New-York tribune., 1867-02-07
THE DRAMA.

rur T,N MARTYRS AT BAgNUM's MUSEUM.
Mr.. John Broughnms new drama, entitled " The
Christian MartFrsp was acted for the first time on
Monday afternoon, at Barnum's Museum. The rep
resentation was witnessed and applauded by a large
audience and the indications that the piece viii
have a prosperous carer. MIR. Barnum's pubic Is
easily pleased. If the setting of piece be lustfous,
its agony of emotion well piled up and IT'S moIal
teaching sufficiently trite and commonplace, tho
habitu6s of the Museum sure TO take 1T to
their intellectual bosoms and shut up in measure
less content" Mr. Brougham, one of the most ex-
perienced of dramatists has been satisfied, III lns
new drama merely to stimulate this cheerful and
pacific mental condition. Choosing has materials
partly from Gibbons History and partly from the
opera Of FL Poliuto." he has constructed four
act play, which affords abundant opportunity Tor
the setting of good scenery, abounds in passages
that warrant vociferous defamation and goriieS III
good set terms faith. devotion, and all the virtues
| The scene Of the drama is RCme under Constantine
and Maxentius. The time is the period of Christian
persecution Just PTor to the conversion OF OF S9ns',
coherencea plan which is very economical OF labor
turns upon the devoted fathfulneSs of Roman sol
dier newly converted 10 Christianity. This devoee
personated 10y Mr. w Clarke depicted as the lover
of Const0nia, the Emperor's niece personated by
Mrs j. j. Prior His name is Sebastian In the firo
tians, in the Catacombs. where he and his fellow
wOrshipers are surrounded by the Praetorian Guard
but are saved by ConsionGa, who comes forward
and exhibits her imperial unclc's sinet-
ring In the second act after a few col
lateral scenes including ballet dance Sebas-
hda is seen 20 come TO grief. Mnreniins arrests
him, as Il Christian. and cOnd dcmns him to die in tho
arena Coastaha thereupon avows herself Christian.
also and the two are marched off TO prison All this
N.l il "A NJ
he comes home. preceded and followed by multi
tude Of Romans, with martial and banners and
10y many of the beasts III Van Amburgh's AenageTie.
This isthe great Of the drama and certainly,
the richness of the costumes. the uster of the BAN
ners tho caEg0r of the music the length Of the pro-
ccssOn. and the presence Of the various gaily trimmed
wild beasts. make up very striking pageant The
elephant be seen here, and too the camel the
lion, the thrce-horncd bull the tiger-cat, the ibex,
the llama, and divers goats. IL is very pretty
sightonly we hope that the straps which cOnfne the
lion and the leopard arc Of "pcrdurable toughness"
Constantine himself who comes in acaT. is royal
parsonage to look upon, though not TO hear and this
seemstO be the opinion of Udrnus for the latter
sooner sees him than he laysa plot for his destruc
itIOn. The audience sympathiZeS but the plot
fails Constantine sends Mdr6Rtas to prison, and
announces his determination TO witness the eating Of
the Christian martyTs-Sebdsfidn in particularly
the wild beasts. In the fourth act we see tho
Flayian Amphitheater" A cage of wild beasts is
brought in, and Sebastian is delivered to them in
zens Of almighty Rome. But tho animals decline to
eat the Christian martyr, aud Constantine, who
walks about the arena ia white gown announces
the fact in a stentOrian manner. IhereupOn a rod
cross is lit up in the background and the whole scene
is flooded with colOTed fire; whereupOn Constantine
announces that he IL Christian, and the martyr in
the cage is seen to hit the lion on the nose with
whip and the curtain falls amid universal rejoicing.
Before il falls, however the watchful spectator Is
enabled to perceiyc-by the flame that so grace
fully curls-tbat the Sebastian in the cage is not the
Sebastian Of the first three acts. This discovery,
monbering that the original Sebastian was Mr. C. w.
Clarke, inspires natural sentiment OF gentle melan-
I(tft nfk al
effect OF the drama is not maITed. The scenery
with which Mr.. Broughams drama has been pre-
sented tesiies to far more than customary care on
the part OF the manager stagemanager scenicartist
and carpenters 1t Is elaborate and lusrOus and new
and now and then gorgeous 1t is also a little mixed
as to the matter of architecture. The costumes
plOyed mostly new, and quite dazzling, if not
always quite correct The acting is Of that eXtraOr
binary character which must be IN order TO be
fifty appreciated, and which can only be seen in
perfection at Barnum's Museum. Enjoyment of the
more serious passages in the drama--thOSe for
example, which relate to religion and heroisin-is
not wholly "unmixed with baser matter" Mr.
Barnum's famous drOp-cnrtain will persist in drop
ping in, now and then, with reminders of beer dys
entery horse-liniment &C. &c But number of
its squares are blank and possibly we may ere long
rejoice to see the curse removed Its disappearance
would be indeed cause,for Joy. Az long as it hangs
there the stage is dishOnOred and the public is in
suited. Mr. Barnum-to certain extent at any rate
Lives by the drama. 1t Is his duty, therefore, 10
respect the rights of the drama; to recognize
# as s.da9,o an ally yy, in the cause Of pop
the happy future of CIVILIZATIONS and to elevate it, as
far he may ont of the sph6fe OF trade and traffic
faults and minor one Of his sa peculiar "a 3 SsiaSsasat
We might say good deal about the systematic pre-
teRse 81 rigbteolsness the almost scientific tring
with ideas of virtue and domestic feelings, where
with the art of money gettingis here pursued. But
there Is no immediate occasion. EEongh has been
said to indicate why we consider that the managers
OF places of public amusement are under grave re-
sponsbiities TO the public. While matters go at
Barnum's Museum as they go at present, intelligent
people who attend tho performances may not only
see Christian martyrs upon the stage, but may make
NhIistiAn martYTa Of thhlnselYeG