Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-01-03

MEMPHIS THEATEE, = Tonight Mr..
Barry Sullivsn will appear as Richard
III, or, more properly speaking, as
Richard, Duke of Gloster, afterward
Richard III, for he does not appear as
king until the second scene OF the fourth
act Of the drama. The play is full Of
splendid scenes and incidents; the ia
nous soliloquy, commencing NOW is
the winter of our discomfort" ETC., by
Gloster; the scene between Gloster and
Lady Anne in the presence Of the corpse
of King Henry vi; that scene between
Gloster and Queen Margaret-the muir
der of Clarence in the Tower of London,
the scene between Gloster and the citi-
zens of London, the assumption Of the
throne by Gloster as Richard III, the
battle of Bosworth field, Richards
speech, when, haunted by the ghosts of
the murdered princes and mobiles, COM
mencing, Give me another horse;
bind up my wounds" etc; the com
bat between Richard and Richmond
and death Of the tyrant. The
play is full of fine ~soliloquies and
dialogues, forming one Of the finest
tragedies written by the immortal Shaka-
pesre. Before the time Of Elizabeth
the drama was in a chrysalis state. 1t
began to develop under the reign of
Henry VIII, about the middle of the
sixteenth century, the FIRST plays at that
time being Ralph Register Doyster, a
comedy written by Nicholas Udel; Mis-
ogonus, a comedy written by Thomas
Richards ia 1860; Gammer Gurton's
Needle, written in 1865 by John Still;
Ferrsx and Porrex, the earliest known
tragedy in England, written by Thomas
Saxville, afterward Earl of Dorset, and
played before Elizabeth in 1851; Damon
and Pythias, written by Richard Ed
wards, was acted before Elizabeth at
Oxford in 1856. The immediate prede-
cessors Of Shakespeare as dramatists
we're Richard Edwards, George Gas
%coine, John Lily, Thomas Nash,
Robert Greene, Christopher Marlowe.
Thomas Lodge, George Peele, etc.
Then came the great Shakespeare and his
great contemporary, Ben Jonson, his only
rival; Beaumont and Fletcher, who en-
gagged in a literary partnership as dram
atists, and whose plays even rank higher
than those of Ben Jonson; George Chap
man, Marcus Middleton, John Msrsdeu.
Thomas Decker, John Webster, Philip
Messenger, William Rowley, John Ford,
Thomas Haywood, Thomas Randolph,
and James Shirley the last Of the school
of dramatists of the Shakspearean era.
Strange as It may appear, the works of
these fine dramatists have passed into
oblivion, having paled their Intellectual
fires before their great master Shak-
speare, and Of the humorous plays not
one of them now holds the stage except
that wonderful creation, A New Way to
Pay Old Debts, by Messenger, and this
only keeps the stage OIL account Of the
effective and original character of Sir
Giles 0verreach." 1t would take a large
volume to review the dramatic works of
these contemporaries of the greatest of
all, and We merely give their names to
show the origin and progress of the
drama in England. Mr.. Sullivan will be
ably supported by Mr.. Cathcart and a
strong stock company. On to. morrow
night the ever and deservedly popular
drama, Hamlet, will be the attraction,
with Mr.. Sullivan in the title role.
MYERS OPERA HOUSE This popular
tplace of resort is open nightly under the
management of Mr.. Eugene F. German.
A varied performance is presented each
evening by the members of the variety
company. Tonight Mile Barretto, va
riety artist, will appear, and an Indian
drama entitled "Osceola," will be pre-.
scented by the company.
The FEMALE M1EsTRELs. - Nine.
Rentz's Female Minstrels perform at As.
sembly hail tomorrow and Wednesday
evenings, January 4th and 9th. The
agent, Mr.. Sherman, authorizes the as.
surance that these entertainments are
free of anything gross or improper. In
addition to the miustrelsy performance,
q famous Can-Can troupe will appear on
the boards, and give selections from Gel.
ebrated ballots.
Fresh oysters received daily ner ex.