National Republican., 1873-04-26
THE THEATRE QUESTION.
CRITICAL LETTERS FROM rhB PEOPLE.
Ds.Iei Dousherty's Becturc-A Defssae %
Lydia Thesspsss--The scale ef Prices-
Reply frew One Or the wan Fiewers.
A CrSsoA oESsuRxD-n. poueHrRrYS LLsr Lrc-

censor IeelA ~ hocfV 10 utter' Wuetnet orhJ "
10 print.
do not mean TO intimate that Mr.. Dousherty
forgot that he must be amensble 70 censure,
though he evidently bore himself as spoiled
favorite Ia often seen TO bear himself.
"Qu erdeke centre c cent, - eracts o. usape.'
wherein vi Fas,esn ,ss 70 .Sss an N intending
author from attacking In book the sacred faith
Of millions. In Ia English garb II may seem
more than familiar, even vulgar, but In french
here drawn Into use. ~
know that very many who assisted At" the
hall TO a large number Of nstensfs and lockers,
may regard each word Of this communication a.
not well inspired. No matter. am conscious
OF no motive OF which any one should be |
ashamed, and that 10 which thlnt my pen nnds /
all lts present Inspiration seems TO me enhaht-
ened public spirit.
censor. assume this morning the rois Of ceL-
sor. presume TO censure him q little, and even |
to question whether his hearers and spectators |
well applauded parts OF the performance under |
notice. Some Of the admirers Of Mr.. Dougherty |
have not been afraid 10 name him the greatest |
living orator" He evidently errs about the yefy |
nature Of oratory, which appears TO HIN but |
acting acting, acting" as, Indeed, he expressly
Indicated In q lecture which he delivered In the
same place not long ago.
The so-called lecture under notice offered as
much TO the sense Of sight as 20 the sense OF
hearing. Ought II not 10 have been more dfa- |
matte or less staEy7 ..
EluEutAIlN tuOuNut NuNN uuuutauflVt ptTIolu-
ance started on by reminding the hearers and
seers that the true am Of the lecturer Ia TO In
struct; and it even ventures very early TO allude
Now, assurediy, no advanced thinker would,
and perhaps no such thinker could, have studied
and then publicly let on that so-ealled lecture.
Mr.. Doughertys performance here In question
was nowhere deep, and where Il was not very
superficial, or quite false, or simply cAnting u
was very far from new.
Il had, among other things, that very thin, old
cant about the age. We were told, among other
the golden age. Thai sort of talk i much older
than shakspearo. Then, as now, eroaker
.The times are out Of Joint. Oh, cursed spite,
That ever was born 10 set them right"
The age will do wen enough when lecturers,
as well as Journalists and preachers, fully lcari
and thoroughly perform their part toward the
age. The lecture under notice very vioiously,
Lectures OF that tone aud tenor arc not, nor they
No man ever had a Amer opportunity. The
very like the relation OF stal-iawycr 70 some OF
the Judges. The lawyer who has "the ear OF the
court" IS often an object OF enyious admiration;
and q like remark may be strictly applicable TO
Mr Dougherty, who has the eye as well as the
ear OF the people who "asslsr at lectures.
Wherefore, ali that follows ike all that goes be
| critical. Methinks, however, that I envy no
man who, having such opportunities as those
enjoyed BY MI. Dougherty-nrst when he Ice,
here last night on acting aud sctors-makes no
better use Of his uncommon tpartly accidentally
possibilities.
Mr. DouEherty said some dangerous things
about what the actor must be. What, then, must
be the lecturcrf Tho role Of the latter Ia far,
far more dinicult and delicate, As well .s more
least, "a man Of education, OF scholarly accom-
| plishments, q man Of pronunciation, OF gentle
man.Ilke bearing" ny. Dougnery Is certainly ns nc No
US he has not yet learned the full lesson which re-
lates to the nrst letter Of the English alphabet.
As fCS 81, snGnSs,on' Why Is ,,n 20 nasal
merely bad habit or, nnally, Is II thing for
which the lecturer is not responsblef ! could
SSa 70 Ss
| resorted 70 some tricks. He has very vicious
/ trick OF walk and other tricks In the handling,
50 % speak, Of sis 3, whole corporeal msshns an,,
mAn-like bearing On the stage his bearing Ia
too stacy; It Is full Of vicious tricks.
E tSs,sss resasr Sss and even 81: met
OF charm about him, and he pleases as better
reader and better actor might not please the
Must one, therefore, argue that the age Is not
Luriferous, but only gold-greedyf ! think not
But have not space TO follow up the lead thus
| opened.
