, 1874-05-24

distance. To those who have studied aud
laughed over the absurd gestures Of these little
people, the aenso Of caricature prevails above
everything else,-the bows and -genuile1ions,
while natural. are 30 In excess. The very fexi~
bnity Of tho joints Of marionette Ia q aatra
upon the stiffness Of n drawine-1oom bean; and
the thought Of passing acquaintance becoming
as suddenly aupne as marionetse, when meet
ing one on the 6treetrcorner, is full Of incon-
giuity.
TUE uEcuASlsu
To regulate these complex movements of tho
iio]ls rcqaires mechanical arrangement Of cor
ers decltue to Say. The secret once made pub
lie, nobody would cara to See the performance.
This much, however, ls clear 4 bridge anana
the stage at sufficient height to bo invisible to
the audience. Upon this bridge the eoula Of the
perforners-their human dcsti1ies-guide their
ready feet, auu bend their pregnant hingea
according to tue demands OF the play. The par
son who controls the cords OF bis individual pup
pet speaks the lines rs we'll Being in tho clouds,
the tone of his voice comes upon the audience
with mu1lled indistlnctnesH which adds to the
woisdnese Of the scene, aud seams to remove tho
actors still further FROM the audience.
AN ENTHUSIASTIC CRITIC,
aescauting upon these generous little players,
congratulated the world that ut last dramatic
company Ind been found III which auarreln wero
| nnknonn. There was 10 leading fady in this
little inenimate coterie to c}amoz for calcium
Light mo juvenile lady to refuse her part, be-
cause claubotmaid bad moro lines than her
self No fantastic WALKING gentleman was here
| to be found venting his Jealousy upon the lead
| ing man who thought himself the better-looklng,
| b; spelling his scene for hln. Indeed, the
critic thought second Eden had been found
upon the stoge, into which no serpentine jeA-
ousiea or unwo1thiness could creep. SO far ho
was quite right too. And 20 far he would be
| right in applying his remarks to thu legitimate
| rea1 to an audience the full measure OF their
| pcttiness. The quarre]s in real life, whether IN
| the theatre or tho drawing-room are not On the
! proscenium. They are behind the stage, and
| with the puppet~show they are above lt-on the
bridge. --
! Tbs visible portion OF Red 1tid<n5.Uood Is al
eYeetness and innocence, nor does she appear to
fear tho hostility OF anybody but tue Noi]. bnt
tho masculine part Of her ut the other end Of tho
topc, is an entirely different matter: His face is
as rcd as his protegee cloak, and tho person in
| charge Of Red Riding~Hoods mother
is giving :, ntteranco to Is, some FnIry tIy5
| daughter has been too prominent on the stage.
aud by some clever action OF the cord has
brought down the house. So also tho belles OF
tho fairy court move On tho stage in m at1nos-
phere OF love, embracing. twisting, danclns, %,
| human passion that RACES above them 81 the
! other end Of the cords Which support them. II
t.iosa atriugs we're only conductors, wllat havoc
would shortly bo nude on the mimic stage !
| How liolet would rseize the baok-hatr Of
bIvs1va' 1Iushss from Peach Blossoms cheek !
Tho company now exhibiting at Kings
bury Music Hal consists OF no loss than
Gfteen persons, aud the amount OF jc.1ou sT tnnt
can be evolved b1 friction Of interests among
fifteen persons Is necessarily enormous The
ntrcal managers, and theatrical people general.
II, will fully appreciate, il not the aaoao1' ~
all events the ardor, OF this feeling
| pULIocg.
| The firut person TO revive the exhlbltlon OF
u,nriopcttcs as d distinct entertainment Tas
| William, Bullock, Of Liverpool From tino inne-
Eaoral puppet-sho"s haze accompan,ee q ser eus1s
and Htate fairs hare generally beon graccd WITH
| their appearance, end the adventutoos fustle
who would never SO to 8 theatre has had an op-
portnnity to take l1a dramatic oo9n in npmo. unH.
