New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-04-29

,.,s,r v,n h..t0xy ~ :.'ssy ~ "a: ,,."s sss
ere ana direct, sess sm.nts Of scc;ety and What
a.ss y. ..s, f. ssussspssce Of .eaoss people,
tnles u nes - .osh not Cor q monent be denied that
-. ibesser compatible win Cnrs.ao sSo,' ~
u ne nuId be The most complete and interesting Oh
" nnnsements. Nothing bat scruphe OF con~'eoce
AZ S far Of eountenancDr q seductive pleasure
sseps even the most sober portions OF the conmn,
rom en- occas onal yisit 70 the ay-honse. "us'
sTcert of course those who by 3iruse Of Their sen-
.;hiltv 10 pleasure, have lost the power OF beng
amused and those whose original temperament ~
constitutionaliy averse to pleasure Bu' nos. ""
or MANY must not mistake their defects ior ahVan'-
ares II is much greater misfortune not to nave
he ordinary taste f,T amusement than It IL nCt ~
hive the ordinary err for music. That must De
stupid nature that does not powerfully feel me arac
ysness Of the stage when occupied by such persons
as Gsrrick, Tan.a and the kemoes; ana pnrIue1
Sro what uust offend the taste conscience OF good
men the stage filed with moderately good perform,
err would allure and crafty thousands OF sober aud
dj,cre.t people, as nothing else could. The indiheI
ept performances Of amateurs are listened u WIN An
t,pse ratification which, after deducting all the in
terest Of personal sympathy with the volunteers,
d. ponstrates the inherent charm Of the age ibere
was never q dialogue spoken IN school e1nioiuoh
which was not ten times ~ exciting as any nohoosuo
and every additional person added TO the scene W.
creased its fascination in geOmetrIca rato. III a
few rags Of scenery or costume were thrown around
the performers, how potenty was tho charm
enhanced! In short, in precise proportion an. %
ment complete. But why lnger on so plain
point The stage il the moot winning
Of amusements because the combnatsn ana
aggregate Of all others The tbeater " itsef mag
nifce nj the audience great party IN becoming
attire. ii there were nothing behind the curtain,
elegant ROOM brilliantly lighted, with graceful tiers OF
galleries full of well-dressed people IN good hugor
and seated in knots Of acquaintance, talking bowling
or gazing admring and being admired, would be fas
cpating to the social and estec instincts of human
beings But there is than this, even outside the
curtain. great orchestra of music, capable, by
lis own unaided powers, OF dchghng an audience.
Beside a social party,a grand concert, aud the cur
tain not vet risen But the curtain rises and dis
plays-what gifted person, reading an eloquent
narrative or a melodious poem, in highly cultivated
voice That indeed would be high pleasure, such
as we sometimes eagerly seek elsewhere. No! but
whole company of persons especially endowed by
nature for the occupation and trained to its practice
engaged in representing some historical or fictitious
story carefully and by high and rare genius, wrought
10 moving plot in which each scene and act helps
on concusiOn-where the passions weaknesses, viz
tues and complicated motives of humanity, seized In
their most affecting and interesting aspects, are not
described, but actually represented by persons OF tai
ent and SKILL carefully cooperating 10 one grand result
The time of the drama may be thousand years back
the place five thousand miles of but the costumes and
scenery, with learned artistic care, reproduce what
history and art have taught them, and we behold
what little exercise of the imagination makes the
very action, the persons country town and castle the
der that an imitation Of life ITSELF in its rsrest, most
passionate, and heart-mOylng moments and expert
ences--where the alchemy of genius and art fuses
into few hours the whole conduct aud course OF
splendid humun career-a deep domestic calAmty
ambition bloody road to throne, loves great sacr
fee iealousys t0rturing fears, avarces pnchng and
g1asping wa y-Hamlets thought-palsied melancholy
Lear's frenzicd paternal grief, Juets innocent pas
sion Nacbeth's remorse-that pleasure rich,
costly, variOusly and curously compounded az this,
based upon the deepest, most numerous sensibtss
OF our nature, should prove universally and perma-
pently attractive The drama condenseS what Is
most intensely interesting affecting in real life, or
what from the constitution Of nature genius knows
might be real life, into compact, rounded and I'm
hed story, emitting what is common place, irrele-
want simply painful and by careful adherence to
the great rule Of art which forgets that Its end
il pleasure, extracting from crime, or vice, or passion
whatever in their actual occurrence 1t would shock
us to behold leaves what moves our passions aud
affections with pleasing though fearful scnsibAity
The stage takes this drama, and by living sculpture
clothes this wondrous work OF literary genius with
flesh and blood substitutes for paper and pnnt, men
and women, voices for words tor the dun pictures
of the imagination, actual scenery for descriptions
of costume elaborate dresses nay, 1t inyokes gifted
men and vet more gifted women 10 take these places,
and with boundless study, consideration, expense,
builds the temple, collects the properties, and or
rnnpee the scene which is to convert the written INTO
the acted drama, and is possible to conceive that
human ingenuity ever invent any other amusement
which equal much less exceed this deepiy-iound
ed, Iowy-wIought and most cosby contriVahce 10,
the public delight and recreation OF human beings
Surprising il TO be innocent, perceive no element
waning 10 render il theoretically perfect pleasure
Il appeals TO the intellect the Imagination the heart
the senses 1t hes the charm OF poetry aud music IL
unes the interest of story with the fascination of
r,ectsce II calls by turns on emotional and on
our critical faculties now inviting US to yicid " the
Illusion 70 admire the skull which deIudes u.s. IL
adds TO the sympathy feel for the persons repre-
sented that we feel with those who represent them
that We feel for the genius which made them repre-
sentable; and Shakespeare, Hamlet, and Garrck, AL
pull at our heart. strings in one delicious moment OF
admiration and sympathy. Poetry invention, story,
uinetic talent, elocution, persOpatlsn, spectacle,
beauty passion architecture painting music, society
light all combine in the theater to make II the most
brilliant complete and unt!ring OF public am9semenE
Now am not pretending, you perceive, that the
charm or attactveness OF the stage depends nr.u!
and mainly upon its moral teaching, or It's moral inhu
ence. Amusement loses Its quality when instruction
bec,mce lie object and II would be very deiusive TO
anticipate that people would attend the theaer Tor
educational purposes, or cease 10 attend because II
were proved uninstructiye. The instruction TO be got
from the drama the stage must always be incidental
and perfectly subordinate to the pleasure got from
them l do not doubt that there is potent instruc-
ton and moral influence il Hamlet Macbeth, the lem
pest. the Camester, the Hunchback, Cncle Toms
Goblin, The Rent Day; but if the satisfaction and
pleasure Of seeing those plays depended upon their
moral influence or if their performance could be JUS.
tilted only by their direct usefulness to morals fear
should lose my case with the serious class. Consider
ing ehe moral Necessity Of being happy, it is the
Nous wholesome and immense amount Of pleasure and
recreation which the theatcr gives that mrs. ensts
in its support. II large part Of our hu-
nlanty amuses the senses and the soul. II calls out
to crafty and refresh them sensbties and passions
which the ordinary life of the world does not bring
into play, and thus rests the other and earnest powers
and feelings Of our nature. Removing from the
region Of the actual to that Of the ideal; from the
sphere Of the common and natural into that of the
traordnaIy aud artistic, il changes our world and
selves draws upon an entirely ret Of powers aud
sensibties while il allows the Odd set to 60 TO sleep
and thus repair their waste while the circle Of our
4. ia cop,,letipu A