The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-08-03
Tho New American Drama.

We have strongly advocated the establish
ment OF q native American drama, in which the
scenes, incidents, characters and manners
should afford pictures and portraits of our
times We have now been nation for GEN.
tury and no nation has or ever has had more
striking features nor more remarkable and
incidental history. Yet how many dramatic
pictures exist which portray American lifea
And the few that pretend to do so are small in
their pretence. Among the most popular are
''The Octoroon" and Grip Van Wrinkle" both
fair specimens of their day.
Whether encouraged by our urgent advocacy
or not, it seems that Mr.. Boucicault has
made q third effort to depict American life.
The new play announced for production at
Booths Theatre, entitled "Belle Lamar" is
q historical drama and illustrates
stirring and terrible period 1t is the first at
tempt to bring the subject on the stage, and
will require mastery handling. Among
the characters we find the cele-
brated and heroic Southern General,
popularity known as "Stonewall' jack
son. Here we detect the inclination to
OF this dramatst The subject Of "Belle La
mar" may be briefly thus described: "A young
husband and wife are separated in the first
year Of their marriage by the political feelings
of the wife, who is of an old Virginian family
and Of the husband, who is an officer in the
United States Army. Failing in her attempts
to seduce him from his allegiance, she seeks
her home in the South, and in moment of
passion consents to divorce, which her fam
lily urge her to obtain. Broken hearted and
in despair she filings herself into the conflict
and becomes daring spy in the Confederate
service. The repeated injuries inflicted on
our armies by the treachery of such women,
who infested our political capitals at that time,
has exasperated the commanding officers, and
it is determined to make an example of the
first ''viper on the hearth" that is caught in
the act of treachery. No officer is so vehe-
ment, SO stern in these views as Philip Bligh,
colonel of United States cavalry, commanding
an outpost in the Shenandoah Valley. And to
him falls the duty of carrying this order into
execution, for his men arrest woman in the
commission Of fragrant act Of espionage.
The prisoner is brought before him and in her
he recognizes his fugitive wife. This is what
is termed among dramatists the general in
cident with which the action of this play COM
mences. The incidents, the passionate strug-
giles and the feelings that arise one after the
other, provoked or engendered by this fruitful
condition and posture Of affairs may easily
be conceived. This outline of the subject
will be sufficient to indicate that the drama
fist has on this occasion taken large canvas
and great design. He challenges at once
our attention to very grand struggle, not of
characters subject to small incidental issues
trivial because the characters are made the
playthings of fortune but such dramatic &C
ton involves and necessitates stage where
great human passions and feelings dominate
all other considerations, where the minds Of the
spectators are employed in watching, follow
ing and sympathizing with the noble weak
nesses of grand natures under trial, and not
interested in the string Of ingeniously con-
catenated incidents which form tbs subject Of
ths minor drama; 6: ... . -. =. =.
To explain how Mr.. Boucicault has dealt with
his material, bow he has drawn his characters
and what dialogue he has clothed them with
will be an earnest task for us to perform when
we see the play. But as we have frequently
criticised this dramatist with severity on
former occasions we shall with equal sim
cerity and earnestness record higher opinion
Of his work if it prove what we hope it will
turn out He has the advantage of virgin
field, uncultivated by any predecessor. No
one doubts his tact, ingenuity and fertility
But this is not subject where these qualities
can be rendered available Indeed, they would
tritter its grandeur away Here we have an
opportunity for noble effort. But to return to
the story. The wife is brought before military
tribunal, of which the husband is necessarily
one Of the members; his associates are I'M
aware the prisoner is his wife. Subsequent
events enable her to receive q safe conduct to
the North, which she uses to secure the escape
of fellow prisoner-a young officer, who
loves her and has been involved by her in
fuence over him in the same fate.
At this juncture Stonewal Jackson, urgent
to rescue the woman from the penalty he
knows she has incurred, makes dash at the
position of the Union troops, and they are
driven into terrible strait. They make a
stand, to defend a bridge that is the key to
the position, and on the possession OF which
depends the fate of the advancing army.
This catastrophe crowns the play with q
battle scene. This terrible extremity EFFORTS
from the erring wife the acknowledgment of
her fidelity and enduring love-a confession
which the presence Of death brings to her lips,
and with it prayer to be forgiven and
restored to her husbands heart. This is in
the right direction Such scenes are more
welcome to us than pictures of adultery and
dishonor. The weakness of noble minds is q
better subject for illustration than the weak