, 1859-04-16

country my nag th's insenee'ua1 amusement,
WHICH, byron pfoeosneeo 'n?, ~o.. 4sasA'1o'
" an t"na'es'a. ssa'.es :.'us' .. o'e
eeee'ually 'han III o'ao ulssaes 'ae eo'u"
'. oAns 1n.h spa 49,. '-e p'eeeaRs
u me "osk'ng-ohy "o1'"A A's" .e''e4ne9 ou'
Spls''s Win me g'a'e'u' "11sone y. '''o'al sym
p"ns' ana nsa'' oe' eDau e'4''o ~ ]oe eoe o.
toe greater WOES o. 4,ee1 ~ nn ol"eno-"hs
has IL beoome ~ "est Ao'aa Ing Jo0' We pre-
sume' no tneatteeoer VIII dispute. Ii DAVE
Gtsaicx' VINO ''ouno Inc sage BRICK, and 'et1
it MARBLE were to appear among US at the raI
Of some spir'tuahst's s wand, he would sigh to fpd
that the institution which he toiled 80 hard tc
build up and improve, was fast dccaying and rf
lapsing INTO oaroaFasin* dc wouId find thai
"thc elevation Of the Drama to which his own
energ1es' and those Of hEAs and kExBIE, hsd
ocen so afdently directed, WAS the last thing
taohga1 o1 ny Inc generality Of actors-that tt1
words were the znerest cant, employed to mint
Ter 70 the VANITY OF the arst, to invest h1s nane
With humbng and fill his pockets with dollars
For SHAKESPEARE and the legitimate about
which he is eternally blowing, Mr.. GAsr1rE, the
"great American tragedian," cares Just as much
as he does about the man in the moon-or would
cure no more but for the opportunity they al:
ford Of dispIayinc the brayny thickness Of his
Ynusc1as and rho lootb.rn strength of 1,;s iu,ot
The Drama in this country haa suffered fron,
tbree Grand c,nsce. The n storrinon svstcno
the production of spectacles: upd the low ta,te
and excessive good nature Of the public, Thr
starring system. to which managers cling with
such desnerate fascination. il not more acstruc,
tire to themselves than to the stage. It first
breaks down the stock companies, and then thu
stars themselves are broken down for want n,
support from the regular companies: and there
ceases to be ANYTHING that can be called ner.
r1ancnt theatre, The leadinr ncrfor1,ner cenc.
rally takes the lions share Of The proceeds Of m
evenings entertainment. and the wrotchcd nit,
tancc which remains. after uayjnp tho rent and
other expenses of tile house. is divided amono
the sticks by which he is not suDported. md thc
manager The audience has thus the pleasure
Of seeing one character in piece well person-
ated-that is, supposins the " star" to be q real
one, und not u mere freely or "lightning bug -
that Is cried up for star-while this doubtful
pleasure 1smorc than neutraiizcd by the pain Of
seeing all the other parts mauled and mangled
os mefeiess mountehanks, who
4oD'n - 'e'lt''ee - cuf monshsa tone
,AA "A.a ''res'kHAh r. 10 'nosen 'or notlla!foh
AA'e Nv ,"e 41A',.es .on'epe'on oi "na1 'hey
~ -. ''u' '''.n' vi ,e "oas' se"a'
s'ns '-so ha1neo' Us thcy generally seem to
~, ~ 1"c rue u .0eaS a noh' because thcy DO
"'' S"'oe' s''u "''a .ae leeo1es' borrowed light,
e . nA4@ aos'ne'l'a''on upon 'oe tcft Of
moa+ - ns;.os oe.s % ~ men, 10 WIN one Of the
-, | - M @1e - '''t.'o -, oee'iile sur
ouaon ;..s,,:'.s .' A' osuu'', s''cne'l'
h,oad ,a.,..ass.a 49, AAe' e,''''an'' saFp'e'
ra;oae ,,.,,;a,. " 'Aose iais inAeic
"s eAs''e ano eaaf Ill
+,n liz 49, da.s .AeA@e '''s' w u
'o' 'eA'o, ~ 'oe su'p'es' no'e
e1s =. 1ereulean 'o'l' lhe Sc
.1;.s 'AAe~'''' " .oNs.4 ''siA 'ilo u'sea'
t :. Aio'''1 - 'o' IL naseiy VI w.
I ., >4.~' ' @a .t s' "n''' 4e" "ao
NV .ou' '"se ~ eohte'lPiele' anu lever su'4 LIT
''s, ~ 'euu'e ~ pf1e' o"l no" VIC nave
~ 'u1S' aAa every 'l'ro oF 'oulth
l''e o''o'' " ''o ''as s'fu9teo ana beloved
-. o'' 1Ne ooa' os 'o'i'e sa'lsiac''oh "' 'nc
s'oanalnss- s-lePFoouesng Inc worn out tricks
@''o e'efco'spea conFcnt1ohalitles, the hack.
heseo tohcs ana anticipated gestures OF the
s'ase' "''hoo1 one nnsh o1 genius or Original
eoncell'on-ho" oeems himself amply qualified
~ NIL OEspkaoSA' ~ 1n1aaeh an ISABELLA, or
~ "',ue "4'n n''su'sA 'l1e counting oeaf1 o1
,.:A.,,,,,- ,
- - 'A' poo'...'ne o'e','huu!ee"' a'o eas'ls
ru'l'eu ', punt" f''cn u enlenS Responsible
''i ''''7 sta'c VI tn'nes' III 'nouern aass audi
eaees 20 10 tue 'heatrc Just as thcy would 80 to
aee a phan'as1naeo'1a' SIMPLY 10 ~ nmused'
anu '''e'f applause conveys NJ verdict that can
|>eet"aois - n'an oi intellect. IL Simply
'''A'' 1o' III noot Ut '"o' 'oes Aase peen
= - ~ +AtA s'~'e % e@es'e''seh'' ano IL Is
'e. '"soAe's'en' "'''i 'tse"' IL "a''e1s not
',e" =, 4',oAA' wv o-'eeu uci''f,s Ut
!AA, e'et'''1''e po's.u o'' ''ie'f ''eaos or
'''1''5 =" '''e 'es' p'a' a'on LUZ stage
~ '""s' .'.0e' .ne performances or'hs oo"n the
'''"'e III ''unaesso' applause. 1heJokes OF the
e'""A ~ 'ne caiehs' wv Jes's ol 'he Ethiopian
s' -. 's AAo ~ p.'-
a,c ~ 49, A~,o' - "a. nA puN' o"zeo 'o' '.,e
.' ,r', ,n', 90 ~ ~ s"''e
.'c .,'".,. 49, 'uu. 'ae ~ lnA i'oo'
=; ~ "' ~ o4llsa su"u'-l ''e' 'ap one
-, - ss -. '"' "''a'Des' u .n' "a A1's
e " n'e' os ene4' pun u ns s''ns-ho
"''' "a 'e'''1noeu
amusement oc'ns mus TIC sole mo'l'c Of
theatrical patronage, II IS not strange TINT the
more excitement people havc the bctter-that
" he who peppers the highest. Is the s"rest to
please and that hence the broadeSt tArccS, or