, 1874-09-06
THE aARBLE HEART, At McV!CKER's.

| Notwithstanding dramas are written in largo
! plumbers every year, it is seldom that really
great one appears Tho 1eaaon why the cata-
1ogue OF poor plays and failures is woll-nigh in
termioab.e comes from the fact that in i. will bo
| found all those when have beon composed 10
| meet an emergency. all those which pandar to
| the idiosyncras:es OF Some actor. al the bad
dramatizations Of equally poor novais, and all
! those playa which lare come direct from tho
! egotstical thoughts Of ipcompesency.
| Play-,vriting is tho highest branch OF the lit
! erary art aud it demands from an author tho
| tecura Possession Of rare and peculiar qualGca-
tious- He may be blographer or historian, D
novelist or poet, or philosopher, or Critic OF the
greatest information and highest culture, able
to express himself with fncility in prose or
vcrse,-he may haye all those faculties, and
more, aud still lack the ability to write play.
First, he must know men Not with such in
formation as comes from books. or schools, but
III that practical and general scuse which is
gained only BY rubbing against tho world. he
must have the power OF understanding motives,
tracing impulses, and comprehending results.
He must be able to distinguish between the NIL
mute shadings Of character, and At the same time
read the iumost thoughts and ycarnings OF
mankind. He must be familiar with the conflict
Of the great psychological and material forces.
Where the epirit's chise1 cuts into the marble
lesh there lies tho field for his art. His play
mugt be au accurate record Of human experience.
In s,,cc true transcript the theme will be natu-
raj, its progress direct, and the conclusion firm
and unmietakable. AL the situations, however
complicated they may appear, will have an air Of
probability clinging to them which will render
them impressive as the circumstances Of evarY-
day-lfe. Each person will have character sepa-
rated in all its bearings from every other person.
and this distinct individuality will be maintained
g. all times. They Tlu think. and talk,
and net lite human beings. They will come up
on the ecene at The proper moment. have some
thing of importance to say. and disappear when
they are no longer wanted Every character
must bo rounded into unit, and have some
Part. however small it may be. which is lud.s-
pcusable to the plot. The words and thoughts
used by it must suggest the porson who is speak,
ing, and the language 30 enaployed must become
it's social station in life. There mus. to no ,1n-
natural situations or complications, no cmbar-
rassed motions, no forced or awkward denoue-
mant. Everything must appear reasonable;
every thought and every action must have had
IN adequate cause.
briefly. tho playwright gathers score Of pee
pie out OF the grca. world which in natural. and
places them in that smaller world, called the
stage, wbe1c everything ls artifcial He mAxcs
tho artificial world appear to be the real Quo.
Ao pursues his ars until it conceals itself in
ture. Now, nothing but intellects Of tho highest
order can do these things. and SO it frequently
happens tha. the great. plays which arc written
during Il decade Of years can bs counted on tho
fingers Of single hand
4 play appeared in France about the year
1850, which is known to us in translation as
1.-The Marble Heart" Its advent marEcd q now
ern IN dr.matio literature. So perfect VAS
it in construction and dictioa, SO rich in
ideas and mastery in their application, that
it has served authors and actors alike as foun-
tam OF inspiration for moro than tweEt! years.
Nearly every original and cultivated playwright
who has written within this period shows traces
OF its power. Even tue English Robertson
could not wholly eocape from its influence. Al
most every actor or actress burning with the de-
sire for advancement has had At some timo an
uneovornabls ambition to play in this q Marble
Heart~ Whereve, A attentive auditor or
thinking student can bs found Who hfs secn OF