The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-10-28


play In this country at Williamsburg, in vir.
ginia. In the Old Dominion, with its traditional
English tastes and CUSTOMS the drama was
speedily naturalized. II continued to be popu-
lar with the s.first families of Virginia" until
the Richmond theatre was burned, buryfng In
It's ruins so many of the most elegant women
and influential men in the State. Further
north the prevailing thrift Of the people
Quakerism in Philadelphia, the phlegmatic
temperament Of the Dutch settlers In New
York, and Puritanism in Boston and in Hart
ford (where George BARLEY and his wife were
arrested for attempting to give dramatic read
ings in the Blue Law State)-impeded the pro-
the land with the growth Of civilization.
Sterling good actors and actresses were i'm
ported from Great Britain. They were sus-
tanned by excellent stock companies, and
in the second decade of the present century,
the stage became an American institution, with
its chief headquarters in New York, Philadel-
phia and Boston. In the absence or paucity
of concerts, lectures, oyster suppers and costly
parties il offered for many years almost the
only public amusement. Patronized by the
elite Of society the acting must have been good,
and tradition, the sole memorial of histrionic
fame, attests its excellence. The drama was
an exotic, but the soil proved not uncongenial
in country where even the aborigines. in
their bear dances, and corn dances, and war
dances, had invented rude species Of dramatic
representation, and where the whites of Euro
pean descent inherited, of course, the univer-
sal taste for theatrical entertainments.
The British officers who acted as amateurs
at the "Theatre Royal" in New York during
the Revolutionary war In due time made their
exit with King Georges army. But British
actors held almost exclusive possession Of the
American stage long after political independ-
ence had been won by the colonies. Many
Of the same names are conspicuous on the
annals alike Of the British and the American
stage The name OF Garrick even was Incl
dentally connected with the origin of the
latter, and ii Mrs. Siddons never came here
herself she was represented by Mrs. WhitlOck,
her sister. The long list of British celebrities
who have trodden our boards comprises such
Miss Ellen Tree (Mrs. Charles Kean), the Kem-
bles, father and daughter; Macready, Gustavus
Brooke, the Wallacks, the VandenhofEs,
Tyrone Power and John Brougham. There
is still longer list, headed by Junius Brutus
Booth, of actors who won their first honors
in this country and whose claims to distinc-
ton were afterwards fully recognized in
London. As time has rolled on, success
sion of American actors has arisen, in.
Guiding Edwin Forrest, his namesake, Edwin
Forrest Booth, Hackett, Murdoch, Davenport
William Warren, Owens, Jefferson, Miss
Charlotte Cushman, Miss Julia Dean
Hayne, Mrs. Davenport Lander, Mrs. Mowatl
Richie, Miss Bateman and the rest, several
of whom have made successful professional
visits to England. England has sent us Mes
danes Seguin and Vestris, and the European
continent such unrivalled dancers as Celeste
and Chanks to Chevalier Wikod) Fanny
Ellsler, together with troops Of singers from
Italy and France, who introduced the taste fol
operate music which has lately been thwarted
by the Encouragement and plumbers Of MAJ
Maretzek -, a&.
Perhaps the palmiest days OF the American
stage were those Of the Park theatre in New
York, the Federal street theatre in Boston, and
q score Of years later, those Of Burton's dc.
lightful little theatre on Chambers street II
the good old days the Park theatre and the
Federal street theatre numbered among the
members of their stock companies many who
would nowadays shine as stars of first magni.
tude.
The lamentable decline of the American
stage dates from the ruinous star system inaugu
rated by Cooper and Cooke. This tempts
every actor and actress who makes q hit in
some particular character to set up as star, :
often to the serious risk of their own profes.
sional improvement, and always to the detri.
ment, pecuniary and professional, Of the stock
actors, who are the greatest victims of the
extortionate demands of " the stars upon the
purse and patience of the public.
The downfall Of the stage has been still more
accelerated by the culpable neglect of man.
ayers to increase its attractions, in order to
keep pace with the other attractions which
increasing wealth has multiplied, such as balls,
evening parties, concerts. galleries Of painting
and sculpture, reading rooms and libraries.
Instead Of raising their standard to meet the
growing imperative demand for dramatic rep
reservations Of higher order, they have, on
the contrary, been lowering 1t ever since Dog
Star Cony set out on his travels, followed nv
Barnum, with Joyce Heth, Tom Thumb, the
Feejee Mermaid and the Woolly Horse. What
wonder is it that the associated managers have
at length been demoralized to such degree,
and the drama, competing with the impudici-
ties Of DR.. Golfers model artists and Of
Madame Bells waiter girls, seems literally on
its last legs at Nlblo's!
But Ii IL often darkest mat hosore d.v A