The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-02-19
The Centennial Dramatic Epoch.

| LUs in Greece, TERENCE i'm Rome, SHAKE
sPEARE in England. MoLIERE i'm France,
and LEss1NG in Germany. The Elizabeth
an era gave TO our English tongue its high
| est dramatic expression. In that golden
age of the drama the brightest geniuses of
the time directed their steps thitherward.
| We wonder now, rs we read the rich and
| abundant dramatic literature OF that eff
fulgent day. 1t the easy achievements OF
the giants of the Elizabethan age. Even
| If all English dramatic literature had died
out with SHAKESPEARE aud Ben JoNsoN,
we should still have had in the great store
house filled by them and their contcmpo-
raries suflciency of dramatic food for all
time.
The histrionic nrt has also had its cpochs
OF peculiar brIlhancy. TALMA, SpDoNs.
GARRlCK, KEAN. BoorH, RACHEL, mark the
points of its highest development; and
there has just died at Paris FREDERIC, X
LEMAiTRE, the greatest comedian OF this
immediate day. While dramatic literature
is always its own imporishnblc monument,
the actor who nobly in;-rprcts that lit
craturc has raised 10 his memory only the
shadowy pillar Of tradition. Though pu-
ritan zeal has fought a continuous heht for
three centuries against the stage, vet men
still regard the mimic art rs affording the
choicest of their relaXations and the most
delightful of their amusements.
We begin the Centennial year with
packed theatres and an extraordinary in
tcrcst In the drama. New geuiu,cs are
Offering contributions to dramatic litera-
ture. and hands experienced IN other de-
tNnt q 10.
selves with the construction OF plays. The
public waits with hushcd breath for the
Centennial drama, and we fancy we al
most hear the scratching of the pens of
the absorbed geniuses, so eager is our Curl
| osity and so keen our desire. A popularity
of the Centennial epoch In the history Of
the drama is that the stage is aluring to
its boards men distinguished in the ranks
of law, journalism, and polite letters.
This is something entirely new, and pro-
vocative of much thought in the student
of the drama.
TUPPER's Centennial drama. Washing
ton" has already been launched in POKER
SCHENCK's London drawing room, Col FoR-
NEY breaking the traditional bottle at the
naming of the craft, which is of the heav-
over here with il, and to plough his way
through the seas of popular applause. A
remarkable circumstance about this con-
tribution TO the drama of the Centennial
epoch Is that an American gentleman had
previously written play similar to TIP
PER's in plot and treatment, and yet
neither author was aware OF the work with
which the other was occupying himself
There is ample evidence that there was no
collision between the two, no plagiarism
one from the other, and not even a knowl-
edge OF the one that the genius Of the other
had wrestled with the same theme. This Is
an event in literature. We find parallels TO
II, however, in the world of science where
two independent Investigators have at ono
and the same time reached hike conclu-
sions and perfected the same discovery.
II shows that the light which pours in
upon one mind may also be sent from the
same luminous orb Of genius for another
Still taking 1t all in all, we have
had enough of TUPPERs Washington;"
and if he should keep II in England and
stay with II, we might truthfully say that
their room was better than their company.
TUPPER HOLLANDS entrance into the
dramatic field we regard as one of the
most startling events Of the Centennial
epoch. He has been steadfast opponent
OF the stage ms II was aud il. He has be-
walled its wickedness and lamented its
illppancy. He has found the drama inn
moral and Of debasing tendency. He has
groaned over the loose lives Of actors and
actresses, ana turned a shuddoring gaze
from the destinations of the surroundings
and associations of the theatre. Meantime
he has devoted himself to writing verses
that might be read with an unheaving
breast, novels that did not quite absorb
the most fanciful reader, and essays that
refused to provoke troublesome thoughts.
When, therefore, we find it deflnitivoly an
nounced in JAY GoULDs Tribune that
UPPER HOLLAND, with the assistance OF
Miss GLIDER, has completed the dramati-
cation of "Sevenoaks" We pause to
cut notch in the dramatic tally stick.
The moral bard plunges into the theatric
arena, not ablaze with tinsel and gorgeous
with carmine and orode, but ondued in
the sober robes OF n didactic teacher His
mission is to rcgenerate the stage, afore-
time given over to the counterfeitng of
human passions, and 10 the tragedies and
comedies of actual or ideal life. 1t Will be
as safe for the most innocent person TO go
to see TUPPER HOLLANDS "Sevenoaks rs
1t would be for him to occupy a seat at the
lllppodrome to listen to Brother MooDY's
eNhortations and Brother SANKEY'S
spiritual songs. If the experienced thea
tire goer shall yawn over the performance
as bore and ask to be pulled out of that
ttftll
not in proper state 10 listen to the moral
lessons OF UPPER HOLLAND, ana does not
uesire 10 nave the theatre regenerated
AFTER the fashion proposed by the moral
bard. 1t is doubtful If any theatre harm
less enough can be found for the enacting
OF UPPER HOLLANDS "sevenoaks,"