The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-10-23

Two drtcleS nave lauely appeared, one IN tn6
Saturday Review (Engish) and the other in
the Saturday Evening Gazette (American) in
regard to the much talked of decline of the
drama. While both acknowledge that there
have been periods when authors were brilliant
and actors tame, there have been others when
the players were unusually gifted while the
playwrights were crude and fiat. The two
writers, however, draw different conclusions
from their respective arguments. Our British
brother says that when reference is made to
the "palmy days" of the drama the period re.
ferred to is that which extends from Garrick
to Kean. These artists Of the so-called ''palmy
days" gaining their best laurels by the per-
fornance of the old works, deemed classical
speedily discovered it was merely by their own
talent that these works gained gold for the
treasury. No one goes to see Hamlet as Hamlet,
but all the town runs after Garrick or Booth,
Then the public gets tired of the ideal and his
torical and prizes fiction most when it copies
the life to which it is accustomed. Sad stories
of the fate of kings no longer draw tears but
the actor who can most faithfully represent the
scenes to which they are accustomed-the
grief of the small grocer whose son has robbed
the till-has their sympathy and applause.
Soon not only must the stage grocer look like
real grocer but his canvas shop must look
. real shop and none of the properties on his
counter must differ from the articles they rep
resent in the smallest particular, and at last
we find the drama has descended to photo
graphic school, representation of still life,
when the actors may as we'll be nonenities for
all the attention they attract. Hence we are
passing from drama, good or bad, into no
drama at all; and whereas the history of the
stage begins with single man in a cart, with
out picture, it may possibly end with single
man on PLATFORM standing before picture
of which he is the Snowman.
Our American brother argues however that
the drama, like every other institution of man,
has passed through many periods of change, in
the path of progress. That this path of pro-
gress is like winding road up mountain; it
continually rises and sinks but reaches the top
at last; that taking in at comprehensive
glance, the entire experience of the stage, we
cannot but see that it has kept pace with the
ad vance of civilization. The theatres are bet
ter than Shakespeare or Sheridan ever saw;
the list of ilustrious names of actors and &C.
tresses is very large; lively interest in the
drama is felt, and last but not least the theat-
rical treasures were never fuller.
Judging from the performances of the pres
emit day we think the British brother has rath-
err the best of it. But both of the articles thew
have written more probably refer to large cit
les than those situated as Portland is What
is doing most injury, in our opinion, to the
theatres of the preseut day is the wretched star
system A. soon as an actor, or an actress
think they are little better than their fellows
they organize q company, composed of the
cheapest material, and go out on a so-called
starring tour. Even actors of sterling merit,
in their desire to make as much money as pos
sible, are not guiltless of forming their support
of Just such material, and the pleasure of see
ing and hearing them is hardly compensated
by the torture inflicted by their tame or rant
ing stock A professional man, after acquir-
ing his profession, has to mount the ladder of
lame slowly and by painful degrees, but the &C.
tor of to-day attempts TO jump from obscurity
to the top-most round before he has hardly &C
quirea the rudiments. Another evil, to which
places like Portland are exposed, is this: so
long as our only theatre is a mere barn, i'll
ventilated, dirty, and without appropriate
scenery, just so long do we keep awy frst-rate
actors and frst-rate musical talent. They say
1.-THE managers) that city that cannot afford
decent theatre is not friendly to dramatic per-
formances and it would only be wasting mon
ey to 60 there. The consequence is that the
| companies that do come are generally compos-
ed of fifth rate actors whom it is simply vast
ing ink to condemn.
We are glad to see that our city journals are
abstaining from indiscriminate fattery for it
may result in enabling citizens to know when
anything is going on really Worry of their at
tention and show them where the money care
iuiiy put aside for amusements may be proper
! ly bestowed Mppcrrro