, 1874-05-31
REVIEW OF ADJUSTMENTS.


Tho Church has one thing in common with the
stage, if no other, namely, the longevity OF its
traditions. But few years ago the jewish
Church discarded the time-honored prayer for
the Hcbrew University ID Babylon. Thanks aro
still given in the English Church for the safe do
liyerance Of his most Catholic Majesty King
James l. Of England, from the Ganpowder Plot
Of Guy Fawkes. Tho rharisoes continued to
teach for doctrine the commandments OF men,
making the Word of God Of no effect through
their traditions. The traditional ShylocE wears
the same grey beard and crouching form to-day
that lie originally wore. Tho music Of - Mac,
BETH and "Hamlet' Is to bs found, We be-
lierc, III only one volume, Chappols
51usio OF the Odon Tlme," and is
handed down by ear from generation to genera
tion- The reading aud dressing Of oven minor
parts are regulated mainly by precedent, and
woe betide the sacrlegious playor who dares to
depart from tradition. Noses, in s'The School
for Scandal" is spun by his neck-c1oth from the
stage in conformity With the stage directions Of
century, sense1ess aud silly as it may appear
to us In this realistic a2e-
All tneee things remain as they were. Some
of the traditions OF the stage arc doubtless Iso-
ful, mud many of the methods of the eeven-
tcenth century cannot Le improved upon. But
stage tradition is responsible, III measure, for
d,7ardnE individual Judgment and citcu1uacrib-
ing the arena Of Intelligent enterprise. Haz:itt
BAYS Of the stage: ut is too often nlled with
traditional commonplace conceptions OF the
past, handed down from sro 10 sou. and suited
TO tho taste Of the great vulgar aud the small.
IT'S uuwceded Rardcn things rank ana gross
do merely gender i'll it.. II a man OF genius
comes ones in au ago to clear away the, rubbish,
to make it fruitful aud wholesome. they cry
"Tis bad school; it may bo like nature, It may
be like Shakespeare. but it is not like lis. Ed
rnnnd Kean aatonishet. rot only London but the
rest Of the company ut Drury Lane By discard
ing Shytoch; traditional beard aud substituting
black ono.
RELIC OF BARDAR1sM.
. Among the relics of batLarisnl, as Mr.. Nc
Wicker calls it. is the still existing practice Of
giving benefits to playsrs. Webster defines Il
benefit III this seuso. as - = performance gwen
at theatre or elsewhere, the proceeds Of which
are given to one OF tho actors, or to some in
digent deserving person, or to some PUBLIC lnstl-
tuition or charity" The definition il = correct
ono to-day.
The practice OF giving benefts ia undoubtedly
OF ancient ori gin. although neither Shakespeare
nor his contemporaries have auy reference to 1t
in their writings. How it originated cannot
bo exactly, ascettained. It is possible, how
ever, that the patronage of royalty OF
nobility was responsible for it. Actors
have enjoyed 2 very ductnatlng socih!
idols OF society, at another the parlas rs the pre-
dominating sentiment of the times waa enthetlc
or fanatlca1. Tho present time gives actors
fair average standing. Il is fairly nupposable
that the royal or noble patron OF theatre wos1!o
allow the use OF bis name, TO be APPENDED 70
complimentary benefit. either to some noted actor,
or tho manager Of the house. NE may even
imagine the Earl Of Pembroke Offering to vii
liam Shakespeare complimentary benefit At Ills
Globo Theatre, at which her Most Gracious Ola
iasty Ouaan El1zaheth occupied the TovAl box,
aud cast sheep s-eyes At the great actoE,
In his fine impersonat1on OF Henry as fi|M.
Or, beuofts may have started IN Anotlef
fashion: In other but not very remote,dn in En-
rIand The dramatic companies which travelled or
stroIled through the provinces we're -lleTer
troubled with prosperity. They slept in barns
oftener than in inns, and ate black bread oftener
than they did white. Tho manager, where there
payday, for he had no money to pay with. In
many sections the middle class, the shop-keep-
ers etc., being D4ssontere, would not attend
theatrical performances Tho strolers had then
to @ M 5a1 en- tho TO cn.s sess sa the Ioa
they might not occupy them, and thus give their
gracious approval to tho performance. Since the
manager did not pay in cash, he often paid
In oenenIs, 4ne1 shen taA st A"n. ;anaGin;aHs nai;aHt
coHceIneo' tooh P4o.oaau ~ 1etsos :" ~ oo11e4.
lng- he begBed from dool 10 ooot 1Al 1'ole pr
Btstensl} knan Nc "oa!o AAso ooac toA ~ ~ ~
ployer. ho pssKeu 1oi uliunt,l a,u no e .l
ofen. Inen me oene. sooA '''7 pias0 " o"'-
ary'; now, 1t ls an addition 70 II.
BENEFITS TO-DAY % ..o ~
~ss With JOIN Nc
Cullough, his many admirers choose thls means !,:.
OF testifyng Their spprecaon o. us n aG,ne =;
and in such CASE their names amonns oniT ,,.o 10
N expression OF aanilat'on anu es'ee. 9e rta,t1
il the old system IN lth putty, anq is pe11el,y
legitimate ~ ahf :. nhsnd atora ~ think Ink
Il Is apt 70 Do aouseu. NJ a1tols ~ atsaa t..A
themselves the greatest on me stsse'
That they are not 30 ackhowleoeGu FISH,, 10 one, ts
not TO themselves. nat 70 o.uol a1 - ,a,,ah 1t
pnoAc Is 60 q" =. ut,5 ;aas " a5
their submest ooneeptions or .ne steon1 lrn n.o
sou5ous cies pun VIII M s1ica that
gard Tor eTerJthlnR nut PERSONA ,taace, 80.
they are not cut out BY nature 1or nero.c paris,
possess no gifts OF person OF mnnner t ,ot o'net
parts, aud nave evlaoas5 poeti ~ tns ra;ns ~ ~
to study at ali but lol a. thls, .nes tnn, ~ tne
genius ii there scoring only cnannetto e.neiSo
from the latent 70 the apparent anu LII ire u;
lty OF the stage-mana8et, Mno VIZ atta5 t,ola' -
casting .nem rosnon.b,a lun p4 for 0 their NIB.
them, ID teeponsi1p'e - ~ 1 rohr,
fS