The New York herald., 1875-09-13
THE NATIVE DRAMA.

PARK THEATRE, Sept II, 1875
To EDITOR HERALD:-
ask to write some words on the structures
that have been passed the American comedy
of The Mighty Dollar" now presented at this
theatre by Mr.. and Mrs. Florence l do so en-
tirely in an intellectual and may say, national
trust could not utter and have uttered
gentle word against the members of my own order
who have critical dnty to discharge and who have
am proud to acknowledge after experience
agor of nearly twenty years. discharged it ever with
sincere and true mpartiaity, tempered with kindness
do think, however, that effort should be made
to encourage the struggling strength and indulge the
anticipating weakness of young national drama II
the of the morning suddenly blaze upon the
opening eye 1t would blind by its excess of light The
day steals upon eyesght from the cool gray of the
early dawn into the russell which precedes the silver
light that leads the golden beams OF the day god and
while t seems to be law relating the drama that
period of preparation must be made by crude dram
atists before the full flower Of perfection is
educed So there is correlatve preparation of public
taste ana judgment to appreciate it, Otherwise,
when the pearls come they would be before swine
Whatevor is excellent in nature and art must be
slow growth and II is unnatural to look for perfection
the starting point The drama in all countries has
been in its beginnings very crude There is
IN any natlon OF sudden iulness OF dramatic power
Minerva sprnging full armed and efficient from the brain
olJove belongs to mythology not reality. The genius Of
Shakespeare found most rude drama unproportOned
and inexpensive, and yet 1t from such he bodied
forth Lear, Richard, Othello and his other
characters. Inieed what in dramatic art had
gone before seemed be but a prep
araton for his advent The month in
which he was born-April-does not find nature less
the rich gorics OF the summer than did the barren
skeleton OF dramatic art TO await the clothing of
his creative faculty We in America cannot expect a
great dramatst IN the future unless we encourage
essays that tend toward perfection. Lspng the lit
tie life OF future speech.
produced, with perhaps foolish ambition, at Wal
lacks, airs. Ward Howes Worlds Own, and paid the
largest price then gwen for piece IL grace
ful in design and exquisite language IL was crushed
before IT could crawl No nursing of encouragement
came. The feather which might have maintained
its flight was torn 1t fell 1 next produced ''The
Octoroon, the truest and picturesque exposition
of life peculiar TO the South That at least
in construction, tender in portraure and of dialogue
cut with the cunning chise of literary Canova But
its native notes stirred no literary American heart
Again come tho "Gilded Age'' anu "Mighty Dollar -
II is objected that the character of the Hon Bard
Wel Slote Is an eAaggeraton IL u.s. But 1t was nearer
TO life than was Dickens creation and Burtons
portrayal Of hieawber In artst'c merit i
likcnesses are necessarily more or less carica-
lures. This peculiarly Of excellence is equally
inherent in prosperous dramatic art Richeleu draw
ing around Julie the awful circle of the Church. and hur
ing defiance at Baradas and his King is grand and i'm
pressiye on the stage, but would only excite dcrson
real e as did Burke when in the House of Commons he
threw down the dagger aud manufactured mirth. Had
the actor done that IN mimic scene the spec
ta0rs would have been awcd Richard, desperately
wounded and following his adversary, shows the per-
sisent nature of that monarch, and is true to the pur
pose of dramatic art; but royal soldier
and Richard an accomplished soldcr-could
have fought across the field with such
unmeaning and obIcctless fury. Who ever saw a
Mcawber or Toodes In real ileS They are the exagge
ratons of truth. claim for Mr. Forence's pcturing
OF characteristic American social and political lie tho
same consideration that Is too cordially gwen por-
tratures less interesting and faithful questionable
plays of foreign concoction Those who accepted Dun
dreary sample OF English nobility ought surely not
10 shy at the Hon. Bardwcll Sote Let MS be simply
just to our own cannot be generous. Your ODE
dent servant, W. STUART