New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-07-09
THE DRAMA.
ON BRINGING PEARLS TO MARKET

the caprces OF popular taste. No manager will produce
new play unless he thinks that It Is such the
public will accept, approve and practically support.
He may be may not desire cheer refresh and help
onward his generation by advancing the drama but he
most certainly does desire 70 keep his Golfers bOun uly
supplied with money and he will certainly engage IN
any and every enterprise that seems likely 20 prosper
that desire The dramatst therefore, who wants 20 be
paid for his labor is compelled 10 consider.
tent prevailing taste of the period and the
| munty in which he lives and works Like other pro
| ducers, who look for q market. he t. less,
subjected 10 the law Of supply and demand But IN is
practical application this doctrine may easily be carried
too far In fact thas been carried too far IT'S
very prevalence at last bids fair entirely 10 dcrcdt its
authority The assertion that the public wants nothing
trash at the theaers has for instance been so long,
so generally and so strenuOuy made that 40 length its
somewhat offensive prominence invites challenge and
proyOkcs an absolute denial Public taste may have
given-doub.less has given-good reason for coempo
rary paywrEhs TO suppose that II likes the sensational
drama. Bat the playwr ghts have been somcwnt too
liberal in their Inference that because likes the sensa
tonal drama 1t therefore will accept nothing else. The
result IT, gut Of stagccarpentry IN the theatrical mar
kct At the present moment no essentially dramatic
work OF art is TO be on tho NowNork stage. In
The Lottery OF Life" and in "a Flash Of Lightning
two very good specimens OF theatrical workmanship may
be studied and, in a certain sense, enjoyed. But the
leading motive the chief merit Of these works il
scenic effect and eject not the sort Of food
10 satisfy an appetite for genuine drama. That
such an appetite exists IN this community VIC
confidently believe Itmay not be so common rs the vo-
racous hunger for stage sensations but 10 exists and 10
is strong and It the serious consideration OF the
dr,matists Tney have brought great deal Of paste
ewery to market and they have got good price for It.
Not TO ask too much lot 90 Be- uuIcaHouabv cXacny, We
should now like some OF their pearls. Tho work
cr I'm tho other not reluctant % show their gems
Mr. Tennyson does ten that the public can apprc-
ciato no poetry that above tho Mother Goose stand
ard and therefore that hC vii write nothing bat yapd
Jingle Gcromo does not paint m boards, on tho ground
that there public for anything else. Gounod IS not
content with writing waitlci or songs Of the silver
moon" order On the contrary. those true artists, Exc ah
other true artists, past aud present, have dome er
! best Sometimes. 81 course mcy have made failures.
Sometimes. also they have made potho.ers But, in
the main they have put their souls into their work and
exeried the royal power Of leadership vhcrcvth they
were born inspired. Aud 10 20 ,hcs and such a. these
that the world owes Its treasure, OF true att shake
spcarc was not afraid % bring bis pearls io market lie
could have written sensation rubbish by tAc yard. .he
had chosen "a coudcsC,ud w that description OF labor
But what would English Literature have been lad 20
done col lie had the excuse at hand 300 his tno
that writer's Of bad plays put forward now. There
doubtless as many fools alive three hundred years ago 8s
| there are today 1.-THE common people llko 20 Dee de-
eciycd' said an 'old Roman writer and therefore dc
ccved them be-" This dDrtslc ~ The cNpcicucy 81"
j.
IL has produced and H producing. ulIul' amount
Of rubbish. But 20 is doctrine thAt rsto.s mind
has ever earnestly preached, ever prltt'ca save o.
| moment ~ desperation one 10y one, 1H ne years
have rolled away, true artists have ar~n ant have
brought their pearls 90 uIrhrtuot aUay ~ colrs' 10
find purchasers but always 20 deserve th,m andniwa}s
10 enrich the only lasting treasures OF s world Fiich
are the fruits Of gcuu- that h Jon human Dc H 'ho
immortal IRE Of aspiration. Tho moral 81 aii 'ct.'o-
| ricuce is Wrapt mp n one word--ilccriy. TIC lon't
workers DO not always eet their rewards but hey DO
! their duty and ucy bsss mankind 10 dong H. Ao exc
ample ought 10 have IT. weight eycnf Tire motive Dc"aut
Ing This certainly would Boz q better world than
every man In II but 20 Try 60 DO bus best Tor good
Equally certain b. that plays would stand dance
Of being much better than they are Contemporary dra-
natists would cease % insist that there mo- ieuaid for
real dramatic art and 10 resolve 10 bring their pearls TO
| market or j. this plea - Of public h-ens-
/ bnIty 10 merit merely cloak % cover
the lack Of nrsttatc ability II no comedy S written
nowadays as good As some comedies Of the sheridan
perod perhaps the reason b. that contemporary irum
atst IS equal the work Yet this is the generation OF
! Money" and MASKS and Faces" and Caste and
The FayOrte Of FOrtuuc'-thc period az Nctor SIdou
and Westaud Mar-ton, and Robertson aud Tom Taylor
and Dion Bouccault We do not forget how many good
things have been done aud it is worthy Of e-ec.a note
that I'm general these good hng- have found the most
immediate and cordial public flyor But q good plays
there cannot be many and we would thcleforewih
all earnestness, urge the dramatsts Of the day-"he
reapug the pecunary reward OF their sensation plays
not 10 keep back these richer and better works (which all
Of them Of course have wrtton but now and then 10 y
! the experiment Of bringing their pearls 10 market.
OLYMPIC THrArER.
"IIumnty Dumptyn Matinee on Saturday at
the Olvnpc The spoken prologue 70 the pantommo has
been rewritten aud the version vi" shortly be sub
stituted old Twenty Ave thousand COPIES OF
| verse ty Mark vale" and illustrated with colorcd
prints by Thomas Nest have been SIo"aS c VT
very large Heat ~ Of avail 10 keep the people away
from the merry society Of lnmp'S D"HpS'
wALLAcK's THEATEE.
! New features are from time 10 time intro
dnccd into the Concert saloon scene in Mr.. Broughams
LOTTERY Of Life" at WallaeRs lhcaIer 10Y conn
given by little boy who copies with neat accuracy ana
amusing childish playfulucss the %aln, E,' @
| by Miss Enie Germon, who enacs the wife OF Terri, Is
likewise much applauded In this portion ol tS o g,g
| tude for whom II was intended
| NIBLo's GARDEN.
Delegates TO Niblos Garden have mustered
numerously before those gterng ootllghs Tor SONS
nights past. An expiring flame always leaps mp aud
shines brightest Just before It goes out n1ogyhnr 90
with the expiring user Of the White ta"n' us g or
geos scenery and gltterng dancers seem ehdued WIN
new brightness as the moment OF Vanishing artws
the career TIL famous spectacle will teTlnae Inc
M as IN bs city mi another twenty years SHAH
have rolled away and brought tho cal aga Mr. Wha
Arrangements are IN progress at NiDloh loi i' "Ae"
| LEWIS final farewell to the stage
| DRAMATIC NOTES. .
| Mr.. f. L. Davenport has played ~; Mdrc at
the Metropolitan Theaer, San Francisco ana mate my
therein We read that the utmost enthusiasm pIeVaed
az times and that the curtain had 70 DC iau a.. tho
end OF each act In response TO the call OF Tue audenee
News OF the success OF Mr. Davenport Is always Mccarthy
! welcome ,,o
| FOREIGN DRAMATIC ITEMS
Madame Celeste has been playing al Liver
| pool -,
Mr. Coppin has opened new thea theate e r., at