The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-02-28
AMERICAN C0MEDY---IS IT COMING 2

English opinion OF the American ORA ma.
From the Saturday Review Hondon), Feb. 14l
recent number OF the NEW YORK HERALD con-
tains an article bearing the title "American
Comedy-ls 1t Coming Z" The answer given to
this question Is such as one would have expected.
Poor as this country Is In current dramatic litera-
ture, she is rich in comparison with America.
Nobody will write al American play" except, we
may remark, Sardou. who does not exactly please
American taste. A few years ago drama was
brought out which was popularity accepted as an
American play. cit was merely very literal
piece Of realism, with q cosmopolite series Of
dran1dtts persona. and the scenes sdrotly
laid near the Rocky Mountains" But in
order to produce "a cOntempOrane0us c0medy" it
ia necessary to co something more than provide
"portraits OF places, furniture of the period and
vivfcatiOn of fashion Plates" The dramatist who
Is master OF his art is not content with investing
every territorial settler with the moral proper
tions OF hero-albeit a hectoring hero-and unit
ing highly improbable incidents to 0He another by
wholly impossible links. His incidents would grow
out oil his characters, and his characters would
develop from his incidents Just as they do in real
life. "When the truly American comedy comes
along we shall entertain no objection to its having
Just as many handsome dresses Tor the lead ng
lady as that somewhat exacting parsonage could
desire, provided that 1t Is not necessary for the
management to depend upon the handsome
dresses for the success OF the play, and provided
the accessories are not made to occupy large q
space in tue public eye that the essen tias are lost
sight Of" This passage puts the IN after very
fOrciby, and we will only add that, "when the truly
American comedy comes along" we hope to be in
the way OF meeting 1t. AS might be expected,
good literary assistance than we are, and they en-
deavOr 10 supply This want OF talent BY providing
everything that money can buy: We might pc
quite sure that, II good play were produced in
America. it would be brought to England, but
nothing OF the Kind has come And 1t IS tolerably
certain that Americans would not be content with
that dreary entertainment called lecture If they
could get thing better. 1--WE want comedy
deriving its elements from civilization in the
United States and limiting its eclecicism to what
Is generical, American" One writer who has
attempted to satisfy this demand has pro-
duc.d ''cheap dramatic ierrotypes OF life in
concert saloons and Sums" Another writer
locaizes English scenes and characters by hep OF
Bill" element, and fixes his scene on the border OF
Western civilization. Another writer ''concocts q
farce in five acts, which yield number OIL pretty
women the opportunity o. wear ng stylish dresses,
and render It necessary for upholsterers Ind cab-
pients o, it," But these efforts do not satisfy a
reasonable demand, and the article exhorts young
writers to set to work and produce that play
which most young writers fancy they could pro-
duce so easily. But 1t must be something Ameri-
can, Indigenous, no nlmsy transla, ion nom
English nHyei ave Should not OBJECT So much to
the dry goods drama, If 1t were leavened with
American character and genuine w.t."
pence Oh the same journal we find that play
a. On ns G inc Is I'D
believe, that 1t is the American drama and we do
not say that Il is mott Al that is insisted on 10
tnat play with big Indian IN 1t is not necessary.
" American. The resort OF American dramatists
to COopers novels does not perhaps, bespeak
Kobsart' at Drury Lane. But 1t certainly does not
indicate wealth. Perhaps Il the new play succeeds
Lane. with real Indians to act In it. That would
be, we believe distinct novelty. and
Produced at the Fifth Avenne Theatre. It is an
adaptation from sardou, but contains several
air although the French names OF persons and
places are retained. A wealthy widow could OF
course invest in :he Northern Pamuuky and Dem
yer Central without gong mile from the Bouie-
Yards spca play mxn. ana nave been EN-, produced IN
ENGLAND put IL mas nJ nu or tms Ies US NC
wifhOut his language are intoierabie. There Is, Of
course, Q lady who receives gentleman not her
husband In ner private apartments. She gives MIN
few drops OF laudanun, intending to put him to
sleep. and take from his person an lmprudent let.
contents and fails insensiple just as the
iady's husband and an officer OF police
a ae nsdr' with the asscondng UPON casher.
The husband has lost large part OF his fortune
''by the failure OF an American banking house"
"a Is stated, In order. we suppose, 10 make
Americans feel at home when they see the play.
Al Woods Museum trash, buncomUe, spread
eagieism, morDidity, mock heroes and coarse
ness are said TO be prevailing features OF the en-
| tertainment. The plucky red-shrted heroes who
| 40 the tall talk at this house are PROBABLY the
| American equivalent Tor the British tar who graft
flea our fathers by expressing noble sentiments In
nautical phraseology The critic Of the HERALD
thinks thas me oue, ~ ne th these P'a bs
worse they probably would be-" In the course
OF the plotting and contemplating between the
hero and rufian of the piece probability Is out
ragged and conerency Is desp,sed. Catastrophes
are ensured BY devices when infant could see
| through and astounding discoveries which sur.
prise no one are perpetually being made Senti-
| inentalism Is sandwlched with murder, and the
ssanQel motheru business aternates with negro
| breakdowns. We have not at present anything so
| bad as this In London, but then we might have.
! However, the tide OF sensatonalism has lately
rather ebbed In London, and & Is not likely to be
! always on the nood at New YORK. Hut the dread
full dniculty Is, II you take away the plays which
receive these severe and just criticisms what can
you put In place OF themr