The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-02-09


The brilliant success OF Shskespeare's comedy
OF 7sOeLJh Night at the Aroh Street Theatre
during the past two weeks. and the almost
simultaneous production OF Much Ado about
Nothing and Romeo and Juliet, in very superior
styleat Wallack's, and Booths theatres, In New
York, have led many persons to indulge in fell
citations at the prospect of revival OF the
legitimate drama, but 1t is to be feared that the
expectations which have been raised on this
point will be doomed to disappointment
Complaints about the degeneracy of the
drama have prevailed since the days Of Hschy-
lus, aud before his time, for aught we know to
the contrary. Many ofShakespeare's s contempt.
raries considered him very sorry sort of fel.
low, and not to be put in comparison with his
predecessors, and we can fancy some playgoers
of the day grumbling at TiOeLfM Night, and
making disparaging comparisons with Gam
naer GurtOn'S Needle and other pieces that once
tickled the fancy of the public, but which have
long since been forgotten. AS for the so-oalled
sensation" dramas of our day, If any one will
turn over file OF plsybills for the last twenty
or thirty years. it will be found that the stage
has not degenerated materially IN that time,
and those who will call to mind the old-fash-
Toned blood and blue-light meo-dramas which
were so popular not many years ago, will be
forced to acknowledge that even Boucioault's
and Daly's pieces, with their stunning mechani
not any better,
There is and always will be a very large class
OF persons who care nothing whatever for the
aesthetic principles of the drama, who go to the
theatre solely to be entertained, and whose
tastes incline to the kind of pieces we have
named. The educated classes-so called for
want of better desgnation-will not turn out
in force and fill the theatres night after night
for a whole season through, merely for the sake
dran oat in art nd t,ar
are forced to fall back on the kind of pieces
That they know will pay. The managers, for
their part, undoubtedly put too little faith In
the public; and, with the exercise of good TASTE
skill, and judgment, they might present
more really attractive entertainments
and in the long run make their
theatres pay better than they do We have
always contended that good plays, II not
too hackneyed. and If we'll placed upon the
stage and we'll acted. will, in the great majority
of instances, draw larger audiences for longer
time than the sensation pieces. At the same
time the less meritorious works, II they con-
tain nothing Objectionable-and there are not
very many of them that do-should not be con.
demned except on artistic grounds 1t is the
critics business to them, and give an
opinion as to their excellencies and defects
and then let the public patronize them If they
will.
The success of TOekHh Night at the Arch Is a
proof OF the truth OF this argument: but the
reason why such pieces have not been
brought out hitherto in the same style is
the impossibility of enisting sufii-
Client number of competent actors in
a stock company. The reason for this difficulty
is the prevailing star system, which has in.
duced nearly all the capable actors and ac-
tresses, and many who are not capable, to
abandon their legitimate work and 20 rowing
about the country in the hope OF realizing
greater amount of fame and fortune than they
would be able to If limited to a single theatre
While we have no great expectations that SEN
sationalism Is on Its deathbed, we do look upon
the evident decay OF the star sy stem as likely
to prove positive benefit to dramatic art by
enabling our managers to engage competent
performers for their companies. Some of the
best star actors and actresses in the country
have been drawing very small houses for the
last season or two; in fact, the public are tired
of seeing them in the same old pieces
with the subordinate characters filed up by
such support, good, bad, and Indifferent, as
they are able to pick up; and there seems to be
very strong probability that some stars of a
good many years standing will ultimately be
obliged to go to work, as they ought, in stock
companies again. MIR. Barton Hill, as leading
man at the Arch, is in his right place, and he
did wise thing when he accepted the posi-
tion. Mr.. Hill is an excellent actor but he has
not the extraordinary talent that will make
him an attraction without good support Mr..
Edwin Adams, another talented artist, has con.
sented to assist Mr.. Booth at his new theatre,
and we will guarantee that he will lose nothing
either in pocket or the appreciation OF the pub
lie by so doing. II other actors and actresses
who are now travelling about playing to half.
flled houses wonld initiate the example of
these gentlemen, 1t would be the best thing for
themselves and the public. and the star bust
ness would speedily fall into disrepute. This
subject has more than once been brought to the
attention of the members of the theatrical pro.
fession by the press, and as the majority of
stars appear to have reached the end OF their
tether, we hope that IL will receive from them
the consideration 1t deserves, for without good
stock companies 1t is useless to expect to see
any plays we'll acted.