New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-05-08
TIE NEW PLAY At BUTTONS.


New plays and new operas, like new styles Of cali
Goes brocades and pates de oies gras, are Injuries
which We continue TO import from Europe, though we
have at home plenty Of the material out OF which
they are manufactured. The fact is Notifying TO our
national pride but we must make the best of IT, and
bde our time; the smartest nation in oil crea
ton it is true but THEY'VE DO not happen to be smart
enough to write our own dramas, to compose own
music, to make the livers of our geese into eaiabe
patcs, nor to invent the patterns Of our own wives
calico dresses. We have to look to Europe for all
these things. We send our con whisky to
France. and it comes back to us Cognac brandy,
not subject even to the prohibition OF our laws;
send them ard-oil and it returns to us, like Noahs
dove bearing the stamp Of olive; send them cotton
and il comes back to US wool silk, the may
be; but the dramas they send have no smack Of
Yankeesms; they, at least unadulterated foreign
productions. There is Alexander Dumas the Great
whose mother was quadroon, and who would no
more be allowed to write dramas for white audiences
if he lived in this country, than Northern Office
holder under Frank Pierce would be allowed to say
his soul was his own. But in France Dumas writes
plays and novels without number which we catch at
like hungry gudgeons because they come from
act historical drama on the subject OF the youth
full days Of Louis XIV, of France. which Louis
Napoleon will not permit to be played in Paris be-
cause il might be offensive TO his Empress. Our man
oger Of the Chambcrs-st Theater hears Of it, immei
aeIy buys it, translates it, adapts it to the oxigeneie
Of his establishment, and announces it with trium
plant flourish.
OF course a drama founded upon the carly years Of
\ nd hy q fla
amusement Of Parisians cannot have any special in
terest for New-Yorkers beyond its literary dra-
matte merits. There cannot be in it any of the living
manners which the perfect drama demands should be
caught living as they rise.'
The manager informs on the BILL with becoming
soemnity, that the drama was "interdicted by Louis
"Napoeon, the principal incident was said to refer
"to the conduct of Eugene the present Empress who
"refused her love to the adventurer Louis, but gave
cher hand to the same man when he became Emperor
"of France But it happens, rather unfortunately
for this theory that there is no such incident in the
piece; and as 10 the Empress Eugene her fnesse
consisted not in refusing her hand to the adventuer
Louis but in refusing something else to the Prince
President and Emperor. However, we do not pretend
TO question TIE fact Of the Introduction, but we imagine
that the cause has been misunderstood. The rejection
Of the drama is piece Of notorious gossip, and the
authors substitution of another drama in lis place.
which be wrote in Brussels in four days and RENTED
to Paris in time TO be represented in the place OF the
original Let the motive have been what ii might
for the interdiction of "The Youthful DAYS of
Louis XIV" we think that the stupidity
of the piece would have been sufficient reason; but
then that would not have been very satisfactory
to give on a play-bll. As a show piece the
drama is of the most beautiful that We have seen;
but the fine dresses and pretty scenery hardly sui
fcient to recompense weary spectator who sits in
heated theater nearly FIVE hours TO listen TO the trans
lated platitudes of Alexander Dumas The characters
with the exception of two, historical First.
We have Louis the XIV at the age of twenty per-
sonated, and remarkably well, too by George Jordan,
whose dress was really marvel OF tailoring. Philippe
of Anjou his young brother PRETTY done by Miss
Mccarthy; Charles III Of England was attempted
by Mr.. Russell, who hardly up To the ideal OF the
Merry Monarch in exile; Mr. Burton himself attempted
the willy and avaricious old Cardinal Mazarin. and,
SO far his red stockings and skull cap went was
very well, but Cardinal Mazarin was not exact
" low comedian and we think tina; any
member of the Chambers-st. company nigh.
have done the part better than the manager. We can
imagine Burton King Lear Mereutio, but not as
Cardinal Mazsrin. Mr.. Gourley may be a very good
actor in his wey, whatever that NAV be- but a. the
Due de Grammont, We cannot say that be achieved
decided success Mr. Moore, who, IS y. Moore,
Esq, materially aided Mr.. Burton in getting up the
drama, satisfied us perfectly in representing that old
Court upholsterer, PoQuelin-the only upholsterer
known to ame-who had the honor OF being the father
of Molere; and Moiere himself came upon the scene
in the person of Mr.. Fisher, who seemed play with
proper consciousness of the temerty of attempting
represent man Of such genius. Anne of Austria
done by Mrs. Cooke and we have no doubt that she
did her best Miss Raymond impersonated Marie de
Mancni, the niece of the CARDINAL and, as Marie de
Mancini is parsonage of whom we had no precon- |
ceved idea cannot find fault with her rendering of
he part
The real heroine Of the drama is Georgette the gar
leners daughter, who represented by Mp. Burton