New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-06-20
Amateur Acting.

OH the nfteenth OF November, 1919, MIR.
Macready. the English tragedian. makes
the following entry in his diary:
Went to the amateur play at the st.
James Theatre. AS an amateur perform
ance it was exceedingly good, but this COM
mendatlOn ia held of no account with the
actors. and they desire to be judged on pos.
tive grounds Judged therefore by the
poet and by the art, by what the one affords
the opportunity of being done, and what
the other enables the actor to do, the per.
formance would not be endured from ordi-
nary. or rather. regular actors. by paying
audience. They seem to ME to be under a
perfect deluson as to their degrees of skill
and power in this art, of which thev do not
know what may be called the very rudi.
ments.
The desire to play upon the stage is
disease which RACES among young men. In
this city it is epidemic. Its germ can not
be accounted for. and there is no yiccina-
ton which will modify its form. 1t can not
be love of appreciation, tor year after year
many young men submit themselves to ridi-
cule while attempting to cool the fever and
thirst for acting. The best that can be
said for amateur stage butchering. as We
see it. is that it is a harmless amusement.
1t is more innocent than base bali playing,
Tor it breaks no bones. and. unlike the ma
tional game. rarely breaks the Sabbath
Mr.. Macready was Of opinion that the Lon
don amateurs desired to be judged on posi-.
tive grounds. and he judged that they knew
nothing about the art of acting. Here we
think the amateurs make no such preten.
sions, and they receive no such rebuke.
All of our novices who can represent the
characters created BY authors, instead
OF exhibiting themselves. and who
really show skill in tho art Of act.
ing. might be numbered by one-armed
man on his fingers. Yet there is no reason
why they should not act. You take your
choice and they pay the money. There
are more dramatic clubs in New Orleans
than in any city in the Union. and yet they
produce no actors. Occasionally young
man who has acted lago in his own way is
found in regular company. carrying on a
letter to the leading man, but he is not
happy. He has no respect for the Judgment
of people who can not sec his talents. He
has no more than a peck of talent. and he
wonders how q manager can keep it hid
under bushel.
But we like the amateurs: they alvays
appear to enjoy themselves, and the people
seem to enjoy them. They are little
world where every man is his own actor.
Sometimes they give Shakespeare chance,
but he generally has a hard chance, and
sometimes they play their own pieces. 1t is
all the same. In a sense. dramatic
training is profitable. The young men
acquire ease and grace in the presence
OF refined people, and the study and
rehearsal gives discipline to the mind
and the man. A complete amateur dram
attic organization would be one which en-
ployed only amateur actresses in the cast
OF female parts. Our young ladies are
more apt and have more talent for the
stage than our young men. There are
plenty Of comedies in which ladies could
act without violence to the finest feelings.
1t is not necessary to play French wicked.
ness and employ paid actresses. Home
talent all round would be likely to improve
the performances.
There is another branch of amusement
which should receive amateur attention.
1t is the opera. There are enough cult:
waited musicians in this city to produce
opera in creditable style, either in English.
French or the German language. In other
cities it has been done for private amuse-
ment. and it could be done much better
here. There is also wanted here musical
similar to the Handel ard
Haydn Societie, Of the North. which shall
bring together not alone the pupils of any
particular teacher, but all choirs and sing.
ers in the city. Such union of musicians
could sing from the books. without much
tedious rehearsal any one Of the great ora.
torios. with at least three hundred voices,
in manner to surprise the Oldest inhab.
taDts. Under such management concert
could he given worth listening to. con.
cert Of colo pieces, however we'll ex-
ecuted. and even if given by De
Murska. is simply a fraud. 4 difficult
passage for the soprano is jerked out of one
opera, without costume, scenery or dramatic
and after that a grand aira
from another opera is put to the rack on a
piano by some ono else: after that man
iddles something, and then baritone
appear. in a swallow tailed coat aud seems
o sing gypsey drinking song. or to be an
italian lover with white kid gloves and a
oil OF music. serenadirs an imaginary
7oung lady on an imaginary young
balcony. There is nothing to drink, |
md there is no young lady. You hear moth
ng but disjointed sections of good COM
position, without beginning Or end, and you
ee nothing but what is ridiculous. But it !
> high art and costs you two dollars.
Now considering all of the dramatic and |
MUSICAL talent in this city. it Is possible for |
he amateurs to do very much more tor
themselves and the public. Let them strike
Ugh, work in harmony, and do the best
hey know how in every attempt.
~s
What the Boat Clubs are Doing.
In response to inquiry as to what the
oat clubs are doing, the following infor-
lation is given:
All the clubs are hard at practice for the !
sVeral regattas to take place during the
lmmer. The first event on the card will
n