The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-08-06
The Theatres.

Neither tho monitions of the thermometer
nor the attractions of the summer resorts ap-
pear to have much effect upon the attendance
at the theatres, for they are pretty well crowded
every night. IT is true that the ha6ituss who
make up the audiences during the winter sea-
son are not to be found in our places OF amuse-
ment just now in any numbers, but we notice
that the houses are full nevertheless. The
country evidently supplies the material which
fills the managers Golfers. This is a dull time
in provincial towns, and as consequence our
country cousins take the opportunity of making
their harvest of metropolitan pleasure when
there is no business to be done at home. In
this respect, as in many others, New York re-
sembles Paris. All Paris may go to the coun-
try, but the country comes in to fill up Paris.
The faces, the forms and the fashions 80 fami-
liar every day may be missing, but the numbers
are still there. And so it is with this metropo-
lis, and there is no better indication of the fact
than can be found in our crowded theatres
The '3ottery Of Life,' John Broughams keen
satire upon the habits and folies OF
society, draws immensely at Wallack's,
and the fact suggests the idea that, under the
usual management of this house, the public
should have more of such plays, hitting forci-
bly,, yet not unkindly, the weaknesses of Amer
lean life, presenting to us a mirror wherein
the frivolities of our time and society are re-
Elected with a good-natured fidelity to truth,
more than the distorted images of human
nature offered to us in the too common sensa-
tional drama. Plays like this, while they do
not excel the good old standard comedies OF
Sheridan or Goldsmith and the other authors
of their times, are far more acceptable than
the thousand decoctions of sensation stories
produced in dramatic form, nauseous in the
pages of novels and extra nauseOus when put
on the stage.
These latter productions do not comprise the
quality of drama suitable to the taste of the
enlightened portion Of our people, and yet
unhappily it is just this kind of stuff which
the managers supply, because the bill of
fare is most easily filed up by second or
more readily realized from public that have
become habituated to theatrical amusement
and are entirely too lenient with their mana
gerial caterers.
AS change from the sensational novel we
have the Fenian drama, which is a change for
the worse. The manager Of the Broadway
theatre ought to know that Fenian burlesque-
and the so-called Irish drama was never any
thing else-is out of the market. 1t may do
very well at the approaching election; but il
is about time that it was withdrawn from the
stage. In short time the summer heats will
be gone, and the regular theatrical season will
open. We look for brilliant campaign from
the managers of the various distinguished song
birds, native and foreign, who are threatening
to come over from Europe in a flock to dazzle
us with their plumage and enthrall us with
their strains; but we hope that the theatrical
managers will take new departure, repent of
their many grievous sins against the presiding
deities Of Tragedy and Comedy, and give us a
season of wholesome legitimate drama that
may rival the opera boute and throw into the
shade blue lights, gaslights, shillalahs, gauze,
tinsel and legs.