New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-09-29
Thcafcrs, &c.

realities OF society IN any aye, presents lis ISees
without distortion and iis vices unadorned is tang
seldom seen en- the English stage. Thele are hardly
nai-a-doze plays now before the public strictly de-
fuable as coinedes--n which the possibilities OF ns-
ture ape not overiddel snd less replaced by
farccal cxaggeranons and ,ow-toned burlefqne. Inc
test DAYS for English comedy were those % Con-
creve and bis associates, who dsguerYeotyped the
manners of their time with a fidelity nauseaing 10
modern taste, but perfect for the period which oii-
,tori1ei them. Since that epocn, comedy has mostly
been perverted TO lower artistic uses exceptions
like SheriGan's School for Scandal, which If, IN
fact, 90 closely modelled upon Congreyeas to be more
than all imitalion-only proving tue rule. comedy
without ils salient yuCaIities TO catch the superb
cial popular cry Ia the raTest bird on the theatrical
earth. n.ling with the elegant ladies and gentle
men of tie scene there IL always the buioOn, de-
grading the tone to various levels Of farce through
out. In one form or another no is ever present.
shrewdly disguised al times, and often 80 nearly
allied to the higher plane Of refinement and decor
Gus breeding as TO pass current for true metal. But
sooner or later the false stamp shows and the rising
hope, if there were sny, OF a toeTsble approach 10
the conditions Of real comedy, is uirbled heels
head into the slough Of farce again. Not that we
Intend any diaTeFeet to farce per SC, which
is undoubtedly an excellent and Jolly thing
in It's way. But it has lnits--or should
Lave tlem-and within these might rey,l unre-
strained The two elements 10 not mix well. Each
destroys the potency Of the oher We long for some
comedy "ttrnight," but long in vain. 1t has not
been 20 written for hundred years. and may not be
for another hundred, except in France. From
France We sometimes get comedy draughts Of prox-
mate purity, bat, such is tho force Of hsbt and
example, the dramatic importers will not translate
but will perstenty "adsPt,' tbs precise principle
Of which process is TO expunge as much AS possible
Of the delicate essence Of the original, and spice
what remains with traditional coarteness for the
Anglo-Ssxon market. To this irregular tteosy Of
comedy wii,ing We may perhaps attribute tne Wo.s.
errors OF Engish comedy acting. Tic hitly onofed
and more keenly favored paris, through thoir uo.e
effects of grotssqueness or buicoaefy, appeal more
foFclbly b the aunors Of audience, and secure
Laughter and sudden applause where quieier ncion
would fail OF anything more than ordinary reoogni-
ton. It's not in ibe nature Of an actor TO stand by
and see Applause ravlshed from him by characters
whom accident .ayors, and no. art exalis without
effort to compea more equal dftsibuuon OF scknowl-
eagments. So far es immediate effect upon the public
goes the chances are all with the Caricaiures and
it comes III of time that the sound and genu-
inc Characters are dis DRIED from their purpose and
by use OF reans familiar enough to the stage, made
10 appeal more vividy popular fancy, at the utter
sacrifice Of sense ana feeling a comedy person.
alton Of perfect fie and VOID Of exaes erations an
uncommon spectacle, although 10 raro instances We
find such at our best tEealefs. I6f Keene herself al
fords tie mosi frequent examples OF any person To-
milar to the New-York stage Ae arule, her modern
comedy acting is Of that excellence that you feel sho
might be suddenly translated 10 private s;s,ion,
without The necessity for varying shade of
her counlenanco or her deueaGor. And this
is the best test The only other individual
case that we remember 10 have recently
observed was Mr.. Mark Smiths Performance
Of Sir Harcourt Courily, at Wallacks. When
the drama steps back half century or so, we must
depend upon less practical rules Al all times how.
ever what IL natural IL to be good. Mr.. Lester
Wallacks acting in the part Of Young Dorrton, for
example, was ncomparably good, from tie very
beginning TO the very cDd-aLd we may say paren-
lheticay that the entire representation Of THE play
4" The Road 20 Ruin "a marvel Of oleverIess
There was not part in it that was not cbarmingly
Represented; and although the character Of Gold
iuch furnishes a good illustration Of the very
failing Of which We have been speaking, We must
ray that tince it wac written it could not have
been given in any other way 10 effectively and go
ludicfously as by MIR. Charles Fisher. Mr.. Gilbert
showed in Old Dcrnton, just the tender dignity that
is demanded; aud Mrs. Vernon, Mise. Cannon Mr..
Seton, Dir. Reynolds, and Mr.. Holland all thor
oughy fulfilled the necessities Of their respective
roles
Comedy acting has been taken up by two Of our
leading theatres, bat will probably be dropped by
one of them at speedy notice. II has not prospcred
at Laura Keene's The prestige Of this sort Of en-
tertainmeut has been secured by Mr.. Wallacs, and,
even if Miss Keene could surass bis style Of pro-
vidng it, it is doubtful if she could proGtably com
pete. As IL IT, however, the superiority renia ns
with Mr.. Wailsck. Two artists at Miss Keene's-
herelf aud Mr. Blale-arc unequaIed at the other
house, but the average standard Of the latter is
higher 1t is pleasant, even if needless, 10 repeat
however that 81. no British theatre could tie comedy
representations Of either of these houses be equaed
Or even approached in excellence. 1t would be
peasaDter sIlI If we could assert that the cxpecta
lions which are continually aroused here were al
WAYS adequately fulfilled.
Al Wallacks the week opens with "The Love
Chase" At Laura Keeno's. with "Mafks and
Fsces," garnlshed with "Tte Rough Diamond" in
which Mrs. S-dley Brown will make her first APP
peaTance his season.
The course Of tragedy still runs smooth ut the
w inter Garden Ma Rafe,nan vitbdrnwa only IN
make place for Mr.. Edwin Booth who reappears
after Ills long European visit, in Hamlet At
N''os the light and shade Of the drama continue to
De represented by Mr.. Hackett in comedy and Mr.
orfes' III tragedy. The latter appears tonight in