The New York herald., 1868-06-20
Remarkable Dramatic Development In tho
United States.

Remarkable Dramatic Developments In tho
United States.
''This is a great country" our people are in
the habit Of saying in pleasant vein when
anything striking occurs, and truly 1t is in very
many things, besides in it's vast extent of terri
tory and position as one of the first Powers of
the world. We may refer, for example, to the
astonishing material development, to the
growth of communities and cities out of the
wilderness, like Johah's gourd, in remarka-
bly, short time; to the rapid progress of rail
roads and the telegraph over vast continent;
! to the extraordinary intellectual movements
and to the strides we are making in the fine
| arts. As to singers, we are supplying all the
principal opera houses in Europe with primo
donne, and we have any quantity of such
nightingales, canaries and larks all over the
country, to say nothing of blackbirds and
black swans in the South. But one of the
most remarkable evidences of progress has
been in dramatic development within the last
two years. The drama-legitimate and lille
gitimate, moral and immoral-has grown and
thrived beyond all precedent in this or any
other country.
Ristori, the great trag5dienne of the age,
has performed over four hundred times and in
all the principal cities and towns. She made
probably four hundred thousand dollars. She
spoke in Italian and few understood her, it is
true but her art was appreciated, and it was
fashionable to see her. Our American play
goers felt, no doubt, as Mark Twain did when
he saw her. He said he did not understand a
word, but he saw she was in great trouble, and
that was enough to excite his sympathy and ad-
miration. Did it mot show remarkable taste for
dramatic talent when thousands went night
after night to hear Ristori in language of
which they did not understand word? But
Ristori showed great skill in management as
well as wonderful talent in acting. Everything
in regard to her performances was arranged
by herself, and that in the most methodical
and successful manner. The same remarks
will apply to her great rival, Janauschek, in
the German drama, who also declaimed in
language which only part of her audiences
understood, and who, when free from her Ma
retzek contract and the old Academy of Music,
was very successful as her own manager.
And here, in connection with our subject we
may notice that at the same time these two
great trdgedSennes were performing, each in
her own language, both the French and Italian
operas were in full blast in New York. In no
city in the world have there been opera and
the drama in 80 many languages at the same
time and those with such high order of
talent.
Another singular development has been the
''Black Crook" performances under manager
Wheatley. These corrupt and lascivious en-
tertainments have put, probably, three hun
dred thousand dollars into tho pocket of Mr.
Wheatley. He has been instrumental in Gre
ating taste among certain class of the COM
munity for the naked drama, and has been
amply rewarded in cash. Side by side with
the highest art in tragedy and operatic music
we have had the most gorgeous and sensual
spectacles, and all equally successful. There
has been, however, amidst this semi-barbaric
splendor of representation and scenery little
real art. The great attraction has been in the
largest display of undisguised or uncovered
nature in numbers Of finely proportioned and
pretty women, with their surprisingly suggestive
attitudes. We are not astonished that the Ce-
lestials of the Chinese Embassy should have
been ravished with the spectacle, for even
among our own people members Of churches,
and sometimes the reverend pastors, steal in
quietly to enjoy the new sensation.
Still another remarkable phase of develop
ment was seen in the way of amusements and
dramatic art in the coming of Charles Dickens
to this country and his wonderful success. He
made in the course of few months something
like two hundred and fifty thousand dollars by
reading his own works and acting the char
acters. When Brady, the photographer.
wanted Dickens to come to this country for
the same purpose few years ago, and, we
believe, made contract with him to do so,
the famous ''Boz" got alarmed and was afrai d
to face the American public. Those "Ameri-
can Notes rose up like spectre before his
affrighted vision. But finally that all-power-
full tyrant, pecuniary necessity, urged him to
face the people he had abused and satirzed.
Why should not Cockney penny-a-liner,
whose talents in certain line had made
Were not Homer and Herodotus penny-a-
liners in their day? And did not they read
their works to the public? The idea was old
enough, and Dickens showed his tact in reviv-
ing it. That the wretched and di sgusting
characters of the lowest Cockney life-of
Smike, Fagin, Squeers and such like-were
altogether un-American and had no repre-
sentatives in this country was of no con-
sequence to prevent Dickens success. 'Boz"
was sensation, and the more so because he
had previously abused and ridiculed Ameri-
cans. Being a prince of Bohcmians himself,
a.