New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-03-11
The 1IOraI Thcater.,

Such, if We mistake not, was the character es
pe,ialy sspired TO by the play house IN our City
which for some months past has waxed fat and
popular on the scarcely iutermiited performance Of
4 new comic drama entitled The Serious Family
Not having seen this play nor visited the ,heatcr
We could not safely criticsc either but an admirns
rend Of both e KENT writes fully Of them in the
Home Journal and very deliehtedly in the main,
but with slight demur in relation to the moral Of
the play. lie says,
The author Of The Serious FAM ~ distinctly
chooses 10 have moral ana 20 make is work subserve
It's medication II therefore not unfsr ibers for
Ne 10 inquire what that moral Il whether u Il sound and
sSlutary the contrary. The which Serious
Family u apparently intended to convey may be pressed
lew words. Suppose MIR Tonens, Of tho conclusion
% the play advance the ioOchts and 10 announce
tins brief eplOgue Ladies and gentlemen, fellow yoya-
gers through life 10 haven other perceive thst
hypocrisy IN religion Is odous AID rdicn GUS therefore
best to have nothing particular 10 do with religion. is
psssbe you 10 be gbteogs Oyemuch therefore, prob
ably would be best not 10 be righteous all Sham be-
neVulence and beggiuglee charity observe is Judi
crOus business therefore NEEDLE with any scheme
.N,erded beneyolence Eat drink ami be merry We that
nave money enough snd the isceuous carlyle Observes
le the world around you grO~ helsh as Il hikes. Your
applause shows hat hese decidedly your sentiments,
and accordingly this play Will be repeated every evening
until further notice. Half Of this speech true enough
The Other half iaay false The premises are sound the in
We mora WIN "hch inc audleuces 81 hpense Inc uuh
,ney roll mOrse under their tongues bat merely
YOU'D mot deSerse T mako Sa nGsd hs'; s Ssls
ed Vet appears the present ray after
hctringsl that ms play doe make them Would u not have
boon possible without inurng II Tor It's fundamental purpose
o eniesinng the spectator to have avoided This great de
ieci The bali excellent device for dscomnung ht
sleek Amnsdab but mig not few words have been ir
roduced indicate 10 the audience that The enancpsed
Toueus was IN future going merely 10 ensy thr plea
utcs 81 ms Iank and si','ot Oul Sso 70 peloi sue
their dufies Then the hiug would have been compete
Satisfactory the whole moral sound and good. But De-
ENeier Hall and fall back soiay upon Gunie
people wi, not quite do
Now the criticism which Kent here with ap
parent justice applies to tins play seems 10 Us and
70 great many others 20 characterize the spirit
scope and drift Of the acted Drama Mind, It is no
anti play fanatic who makes the above suggestions.
but an ndmiring oulosist both OF the play and the
theator generally. H thinks The Serious + amily
mi hit have been rendered more correct without
being less attractive but there decidedly differ
from him, aud maintain that the author appreciated
the ruling taste Of play goers better than the critic
does. The brilliant success the play proves that
Mr. Barnett understood las market And We ven
ture to say that any attempt to interpolate the
moral indicated ly Kent, would weak the pun
gency OF the play, its zest is adaptation 10 The
tastes OF the mass Of its admirers aud II the
! friends of tie Drama, IN view OF all the facts 10
| he case, viii not see why II is that grave anC
earnest men stand aoof even from what profess t.
| be moral theaters, they have less dscemment OF
less conscienliousness than We should consider +
| lair allowance