The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-06-27
AMERICAN ACTORS.
Iphiladelphia Times.]

The American stage and the American school
of actors were once the proudest boasts OF our
young country. We had Forrest, . Davenport,
and q Younger Booth for actors, and the diadi.
ator" and sBrutus" (the elder) for specimens OF
our drama. The decline of our actors, and OF
the art OF constructing dramas, is within the re-
membrance of the present generation. we
stopped writing plays decades s,nce and OF
producing actors years ago. Inc nrst Deid III
yasion of our stage was made about ten years
90. when the "Back Crook, /" ia all it's spectacu-
lar glory. its refulgence of lights and effulgence
oflimbs, made it's appear ance. 1t was success
fnl and set an evil example. After it came the
ascivious troupe Of blonie-haired women, who
called themselves English buriesduers.
They had their period, and then the ope
bouffe people invaded US, conquering all before
them. Then came the tribe OF pretty English
women, the Nelson's, Dyases and Rousbys, TO
win our hearts, and ali OF whom were emlnentiy
successful in their assaults. But our clrest
affection was reserved for the last The naked
foreign ballet had been exhausted; the beautl-
full, bountlfully gifted in p 'ysical charms women
of England had pulled upon our taste, and opera
bouffe had nearly gone out OF fashion, when along
came-after these Venuses, and Junos, and
Queens of Sheba, Adonis himself. His name was
Montague in the one instance, and Rignold IN
the other. In the first case he played the eie-
CANT gentleman Of society, the listless, dawdhIg,
good or-nothing. empty-headed lover, ano IN
the other rObustuous, errauc ana !uu' Dloooeu
young man OF INC OlduuO AAOAAoeeo SSAAoOA'
Both of these geniuses have just been exposed.
As in the case Of the blondes, who were as de-
sired as Daphene by the eager day-god, so the
bellies Of New York have only seized the laurel
where they expected to clasp the man. One OF
the obiects of their affection and targets for their
bouquets turns out to be q man OF family. with q
numerous progeny, and the other-tell it not In
Gotham-is gay deceiver, against whom q suit
for breach OF promise, the damages being fixed
at fifty thousand dollars, is now pending. There
may or may not be q moral here, but we think
there is. The worship of foreigners and foreign
art has gone almost too far with us. The nation
promises-or rather threateus-to become race
Of Mr.. and Mrs. and Misses Norrisses, Who while
they rejoice in being natives OF this free country,
sre always willing to bow down at the feet OF the
par,renus they meet abroad and who ostenta-
tously hasten to announse their recognition by
the nobility.
son coaching day in Hyde Park writes one
of this class, 81 met so and co." Of course she
did, she met them as she used to meet Shocks
aud Smith in our streets, without them recog-
nizing her or she them. The truth is, Americans
are, as yet, very far from conqueIing their rude
ness and ignorance, and from holding their
proper place in TIE worlds society. Elijah Po-
grams still abound in our politics, and represent
us abroad, and Mrs. Hominys and their
daughters court the young nobility Of the Old
World. In Italy, Mr.. Joaquin Miller tells US, the
poverty stricken counts and dukes keep list Oh
American heiresses, and gamble for them among
realm; and as long as the American people con.
tinue to discard their native talents and disregard
their own children for the brazenness OF foreign
ers and the adventurers of the Old World, the
will deserve all the reproaches ever cast upon
them