The New York herald., 1871-08-10
TIL E DIR A M A.

About the ides OF August the 'hurly -bury" OF pre-
/! paration by the managers subsides, and each and
all have their plan OF campaign completely mapped
| out For nearly two months we have mad q host OF
these dramatic dervlshes their annual Pilgrim
age TO this managerial Mecca, where alone "proft-
| able" engagements are attanable. the KaaOa In
| this instance seems to be sort OF American blar
ney stone, for the harvest is small and the reapers
are many, and 1t takes mean share OF persuasive
power TO secure what Is really worth having. Never
| before was the American stage so barren OF rear
talent, both in the play writing and acting line For
| year or two past we have been suffering
| from pest fully as annoying and de.
| srructlve the potato bug Is TO the farmer.
This the "machine play, the principal character.
istic OF which is utter absence OF common sense
or probability and undue share Of ridiculous sen.
satlOns, at which old time Bowery pit would turn
up It's nose IN disgust. The receipt for the manu-
| facture Of one of these mOnstrosites is simple
enough. First scene, gutter, sewer, low grog-
| gerry, concert saloon, or some other delectable
! locality In New York; second scene fashionable
party In Fifth avenue, such as has never been seen
| before; last scene steamboat explosion on the
| Mississippi, railroad bridge (the draw open) at
Communpaw, or tribe of Indians tumbing down
one OF the Rocky Mountains painted canvas, stuffed
with hay) on train OF the Union Pacific Railroad
This Is sometimes varied by great tecgraphc feat
such as would make the venerable Morse stare In
astontshment The hero places the instrument on
old -four barrel, and, revolver hand, telegraphs
to Chicago for United States troops. In another OF
these plays the hero is advertised to dance e,gh-
| teen breaKdowns, seven hornpipes and cancan
| and to play on eleven different instruments. In
third he Is actually hanged in the beginning and for
five weary insists upon leaving his grave and
| shaking the fatal moose in the face OF hts enemy.
| II wond be only an idle waste OF time and space to
| mention any more Of these absurdities. Yet they
have drawn large houses and made the fortunes Of
the perpetrators for year. Let hcpe that the
American public will frOwn them down this season.
Rather let us have the Ola Bowery melodrama, with
| Its pirates, phantom captains double sword COM
bats ana secret dungeons back again. The blonde
burlesque mania has happily died ont, and it bids
fair to remain in the oblivion to which it has been
| consigned, mild form of the disorder is threat
| ened but are assured that 1t is perfectly harm
| less, and that 1t cannot spread outside single
ltinerant troupe. For this sanitary reason no OBJ
| lection be urged against the temperance of
the burlesque pest We regret exceedingly that the
! miserable ''star system will have full swing this
| season. Nearly all the country managers depend
upon succession Of to fill up their time, and
| many of metropolitan enrepreneurs devote
their theatres the same improbable purpose. If
all these people, or even fair proportion Of them,
that call themselves 'stars" were at ali deserving
Of the name some plea might be offered IN their
defence; but when the majority are associated only
with "machine" plays the course Of the managers
in toleratng them is simply destructive OF the best
interests o! the drama. We have received some Of
the circulars OF these people, and they are curious
examples OF the constituent qualities OF star OF the
present day. Particular stress Is laid on the
'enects" introduced in the play, and stage carpen-
ters are warned against infringing upon the authors
rights No matter how childish and ridiculous the
play may be the ''eGects" are TO carry 1t through
triumphanty. Even with stars that depend
alone upon their abilities in some peculiar
line Of acting the system is NO less repre-
nensible. II reduces plays to one character, and
managers, finding that a good company Is superhu-
GUS, content themselves with supernumerares. and
keep the salary list, outside OF the STAR down the
lowest possible standard. The consequence Is that
every actor and actress possessed of little brains
ana means hires some Bohemian to write a sensa-
tiOn play and starts on knight errant expedition.
Among the stars advertised to appear this season
We can point TO dozen who at one time belonged
to the same stock company, and yet their perform
ances were considered but second or third rate.
There is consolation Tor the advocate Of the
drama-these evils generally correct themselves.
We have had an epidemic Of ballet buresque, LIN
gardism and buroonery, and the reaction drove
them from the theatre to the concert saloon Per-
haps before this season is we may the 1Our
barrel telegraph the triple tenement scene, the
railroad train and the steamboat consigned for q
term OF years to the Lumber room, and the hero Of
the nachine' play at some more congenial, If hum
bier occupation than acting. The the better.
IL pleasure to turn from this veXatous subject
to the brighter tnat two comedy theatres pre-
sent to us. In those theatres no star will be admit.
ted as such. They depend alone upon perfect
ensemble or talent, and the plays they produce are
like beautiful specimens or architecture eaca repre-
senting Il harmonious whole. Although working
towards common end--and hat is the perfection OF
dramatic art--these theatres pursue different paths
in the attainment OF tnat object. One is the peer
less representative OF the Old school, ana revves the
golden age of the English drama The other is
peculiarly American, unged with the romantic and
analytica spirit OF the French stage, ana promises
10 be wbat the Comedle Francaise is to Paris. To
both every lover OF genuine art viii wis golspeed,
and delighted Audiences will nightly listen intel
ectual performances, away from the tainted atmos.
phere of materlalism and grossness The names OF
wallack and Daily are identified with all tnat geod
and elevatins on the stage.
DRAMATIC AGENCY
like that OF Colonel +. Allston Brown over Lima
Edwin's Theatre, Is an interesting place to while
away an hour two during the dog days. Here
you end every phase of theatrical life from the
porentous manager down 10 the general utility or
that humble individual whose only stock In trade is
"song and Dance" This is the most extensive
agency In the United States, and for month or two
past Il has been crowded with dramatic employers
and employees. Now and then looms up the ample
form OF Ben De Bar in quest OF leading lady, heavy
man. low comedian soubrette for of his numer-
GUS theatres Piles OF engagement papers encum.
Der the tables and dispatches from travelling
troupes hourly arrive. The contents OF some Of
these documents are curious. "Want chambermaid.
two general utility and one heavy" "Ask Mac Will
he share after three hundred" "Close with R
Jr., for second Old man, won't have S. unless
with the Phantom Capiainn "D0 you know where
! can get sleepy polceman's head ana four angels"
Then the SCRAPS OF conversation-"rm not in that
line" Irresponsible business, not on those terms.
Double shuie, sailors hornpipe and the Belle Of
Ma cknaw" How long do you want mef' "Youre