The New York herald., 1876-11-06
THE LONDON STAGE.
Lunch at Guildhall to the Actors and
Actresses.
MAYOR COTTON AS A POET.
Speeches by Prominent Actors
and Litterateurs.
L.oxpox. Oct. Is. 1876

tuc AdueIou uouAe u St6rtled WOru Threw up us
hands and asked, "What nextsn Twelve months
since tho sequel came 10 pass dcputat,on from the
Royal Theatrical Fund actually Iunched at the Manson
House and shook hands with the Lady Mayoress than
whom, according to The Lord Mayor, "a better woman
never lived" Nor 's this ALL On that occasion the
Lord Mayor declared that would give him peculiar
pleasure TO have tho actors company another day.
when he might have he opportunity Of entertaining
them on = lnrgcr scale; and he's donc II.
Historic Gudha put on its best clothes
yesterday 10 welcome the players TO tie crt,
and Cog and Mnsog opened wide their eyes at
such brilliant gathering OF men and women had
before been entertained at lunch. There was
Phelps tho veteran tragedian, whose is the sy
nony OF all that honest in and There
Mr.. Blackstone and Mr. Planchd, who, between
them, eau count $50 years. There was Mr.. Alfred
wIgan one Of tho most charming comedians that
grnccd the English stage. There were Frank Marshall,
Tom Taylor, James Albcry w. 8. Gilbert and W. G.
Wills 10 prove that English dramatists not all
dead. There Mr.. Bancroft whose nnc is
visible In that is sct in the coscy Prince OF
Wales Theatre, and Arthur Cecil who clever in
comedy as he is agreeable IN society There were
Hermann Vein, whose handsome, intellectual face
would attract attention in any assembly, and Mr. John
Coleman who has shown little pluck in spend
Ing tolcrabie fortune Henry W
THE MANAGERS
.Our Boys'' came in the characters OF Messrs
Thorne aud James. Mr.. Hollingshead, with other
managers, was present, and music had sponsors in
SiSnor Ardit. John Parry. the popular Corney Grain
and many another. The press found able representa-
tives in George Augustus Saa, Clement Scott Duton
Cook, 4. L. Blanchard, J. Mortimer Charles Dickens
Mr. Ledger, Mr. Lacy, &c When tell you that
Jenny Lind, Mrs. Sterling Mrs. Vein, Miss Kate
Mar Mra nhn MtosI Iopr
Lcc Louisa Pyne, MISS Ltton, Miss Farrcn and Miss
Hodson among the ladies' you can form some
idea OF the talent assembled What CONFUSION Of
nature viii ensue duro not surmse. There Is no
telling where this sort or thing will stop, for when
exalted dignary . Lord Mayor puts himself on an
equahiy-no mean when Lord Mayor puts actors
on level with himself and allows thcm
10 shake hands with OF the best
women tnnl ever livcd-l tremble for the
foundations Of society. They undermined as
etfectuaily as though inundated by the Thames. The
line must be drawn somewhere, and II not at actors
pray. then, at whomy Shall II bc at journalistic An
astnte contemporary recently drew the portrait OF
distinguished mcmber OF the press, proudly pointing
TO HIM the only English journalist who had attained
social distinction BY all means let him be tho last,
for II journalists should be invited in body put
their legs under the Lord Mayors mahogany their
respected here rs IL Is IN France and thc United States
But let me return to the modern comedy In one act
entitled .rhc Lord Mayors Show"
Feast OF REASON
Feeding, whatever its name, whether II be break
fasting, luncbing, dining or suppng is-feeding! The
difference between feast and another depends upon
the least OF and flow OF soul that follow. In
this respect the actors lunch may hold high It's head,
tor II 10 seldom that posl-lunchial speeches
worth taking for the next mornings breakfast those
OF yesterday First, of course came the Lord Mayor
himself who lavlshed praise upon the drana to sucn
nj
cnough!o 10 say, for example, that the English
stage Is tho most perfect in the world Is sheer atlery
Every clever English actor knows that II is
nothing OF the SORT. II the Lord Mayor
acquainted with that or Franco he would modify
his statement Nor did he display much tact IN the
presence OF clever MISS FRrren aud Edward Terry TO
speak OF 'cheeriul-hcnrtcd burlcsque" as making
people laugh without leaving any good or sensible I'M
from indelicacy is legitimate art John Lecch
or Crukshank, or 'Thc Pickwick Papers, Hoods
Own.' Ii people laugh innocent fun the impression
left be good TOR body aud mind, as laughter Is a
most benetcen, medicine; and e people think that II
easy TO buresque artstcally let them 20 the
theatre and SEQ how lew can DO IT,
VETERAN PHELPS.