opatbic Quantities from puppets These sho"t
ware remarkable for two things. Ono was the
brayity and ruonotony Of the performance th1
Other was the Ealvauc and sometimes oigtinea
} movements OF tho performers. IheJ ".iAea
and sat down-like modern players IN . stoc'
| conaoany--iu the most unnatural way IN tns
world. striGiDx something's Like Colossus climb
inc a flight OF stairs. and On other occasion'
hopping With the unearthly agility 81: nea. 9.
stalking With the measured tread Of tho ghost II
s. Hamist." and this always at tho Wrong ttrae
Mr.. Bullock first caught the idon OF drilling the
puppets into an even performances, ano t"o ssa.s -
ago opeued with lis present company IN LIVER
pool at one Of the Theatres 80 succoss1u
was he in this undertaking in LlVerpoo
INT @ he moved upon Louaon, aud for q long TIM
, gave two performances daily &C 81 5ainss oaL
! 20 the delight OF al the citizens; toS on
} fortnight he exhibited at the Crystai falaco
Svdenham. and was so Unexpectedly popnAa'
{ that ho realized there, last March, Sao,oVo
this Yhort space OF time He had traVe!e,
| through the provinces III England, ni"ass w:
succoss, and anticipated prosperous aeasoh sion
the Uu1ted States. In New 1ork anu fha'aos'
l n,ia he was rewarded Pittsburgh was nc
: mite 30 good plnce for puppets, and
., CHICAGO
has proved worao than n4- Iask'ng VIII Ml
McT,aren. who has charge OF the company the II
h noTter learned with surprise that Chicago was tn
a most unappreciati1e city tho marlonettes ha
4 visited. .'This is the only place Te have s pee
q to-" said Mr.. Nc1.afen. where , nave aeax "a,
!. 1nn That sometimes, when he offered checxs
t gentlemen going out, they Would BAY. Cles
i, oo,,t with your d--d show; Uo don't want to s
Il 1,ack aud see & lot OF dummies once or t"le
in New York and Philndeiph!a, na'e nee1u cH;eno ~
Ii rentlenaa so expressing hlmselt; bnt thacas
T. eanflor and, I may Bay, emphasis OF expression
q Is unique" .,,.+ nor,o ,,a<
pie do not anything hmusng T.; ~ 'nese eaa. n11
: performers, .rben one considers sne socceo'
d Joe Murphy and others Of that iik.
q THE PAT.
q It does not require any great sk1li On tne pa
I Of tle man q, tho bridge to manipulate pupp
= . when he has once learned the ropes: az =; :;
|
It 1,istr1ou;c genius Of high order. line per1ofn
n era are paid from f3 to &c 9 week: N u u
o country their salaries run from $40 TO SG0: ~
ine Enel,shnen it is said they are sorely dlscol
. tented with tho remuneration they receiye,--n
a because It is not enough, but because other Pc
;, n1e ~ say thev ret more It is singular fact to
s fforeirners employed on salary in this COUNT
+ absorb our democratic ideas Of e4ua'lty II ?:
- long before they catch the spirit OF our other
stltutlons.
THE AUDIENCE .-'
:, The people who go to see mar1onette SHOWS u
r. mot entircly children Of an innocent dlspos'1o
:, Guarded by indu1gent and wearied parents.
!, ereat nany highly y-cultu1ed people 80, and ! =
+ [ various reasons. Some like to see goou ncEt M
on the stage, and enjoy the variety OF the thi1
a. epicurcs do choice Dishes Some are attracts
, by tie novelty which, having once seen. they ~.
{. not care to soc again. Others are caIi1ea W.
e bv the odd hu1nor OF dummies onachng part
- But large class go because it Is q theatr1cal
3 hibition Nth theatre left out. 4 writer Ias :, r
70 marked that the dramatic instinct permenseB ~
n man nature, aud cannot be erntacated~ a que
j. nnnosition to this instinct exists among mar
g nnrtlv through misrepresentation tfounceo
q cnorancel Of the mission OF the stage, ana pai
= IL from religious conviction: These Psopls na
I. on1r learned Of tho stage from hearing It Co
/ .eF " ID