The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-11-19
Musical and Theatrical
SOMETHING ABOUT DEBUTs AND DEBUT ANrEs-LEr-
TER FROM AN ASPIRANr FOE DRAMATIC HoNoEs-
A WORD 70 THE MANA0HKs

Masical and Theatrical.
SOMETHING ABOUT DEBUrs AND DEBUrANTEs-LET
TER FROM AN ASPIRANT FOE DRAMATIC HONORs-
WORD 70 THE MANAGERS.
It was the remark of the late Mr. J. B. Booth that ia
ten years from his time it would be impossible get
a city theatre an army for "Richard H., all the
supes would be playing Gloucester in the country"
This is not quite true now but II may be before the time
expires In the department tragedy It is almost i'm
possible to get the minor parts well ied all the actors
being anxious to rush in where angels fear to tread
We do not think that there IL any desire the
part Of actors to play the best parts than there was
but the number Of theatres has largely increased while
there really good actors. This compes the
country managers 10 take walking gentlemen for Hrst
trsgedans, and obliges rural friends to many
foul murders, while have TO suffer from the mangng
Of the small parts, for which these aspiring young gen
tiemen are only dt. Ambition sa good thing in youth
In gods tits glory and when men aspire
Ills but spark too much OF heavenly hre:
yet when egosm and selfconcet make this "yauIting
ambition public nuisance the public have righ. to
complain. high tone ofdramatic criticism would be the
best corrective Of the evil but this have not out OF
New York Often we find, by the Western or Southern
press, that whom the New York public thought
hardly fit to deliver message, has all the fire Of Booth
the vgor Of Forrest, and the artistic excellence Of
Macready As general rule nearly all the persons who
are fit to play leading tragedy in good, twnkllng
as small stars in obscure places while their legitimate
stations are filled by whose proper place Is
second or third rate position. There are Beau
seants, because every one plays Claude Melnotte.
We hold that acting is much thing to be studied
practiced, and thoroughly learned, any trade art
profession vocation How thankess and Improbable
is this toll How few reach fame or fortune OF
the two thousand persons who connected with the
eighty theatres in the United States how many there
with whose names the public generally amarS Not
one hundred, safely say How few of<the best of
them properly understand the works OF the great drama
lists which they supposed to illustrate, the
guage in which they speak. Our advice to young actor
would be to get into good theatre, under good
ger like Blake waIlack occupy the smallest position
study diligently advance regularly although slowly be
not ambitious to play the best parts to play parts
the best-me and fortune must come always providing
the talent Is there Acting is matter OF talent simply,
not genius The authors genius creates the part the
talent Of the actor enbodics it-rids Rachel.
The are worse than the men. Since Mrs.
Mowatts successful dsb,a-and We believe that now her
is over it is pretty gensray acknowledged that
she was not great actrcss-there has been intense
desire on the part of large numbers OF young to
smell the footghts and there mas been corresponding
ly large number of dsbuts The num9e OF brilliant ornl
ments that have been torn from the best society
erred from the spendors OF the salon to the sham aud
dirt Of the couiisss-has been frghtiul to contem
and is painful to reflect how the arstocracy must suf
fer at being thus deprived of It's dazzling lights The
number Of young ladies-all Of them belonging the
best society OF course-who still anxious to sacrifice
themselves the shrine Of art Is surprisingly great
The managers down with apphcstioas and weee
they not such terrible savages might have a
Juha or Pauline every night in the week.
We aware that there in this city some ten
twelve young ladies who studyiag for the stage
The labor intense and the reward Is sox to come it
At all There Is demand f,r all these ladie
but they should not look too high at first They
titled TO praise FOR the courage and perse which
they display and they have claim the city anagers
which too often disao we'd. 1t Is certainly very wrong
that lady with all the requisites Of beauty taleut and
education, should be shut Of the the
and tina. should be obliged suffer Imports
tons when have native stock fully competent and
willing TO ast for less money As thiSg. stand now, df1a
tontes driven to the country theatres ami seldom
ever obtain metropolitan engagement.
But the manas say, the other hand that some
these aspran,s not well groun led In their gram
mar veil up In their orthogrsphy, as the foolish
preudiccs Of The ooi require, and quote many letters
Ike the following which ia verbatim copy OF re-
cciyed the other day by the manager Of popular ely
theate. 1t is evidently from genius who IA % be
controlled by the d,a Of Murray Doctor Johnson:
- Nov 4th 55
To THI PacpprFToR of THEATRE
SIR take the liberty to inform you that Miss =
wish TO become Stage actress wish to knnw what
Glance stand IA regards stage thare Is opning
for me | wooli be moste hapy 70 ill II
II is place have filled but have confidence to
believe that am hted TO the task
Please without delay
And Obige your most Obt
The female aspirant always the highest hoaors
Immediately. She receive the laurel crown At once
and expects to make Gsty thousand dollars at least ia
two years. She scorns at stock engagcmens and must
be star and have nice puts papers Woe TO the
journalist who insnuates that without practice she
cannot be Tree cushnaa a sidious. @ha, brute
he must be TO attack woman
The dseaAe is a chronic one ani treatment will re-
move Il. We have known COLI bathing low diet and i'm
prisoument tried without effect Ann Maris passes from
the nursery 70 the paror Of dessyed artist, who
givesher lessons 10 defamation for round sumily
hundred dollars per month The teacher, OF course pee
diets for her the most unboundei The Suneay
new wspafefs break out in chorusair creature--won.
derfu fcader-resp spendent besuty-tremendons talent
moves n highest orcles-going % sacrifice herself IL
beautiful little lamb the altar Of the drama, &c
&c. Then comes outlay OF from one To ave thou
ssld dollars Tor wardrobe, and finally the paintive ap
peal to the Cerbcruses who quad thu entrsn;es to
sorts Of ways. Sometimes the dabataab plays 5r
body's bsneat--sometines she gets week hr frisnis
guaranteeing the manager against iossor rst appear
ances don't draw 40 well they did formerly.
During the eventual night everything Is coa'e de roe,
Drilled into the performance Of he par.oervcd 70 g.
through severe ordeal-encoursgei by the applause.
cheers and bouquets Of too aateng frenis the lady
thinks has crossed the Rubicon at last BIT II not
she gets few country engage nenta, but never
plays again in the metropolis. She has begun a. the
wrong and Guds II out late She IA pesu.
niarily successful
Truth Is never pala'abe, and We know that many
ladies' gentle who about becoming
nseed with the stage, will not thank Tor this. Il Il,
nevertheless kindly meant it :, meant 20 then time
ami nency II Is meant 20 let them know that month
In good theatre in subordinate position, IA bet
ter thsn years private tuition or starring tour
ubois countrv where have