On being called upon TO respond TO the toast OF the
Shakespcaran DRAMA Mr.. Phelps told the story Of
north OF London, called Saddicr's Wells; how his
would not last fortnight and how 1t lasted eighteen
years. In that t,mc Mr. Phelps produced thrty-four
ShakespcrIan plays, and he pertinentiy asks II he
could do that successfully or eighteen years why
II not be done again "Why cnnpot subsidized
theatre upon moderate scale be added 10 the late edu
cation scheme by which children are forced somehow
or other in.o scnoois nantain from the experience
OF eighteen years that the damnab" iteration Of
Shakes pcarc's words II nothing more, going daily
for many months must and would produce great ci-
feet upon the pubic mind Moreover, have in my
possession hundreds OF letters from OF all sorts
stzes and conditions who came 10 at Sadders
Wells as boys and have written to me as men, TO say
they received their first gmpses OF educationa at that
,nsa.rs Il e1a'd find ,l. member Of Par
VINO would take the matter up | would
willingly devote what little OF lite remains to mo to
point out tho way in which this could be doncn Mr.
Phelps may not lind his member OF Parliament but lie
Is quite right To put forth the claims OF drama to
subsidy. Look VI the money spent by government
ou the British and South kcnsington museums ana
on the National Gallery. Potent these educa
tors, they weigh little the balance with the theatre
10 which tho masses flock, not for occasional hours
Improvement but Tor nightly amusement fear little
contradiction in declaring that peoples civilization
depends upon IT'S amuscments, and that II ever
government protection were needed In any direction
IL IS In that OF the art which nolds the mirror up TO
nature Shakespeare docs not spcIl ruin,n clever
Bo0ccault once sai u did Barry Suivans Richard
dies nightly at Drury Lane In the presence large
mnltItudes, and al the Queens Theatre, few rods
further west, "Hcnry "" fights al Agincourt with
right What was done Tor eighteen years can be done
again.
Those who talk OF the degeneracy OF the drama
should 60 back as Tom Taylor did at this lunch 10
the city, bag and baggage, by the Lord Mayor and
Aldermen, and Shakespeare himself was Obliged to
build theatres beyond the city jurisdiction. Nous
Aroma change tout celia Mr. W. @. Wills author OF
"Charles tue FIRST" aud OF tho "Nan o. Alris,, re-
pudiatcd the ot-rcpeated statement that The drama
was degeneratng, and found an able seconder in w. X
Gilbert, who asked his apprcciative audience what
they found IN looking back 10 the prosperous days of
the dramaY
DEGRADING THE DRAMA
Why, that al Coyent Garden Theatre, under tho man.
agerncnt oil Mr. Charles kemblc--an eminent shake
spcarian actor and man who OF all other men, might
be supposed To be actuatcd by profound reverence
for the works oil shakcspearehat under auspices
ana WIN MS sanction lhere was produced gross and
witiess ravesiy OF the tragedy OF .Hametn and that
MI Lston ono Of tho brondcsl low comedians of this
country payed tho part OF Ophelia Now, he vcnturcd
10 hnk, WIN all thelr degeneration, that such
rage as That would he impossible AT Drury Lane
Theatre At the present date In those days authors
turned TO Paris Tor the plots OF their pieces nstinc
lively as ladies' turned to Paris for the fashions OF
their bonnets; and although II could not be denied
that there were more 'adaptat,ons" the stage now
than Its well wishcrs would care 10 see. II
was, nevertheless significant fact that the principal
pieces played that night at Drury Lane tho Queens the
Hxv rket ho lnht sha t,.s