New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-09-24
LAURA KEENE'S THElTER.
FALL OPENING AND SEVEN SONS.

II il fact that unity is the greatest merit Of DRAMA
md that the class of plays " which are the Seven
Sisters and Seven Sons effectively break it. They
also dash down the SIMPLE and puYe models of art.
They also preclude the possibility of that close and
thorough deneation of character which IL the best
function of the stage. They a4o ignore the intellectual
in actor and spectator and give chance to passion Or
sentiment. Iostead of rejecting full vision of life,
they blur objects and distort the fragments and
chance ends of reality. They also help weakly people
to dangerous moral dyspepsia, feeding them on rich
speed str without due order in the dishes. There rs
slso redcal weakness in them that makes the most
mischief They without form and void, and dark
ness moves over the face Of them but it ID worse than
that that they let the standards OF virtue trai' All
such plays are doubtless the natural rebound IRON The
stalc forms and ssues of the legitimate drama.
PeeDle must be plungng about from one abyss
to another from devout psamody to glaring
infdelity from patriotic conservatism to furious radi-
caism And here lies the cheerful hope that there is
no permanent power in the sensational DRAMA and the
confidence that il Art is to advance this cannot stop it.
II, however, the long diet of paygoers on orthodox
and mild pieces proved wasting, and If the evenly
sruttng heroes and herones Of the yeact cabre had
grown spectral should have been taken into the ac-
count, when making the change for style like this,
that there were manifest advantages the eide OF the
old school. Those prim dramas were seldom without
a moral purpose. They taught lessons. They made
honesty, simplicity, devotion and faith good things.
Virtue was rewarded in points that always took,
and vice was hurled into ignominious darkness
to loud and long continued applause. And to know
how good the instincts of mankind are, it was only
necessary TO step into the heaer about the time Of the
triumph of innocence and TO hear the prompt welcome
of nice old comfortable commonplace exalting pro.
prety. Colored fres, gauzy outlets of pretty forms,
saucy women dancing and drilling, pointless but still
penetrating jokes liberties with SEX glittering heaps
of scenery dashing music the recompense for the
loss of the simple old way. And then il is to be sad
forever that the right the best is not matter OF COM
parison There is something for the stage higher and
much better than vrtuous conventionalfy. One can
think of exquisite comedy with real wit or, better
STILL real humor in IT, and Of dramas simple enough IN
form and sublime in motive.
The public is never obliged TO apologize TO itself for
ENJOYING itself nor TO make lame compromises with lie
conscience TO engage in the nice balancing OF prn-
ciple against patent fact. IL is an independence
which it seemsully to appreciate. The creature hates
criticism and would like It's insensae laughter never
TO meet with silent vacuum in the air. What
peases il is right and is forgotten that this is gross
fasehood which would not do in any other department
than the artistic II takes courage to cay without BIT
terness but with unaffected sympathy and concern,
that taste in the heaer should be cultivated in Amer
ica because the theater ia 40 much Of an agent in
forming the national character; that the intellectual
cannot be safely suboed to the physical there is that
which should please and that which should dispeasc
and that ia no more difficult to realize the stage than
this The sensation drama lie without its good and
mere show for the eye is not to be refused, bat il
would be unfair TO forget that il viii be time OF de-
light when theater-goers will for sensation
and that the age which produces artists will
also be the age of an earnest and heroic public.
The "Seven Sons opened the season at Miss
Keenes theaier last night. The Seven Sons may
end il. Miss Keenc has 30 well adapted her company
and her audience IL trash Of tho drama, that for
tune smiles upon her efforts This last ID much more
thorough than any before. Here the fair manager en-
tiers the list for the championship of the outrageous
without any reservation. The Seven Sisters" was
bold and ran nearly year. The Sons are as much
holder as their will warrant, and might run into
another generation There 10 a fearful mistake
where, but il is not Mrs Laura Keenes She must be
convinced that she understands the public. She cries
and absurdity, and the public PUSHES to her,
She goes farther than che promises and from being
becomes pointedly rude, and still the
Indies and gentlemen crowd about her with the
savape,t interest in their ewes.
We were pcapabe Of seeing all the piece last night
II was partly physical weakness. The house was
too full. Fire there would have been @ memorable
massacre Tbeatmospbere was bad. Something IN ire
minded us of prize-fght OF the lively scene of faen
borso on Rroodwor stones when cav rronenader.