The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-10-29
Prospects of orr National: Drama.


Everybody who has been TO the theatre with
in the last few weeks must have been struck by
the immense crowds which flock to boxes, par
quette, and galleries. Burton's, Wallack's, the
Broadway, and the Bowery, and indeed every
theatre where comedy and drama are given,
are thronged nightly to suffocation. After the
doors are opened it is rarely possible to obtain
a seat; and this is the case even when the eve
nipgs bill Of fore is neither particularly attrac-
tive ror particularly original. The Italian
opera alone-which is, perhaps, the most meri-
torious of all our public amuscments in point
of management and artistic merit-has not,
until the recent production Of Massaniello.
drawn greater audiences than the house would
hold. An obvious inference from these facts is
that taste for theatricals is spreading among
u.s. and that, while cur aristocracy are unwil-
ing to pay for the luxury of their opera, the
people are both able and ready TO expend what
ever sums may be required for the maintenance
of popular comedy and drama. We are, in
fact, justified in asserting that we have reached
that point Of refinement and luxury at which
the theatre becomes an important national in
stitution. Our taste has visiby improved dur
ing the last few years. We are less liable to
be imposed upon by foreign charlatans, and
less prone to regard the verdict of European
critics az rendering any decision of our own
superiuous. The applause Of New York
audience is no longer such matter OF course
as it used to be. Even in that class among
whom taste for theatrcals is newborn. and
who were formerly entire strangers to the stage
| and, perhaps, regarded it as school for immo-
rality and dissipation, there is now more dis
eliminating judgment and critical acumen than
are possessed by many European audiences.
These are symptoms of the birth of a new era
in our social history. In other countries the
drama list has been the father of the actor. At
first the same individual combined the two
qualities: but we have no reason to believe
that both we're equal in excellence Greece
had no good actors according to antiquarics-
until long after her dramatists had written; and.
with one exception, the best performers that
Rome ever PRODUCED rose to fame Just when
her literature was dying out. SO in mo-
dern times. Who knows anything OF Shak-
speare as an actor?--of Molierc, beyond
the bare fact that he played Sagnarelc and
Monsieur Jourdan? They created the drama
in their respective couutries--tbe stage was
born after them. Before they appeared there
was no correct dramatic taste in France or Eng
land. They evoked that taste by their adni-
rable compositions, in which the faults and fol-
lies, virtues and peculiarities of human nature,
were Denoted with q skill and truth unknown
before But the art Of delincatine various
shades Of character by lone. action and manner.
on the stage, was not fully developed till after
they had deserted it. 1t was in these and all
other countries an ofishoot-a consequence OF
the birth or revival Of correct taste for dra-
matte works.
Our dramatic history presents striking con-
trast to this general law Of progress. With us
the actor he's preceded the author. We have
had many first class actors born among us, and
we have learned to appreciate the beat foreign