The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-09-22

The New Era OF the American Stage.
The splendid triumph Of Ristori at the
French theatre on Thursday evening and the
enthusiastic reception Of Bogumil Dawson at
the Stadt theatre on the same night are memo
stage, and have inaugurated a new theatrical
era in this country. Ristori had been heralded
as the Queen Of Tragedy, and it is no ordinary
praise to say that she completely satisfied the
extravagant anticipations of the public. Dawi-
son, the greatest German actor living, did not
have the advantage Of so much preliminary
praise; but still his well won fame had pre-
coded him, and in this cosmopolitan city he
found many who recognized and appreciated
his talent Ristori chose for her debut the
character OF Medea, which she regards as her
best part Dawson selected Shakspere's
Othello which he has studied with the utmost
care. Our critics have already described the
details of both performances, and we can now
congratulate both artists upon their success,
and our citizens upon the fact that we have in
New York the leading tragedienne and TRACE
dian of the world.
1t is singular coincidence that Italy and
Germany, which have just displayed the most
remarkable political activity, should also be
the foremost nations in an artistic point Of
view. England has no great actor nor actress
left. The glories of the French stage are but
traditional. In England the sensational
drama and In France the spectacles of fine
scenery and pretty women have taken the place
of that high school Of acting formerly repre-
sented by Mrs. Siddons and Rachel, the elder
Kean and the grand Talma In this country
we have never had great native tragedian, if
we except Edwin Forrest, who belongs to the
Black Hawk school rather than to the classic
school of art The true tragedians of France
and England have passed away and have left
no SUCCESSORS. The tragedians Of America
rom Ristori and Dawson, the instruction they
will impart, the correct taste which they
will cultivate and the enthusiasm which
they have inspired, will bring out the
latent talent OF Americans, and before many
years have passed we shall send to Italy an
American Ristori and to Germany an American
Dawson. Genius like theirs is generative and
the Importance Of its effects upon our actors
cannot be overestimated. The fepressivs In.
fuences that have so long benumbed our drama
will be rapidly counteracted. Acting will be
elevated to an art and profession, as it is in
Europe, and Americans, who have excelled in
everything else, will excel also in the drama.
The French theatre and the Stadt theatre
now take rank as the leading places of amuse-
ment in the metropolis, and will be crowded
with our most intelligent and fashionable audi
ences every night that Ristor and Dawson
appear The associated managers, who are
under the control of the old Snowman, and who
form menagerie rivalling that of the Park,
have been afraid of this consummation and
have sought to avert it. From them have come
the suggestions that Ristori and Dawson would
be failures, that our people could not under
stand Italian and German, and that our audi
ences would fail to appreciate the European
style Of acting. The best answer to these
malicious slurs is to be found in
the reception which Ristori and Dawi-
son received and in the fact that while
Ristoris audience applauded the very
passages especially selected for appreciation
by the best European critics, Dawison's audi
ence was reused to the same enthusiasm as
the people of Vienna have displayed. The
blame for the decline Of the American stage
does not rest upon the people. They have
been intelligent enough to recognize talent
and liberal enough 10 compensate II amply
The parties at fault are our managers,
who have traded upon the old show
mans principle that the public like
to be humbugged. II is true that the
advocates Of this demoralizing theory have
sometimes been successful /; but it is because
the Americans must be amused, and II they
cannot get what is good they will take the best
they can obtain. Hitherto our managers have
given them only Hobson's choice; but at last
the foremost actress and actor Of the age have
come to NJ in Ristori and Dawson, and hav-
ing once enjoyed the intellectual dramatic
fsasts which they prepare, We shall never
willingly return to the husks and the raw
beef Of the managerial menagerie.
THE SOUTHERN GOVERNORS behalf Of
the Union, the Southern people and the South
em States still excluded from Congress, we
call upon the Governors thereof to fall into
line, without further delay, in the ratification
| OF the reconstruction constitutional amend
ment Of Congress. II will surely carry
the victorious North, and, all things con-
sidered, II b reasonable and fair 10 the de-
feated South. 1t is only . settling up Of the
balances remaining against defeated party
in terrible civil war, and the North will
insist upon treaty Of peace which cannot
be broken by any future Congress or politi-
cal party. That is oil. Governor Brownlow,
Of Tennessee, IL bad specimen as parson or
| Governor; but In getting his State back into