The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-11-25

parry CakCUlhtiVuSs aaAN s>Stas'tSess
Of shcis agency are quite encouraging ;-tneyy
pror,ise little more public inderendence,
and we hope better government.
------- ---s--s -s-..<,.e4sse3
.s...' The Theatre,
We seldom undertake to crtticise the
,n.n,,aayn drama. It Is hardly worthy OF crt.
tIc1s,n! The local paragraphs concerning
4 are mainly reports Of what is going on'as
tbe Theatre--after the manner Of the man
wbo announces. in front Of the atage what
is next In the changing views before the
audience. The representations OF the stage
are bu, little better than changing views of
a yery Indifferent sort. Very little, If any,
dramatic merit is offered to the public.
Managers say the meritorious drama doesn't
pay--that "legs" do a. great deal better.
This ID quite complimentary to the 'sheads"
Of the people. It may be satd, however,
that II the people,dennntl /" legs, " the sup
ply IS quite, equal to the demand. There
never was such abundance upon the stage
beforehand such legs! 2 - - -
Granting that "legs" have been the rage,
Is it mot time that the appetite for them
was stated? A taste, for that line of per-
Torrance which oversteps the bounds OF
proper-not prudish-modesty Is soon dis
custed, because it is never satisfied: for, as
SHAKsrEARE says, 6 increase in appetite
grows by what it feeds on" So that natu-
rally lustful tastes which can stomach such
legs as are paraded on the stage must IN
time be nauseated and tired of them.
Wearied with them, as MACBETH was with
the reports which displeased him, the de-
voice of this sort of exhibition must after
time be inclined to cry out, bring me no
more "legs. @s....
But the recitation, which is the never
failing concomitant Of the exhibition Of legs
Is almost always without merit, unless very
dull and overstraine wit and vulgarity may
be considered meritorious. We may refer to
the compound of stupidity and nonsense,
folly and extravaganza, gotten up by some
manufacturer of stage trash, and presented
by what are called "British Blondes" in this
city during the present week, as fair sam
pie of much that has been brought upon
the American stage in late years. Why the
performers were called " British Blondes"
we do not understand. The comedian
and very good one in many respects-of
the company must be an Englishman, as
his his and o's plainly told us. But as
plainly did the pronunciation of most of the
ladies tell that if they were blondes they
were by no means -" British Blondes" But
that is matter Of no consequence no
country will set up stout claim to the fair
owners of the legs. w.. s..
We say that these exhibitions are
hardly amenable to criticism. That is true.
The representations, considered as bur-
lesques, are without point or pith. Indeed,
the spectator can see nothing of dramatic
merit in the performances, and Is forced to
the conclusion that the scenes are merely
fixed up for the legs. There was certainly
no strain upon the intellect of the author.
The legs were quite equal to his wit, and
Uice uersG! .-.re'
1t seemed to us monstrous that fnll-grown
men and women should be employed in
such foolery, such vulgar buffoonery, with
its songs and clog-dances to suit. Some
times an extravaganza, with a little slang,
performed by little players like the CHAP
MANS when they first appeared, is tolerable.
The antics and innocent airs OF children are
hardly ever displayed ungracefully, and
never disgust one. But change the picture.
Behold a stout woman, whose physique
shows her generous living, standing upon
supporters quite equal to the task imposed
upon them, and ready to burst the flesh
colored hose that encases them, gyrating,
and pirouetting, and asitating, and shaking
herself until the flesh outshakes the limbs
squirting and leering and darting knowing
looks at critical passages in the recitation
making grotesque attitudes and comical
leaps devoid of grace-and generally doing
those things which are neither womanly,
nor manly, nor comely---and what can you
say of her Z, That she plays a part that
ought not to be played and ought not to be
admired-one, we trust, that will soon be
dismissed from the stage because the public
have grown weary Of it.
These representations are crusade
against modesty, and the performers al
ways have reinforcements in the audience,
OF rather among the spectators, who never
fail to applaud to the echo q double-en-
tendre, however broad and coarse. This
eXcites as much satisfaction with the rein
| forcers as does decisive blow struck in
the P. r. amongst the partisans of the man
who struck it. 1t is an abuse of the objects
Of stage representation thus to make it the
means of corrupting taste and outraging
modesty. We do not mean this altogether
for the so-called s'British Blondes."- The
stage has been extensively abused by the
modern nonsenscal burlesque, gotten up
not to enIighten or refine society, but to
arouse the lower passions, and to make
money by doing so. Let US hope that the
public have had enough of "legs."
i"- --------------------------
TIE REVENUE REFoRAERs.-By way OF
breaking the force of The argument, drawn
'front.' the results of the recent elections, that
the protectionists have been condemned by
the people, General ScHENcK and others re-
fer to Chicago, where, say they, FARwELL,
a protectionist, was elected over WENT
WORT n a revenue reformer This ia not