The New York herald., 1875-09-15
Our Native Drama.


lation.
Our Native Drama.
The letter which we have published from
Mr. William Stuart upon our Native
Drama" comes from one of our most accom-
pllshed writer's and makes plea in behalf of
"hatlts author calls ''the struggling strength
and anticipated weakness" of "a young ma
tional drama" AS he says, ''The day steals
upon our eyesight from the cool gray of the
early dawn into the russet which precedes
the silver light that leads the golden beams
OF the day god" He reminds us that the
drama in all countries has been in its begin
ming very rude; that Shakespeare found an
unfinished drama, "unproportioned and in
expressive" and that out of this he fashioned
his masterpieces. He argues that we cannot
expect great dramatist unless we en-
| courage essays that tend toward perfection.
| He recalls the fact that Mrs Ward Howe's
piece, graceful in design and exquisite in Ian
guage," was crushed before it could crawl" !"
| He tells us that the 'Octoroon" was O fail
ure; and yet we agree with him that the
'Octoroon" is as fine an American drama as
we have on the stage. He refers also to the
success of Mr.. Raymond as Colonel Sellers
and to the attempt Of Mr. Florence TO create
new character out of the Hon. Bardwell
Slote. To the objection of the critics that
the Hon. Bardwell Slote is a caricature Mr..
Stuart answers that SO are Dundreary and
Richelieu, Richard III. and Micawber.
We should be sorry 10 see any disposition
on the part of our critics to ''crush" out the
american drama. We do not think that any
trustworthy newspaper desires to be unjust
to American art or American artists. Mr..
Stuart has q thought which he evidently
feels more strongly than he expresses, that
| there is combination of critics" in New
York who can make or unmake
whatever dramatic reputation they please.
This may be true in regard to some
OF the minor journals, especially
those which make specially of the drama.
1t is possible, too, that an influence" may be
slyly conveyed" into some minor Jour
nails from box offices and agents, but as a
general thing the press of New York is just
to any manifestation Of talent, dramatic or
otherwise. If we believed it possible that a
combination of critics could be made lit
erary ring devoted to destroying or building
up dramatic regulations we should feel it
our duty to do what we could to put an end
to it as dishonorable to our profession and
disheartening to the drama.
We are interested in Mr.. Stuart's estimate
of Mr.. Florence's new character But we
think it would be better for our native dram
atists to create rather than caricature. We
have created many noted works. The
''Gilded Age" has one character only
which saves it. AS a drama it is
beneath criticism, almost beneath con-
tempt. Jefferson's Rip Van Wrinkle is an
American creation, although we can scarcely
call it dramatic Its origin is due more to
the novelist than the dramatist. Uncle
Tom is phase of the American character
which became singularly successful, and we
have often wondered that our native drama
lists did not do more with the negro than
they have yet succeeded in doing. Colonel
Sellers and Uncle Sam as written by Sar-
dou, are caricatures, and so long as our
dramatists are content with exaggeration of
this kind we can hardly expect them to as
cend to the realms of true art Mr. Florence
however deserves credit for having made the
experiment of new American part, whether
caricature or not We trust that it will have
the vitality of Lord Dundreary and Colonel
Sellers. We are willing to do our share to
encourage the native drama, believing, as
Mr.. Stuart quantity puts it, that ''lisping is
the little life of future speech"