Il appears TO me presumptuous for any man
not more scholarly and not more philosophical
than Mr.. Dougherty has yet shown himself, 10
night while speaking Of tue opera and Of the
You can use my name, II necessary, but at
composer Of this article. am content for the
present with the nom de plume, OBssRyEp.
SHOWER BATH oY TOBACCO JUICE.
sufferer" sends US letter IN which he CON-
plains that while witnessing tho performance {
the Lydia Thompson troop last week no and his
friends were subjected to . shower bith OF to-
haag iuieR IA 81 nj a
As follows
al would not make the semblauce Of Rrumble,
II possible, against Mr.. Ford, the building, or its
owners, Messrs. Wall \ Berry, whom l have
iSs H1ny SS' ass
shower bath Of tobacco juice spray, OF which
even the beautiful Lydia herself cannot make
saS 81 ,o. SSTS0 and aGps the nuisance
MASsARD BoNSKr IN The rnEArAE.
10 Ghs Editor Of hs SaiiOAaI Rsp-biiosAs
SIR: ''slxteon years old" Il trust she Is svesD
complains Of "wall flowers" gentlemen with
their hair plastered down over their forohsads."
Now, II sixteen years old" and all other "years
old" would not only plaster their hair down over
their foreheAds, but give their horticultural
adornmens good top-dressIng there would be
no wall flowers 10 complain Of, for while the
ers, corn stalks and wheat nelds We see no I'M
proprlety In dressing on the back with wall now
ers. But II they win not take our advice then
we petition Mr.. Ford either 10 erect platforms
for our accommodation, or supply dressins-
room where the dear creatures can "shufie on
their mortal coils" diyest themselves Of theii
Moral Adornments, and deposit their literary ex-
crescences. We have rights which The botan-
ich portion OF the audience are bound 10 re-
sPect ioI while we buy our own tickets, 'soms
REILLY TO SEVERAL ooKRksrosppsrz.
10 ns Editor u Ne Na,iOaai R.pusiissH!
srE Permit me to make few remarks In an
suer to your thestrical correspondents of this
morning.
"a stay-atHome" pretty nearly expresses the
views Of very large proportion Of the patrons
Of musements-dramatic and other Of the
stage-in Washington In his answer TO "A
Theatre-GOer" OF the aod instant That the
Thompson troop Is 10 good buriesque troop
there can be no question, and when either
gentleman or lady goes 10 witness LydiAs per
tormances y 70 for the purpose Of enjoyment
critcise and pick tie jectionable features from
the more deserving, and hug them 70 he bosom
As precious morsela TO be carried into the family
! No; Il Is that We may be pleased for the hour
forgetting the care OF business and daily tolls II
the enjoyment OF cheap comparatively and In
' nocent amusemept and Il Ia ior this very reason
that during the recent engagement OF the
. Thompson troop the houses exceeded In NUN
bers those drawn BY the Italian Opera Troop,
| ~ hooNittu W hhu " tNtI VIII W
thus so long as theatrical maLagers persist IL
9 demanding such exorbitant prices for higher or
, der Of amnAement-prices for about three hours
amusement, equal 10 the average wages OF
good mechanic for full days labor. Just thinl
= ofNI
D "w. NJ. T." suggests that the popular prices o
Philadelphia tfr0m 20 cents TO il) be adopted II
, WAshlngton-a suggestion freely indOrsed by thl
J whole community, l believe but one, alas,
2 fear, will not be accepted so long AZ monopoly
loving management has the power TO dictate.
"COnque" Is very funny, but shoots wide Oi
q the marx when he dares compare the Thompson
troop OF artists with the vulgar show Of thi
. Comlque, TO say nothing OF the Absurdity of hi
reference to the beauties c'and natural at that,
as he AAseItA,) Of the Comique, compared viii
, those OF the Thompson troop. Miss Lydii
! Thompson has been much abused for the immor
. ality OF her exhibitions; most ungenerOusly, too
but never before, believe, from such source
Rldleul0usI The "oAt-chOrus" referred 10 b!
.'COmique" Ia such as q vulgar mind would max
y y harm Of, but Miss Thompson can with prophet.
y say, "Hont sOit q9f nal Pense." The "cat
u chorus" Is an old and popular song, which hAi
been sung by much better artists than eithe
y Miss Thompson or the Comique can boast an,
/, 70 Al refined audiences as ever honored theatre
i II never was sung by the troop referred TO In
Il the National however, as he asserts; but q
Walls New Opera-house. sixteen Years Old
asks "the abatement OF a nuisance" She says
4, "a gentleman, accompanied BY a lady, enter