New-York tribune., 1875-10-13
THE AMERICAN DRAMA.


TO the Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR: Much has been said and written for
some time past concerning "The coming American
drama and divers have been given for the low
state native dramatic literature One declares we
have no payrights worthy the name; another insists
that brains are entirely lacking in such American plays
as are produoe,l aud condemns them all trash st
Others assert society s not sufficiently crysallzed IN
America to afford material for American comedy ana
that tho ability does not exist among our wi1teis 10
utilize for dramatic purposes, such material ~ we
have The lack OF American drama u attrio-
uted, not 10 the puhc-which ia ready 10 accept
anything good ybodynot TO the managers VINO
are willing produce American plays az faSt "a ene
plays be written ~ for representations "nV 10
lack OF SKIN in construction; inability to present charac
ter upon the stage. and plentiful lack OF w.t. oras
sense dramatic perception upon the part OF inc e"
American playwrghts.
Nearly every day-certaDly every weeh-the same as
sorns are repeated by those who write of the drama
and upon dramatic subjects and tho production OF any
American play announced as such, Is snhcieht 10 SCI
critical pens nyinc with renewed vgor.
vii vou kindly permit one OF these mucbwrittenabout
American dramasts, who has probably inflicted more
p!ays-good, bad, and iniiacIcnt-upon our enduring
aud patient public, during the last % years, than any
other offender i'm the way, 10 say Few words on
subject and present his views in regard to the rea
sons why good American plays rarely come To The eur
facet
That few, n any, really mcritorous American PLAYS
have been produced upon the American stage OF Etc
years undenlahc fact; but is mistake 70 assert
as Que writer docs that managers continually on the
lookout for American PLAYS, with greater desire 70 pro
ducc them the authors have 20 have them pro-
duced American managers like AL other persons who
are governed by pu-ly commercial considerations are
not oveanxOus encourage anybody or any interest
which Is not their The true reason why the public
are not invited as often 70 witness American plays
M IL is invited to assist at the representation
OF the works OF EngEh or French drama
lists is simply because American managers do
nothing whatever to foster encourage American
dramatic writing Not that they have any prejudice
against American plays per but that in giving tie
preference TO the works of English and French authors
they are governed simply by commercial ideas and IN
erests and avoid the risks which the English on French
manager assumes when ho produces the works OF En-
gsh or French authors The American manager aN "Ls
himself of the enterprise pluck, and Judgment OF The
foreign manager when the plays which they have pro
Guced have proved successful abroad, while his own en-
eprise pluck and lberaty extend no further th'h lo
lowing the path which somebody else has discovered Tor
him When foreign play receives the stamp OF approval
and success American manager swide awake enough,
and there instant struggle for precedence in secur
ing the prize. The agent of the English OF French
author. who claims the paternity Of the drawing play
becomes object OF interest Immediately and is besct
by rival entorprng MANAGERS, each seeking TO outbd
or outgeucI the oilers and thus opportunity
Of displaying his pluck and ibcralty by the production
Of an assured success.
foreign MANAGER risks hundreds sometimes
thousands Of pounds, in the production Of plays
written by native authors, and takes his chances for sue
cess or failure his judgments bat the American mana
ger takes no riskS except few hundred dollars in
soenery and takes no chances at all. lie must have
cure thing nothing. Ills Judgment Is not taxed, eX-
cept 20 far as it required to decide which of the two
10 choosetle PTislau success or the London one He
paws the foreign author a few francs few pounds
sets his stage after the original models which he buys
with the manuscripts, and depends for the rest upon
muticoorcd posters and the tact and "nfluence" of
his business mana er in "managing the press"
There is scarcely thcltcr in the city which dOes not
contain rcams of new plays written by Americans, mGny
-most-of which doubtless worthless; but there are
among the mass of Iubbsh-the offspring of unskled
or inexperienced persOns-sOme, perhaps, which
may be worthy Of managers consideration. But the
risk the cost Of production, the scenery, the properties
the furniture the mU ic, andereaest bugboar of all
the authors fees These all cost money, and the play
may fail To draw There is risk, and the play il re-
turned to the American author "wh thanks after
long timc and the enterprisug manager turns TO The
JOn6ot Horned Tie Figaro, The london Times or The
Era La Presse CAQrraii to find attraction which
has the prestige Of already achieved. Such
playwIights 81 We havc-th0se who by long ex-
porionce, much practice and study, acluant-
auce with tho requirements Of the stage,
and the capacities OF our STOCK 0ctorsSeek In VAN Tor an
opportunity for the production of terbest works for the
theaers closed to them. Booths given M TO stars;
the Union Square 10 DEnnery Sarou and the Porte St.
"Mimi" and the Mn az Honor "-comes out triumph
ill All gaps between The English productions The Fifth
Avenue Our Boys FOR opening for lack Of
Rose Mchrl." to he followed by some other " play OF
cotemporucous interest by Mr. Daly, who IL his own
dIamatist, and " brooks no llval near the throne
Under these circumstances our native play must
TO write OF write for the only market loft 20 then
Tie heaters arr smut AGAINST thrn-Gey are not permit
Ted 20 write for them. they must therefore write Tor
stars and they must write for stars what the stars
want aud adapt Themselves TO the Class OF people among
please the star and the star VIII not Ne pleased unless he
lie she must be tho prominent figure IN every picture
fr eo,e I lie sock stand with their backs TO the an
dcnce and only say DO enough TO feed the star with
Wis her for points situations" or effects"
Under such rcstricti1Ys how is It possible for
our few paywiights to Irodugc ANYTHING but
trash-auythinc worthy Of the consideration
or COMMUNICATION OF people Of taste culture,
and refnemcntl There are other reasons why have
moro American plays among tnem ore which is
quite effective IN staying hands Of at least two
who have the capacity for better WORK than they have
opportunities iOi producing. Iis IS tie evident dsSe
the part of dramatic critics TO betile the work
OF native writers know OF few dramatic critics, so
called in the large cities OF America who have not the
ambition To wriie plays Every wandering star and
every manager viii ndorse this statement Tney nave
control of te columns OF newspaper OF mo.e OF less
instruction Pat az Dunuy brook Fair Whenever sou
head lit it," especially If it lie tie head OF an
American playwright, Tor every one thus squelched
the criucs cuauccs for recognition the greater.
Managers aware Of this, are less anxious Tor American
PLAYS manager once sad 10 me: You axe not popu-
with the piess, my dear fellow! The newspapers
would pitch you after whether yUur play should
BE- good or bad IL you had tie press at your back, we
might do something with your play" Mr.. stuart the
o;hCrday mentioned notable lie took the risk Of
p9duclng Mis- Jua Ward liOWes very eXceii,nt play,
" TIE Way Oi the WOTld, With star-Matildd Heron,
IIeEemitr-in the principal part Ii was well written,
te story was q GOOD one, idtui pure ana interesting,
tho dialogue was uneNoeptJual aud II was well placed
ON the e. 'se aud well acted But 1t was bounded to
attn by The critics on account OF It's native origin one
OF tic very cw plays not written for stars when have
hsd tnc opio.tGulIy Of ProGGcnS IN New YORK. " INC
Magic .iarfdrc, was brought ont at Waliio@s during
tie nrst season ~ tnc present ue9tcr knowing tat n