts.
He had known Mr.. Anderson as a provincial
actor. He was, we think, stage manager at some
country theatres, and his style harmonized with Mr..
Macready, without the least risk of any thing like
rivalry. Mr.. Anderson was accordingly engaged,
made his debut before London audience, and has
since held respectable place among second rate
performers in tragedy and genteel comedy Heais
just that moderately good class of artist, who,
while he can never sink below certain respectable
level, just certainly can never be expected to
rise to any thing like the first class. He would do
well as the leading performer among respectable
stock. II would be absurd to class him as a star
in England. How he may be regarded here, we
will not presume to say.
A lady has been mentioned as one with whom
Mr.. Simpson has achieved an engagement. We
can only say that we never before had the happi-
ness OF hearing her name
The market which Mr. Simpson has before him
is unfortunately, so very i'll supplied the present
time that his task is one of no very enyable kind.
Of all the gentlemen performers, there is
whose success here would pre- eminently transcend
all others-nay, as we conceive, would surpass
even that of Macready himself. That one is-the
Lord Ogleby OF the stage-Mr. William Farren.
He stands alone-unapproache and unapproach-
able. If any comic performer could. for moment,
be classed with the great bygone names we have
mentioned, Farren would, undoubtedly, be the
one. He would have great run here. His cha
racters numerous and various, and his plays
so easily got up, and SO popular. There exist in
the country, also, materials sufficient to supply
reasonably good support for him.
OF all the female ertists, the one who would as
certainly command great and durable success here,
who would probably run the same career of en-
thusiastlc exhibition, as Fanny Elssler-is the
Lady Gay Spanker-Mrs. Nisbett Aw revoir,
AN EUROPEAN TRAVELLER.
PALMo's THEATRE-Da. LARpNER's ENTERTAIN-
MENrs.-In compliance with numerous applications,
DR.. Lardner has been induced 10 make arrange
menis for connected series of lectures. This will
be the most attractive and instructive entertain
ment ever placed within our reach in this city.
The discourses will embrace all those interesting
subjects connected with the solar systematic at
Observation-Disclosures eye-which Dr. Lardner has
made emphatcally his own, and in the calculation
and illustration of which, we can truly say, he Is
without rival. The lectures will be given on the
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays of the next
two weeks, and will constitute complete series Of
popular dissertations the interesting and import
ant subjects mentioned In the programme.
| The very extensive and valuable collection Of
philosophical apparatus which Dr. Lardner pos
sesses, enables him to offer Illustrations Of the lee
lures in scale of unexampled magnitude. The
gas microscopic apparatus is alone sufficient to
attract large audiences; but, in addition to that,
we have the varied and splendid astronomical appa-
ratus-meteorological Neutrality-suspicious.
illustrations of the gases-and the "Megascope,"
new and very beautiful instrument, lately obtained
from Paris. Indeed, the prodigality of splendid