The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-08-19
THE STAGE.
Obstacles to the Production
Of New Plays.
The Views of Dramatists,
Actors and Managers.
MUSIC AND THE DRAMA.


Az the dramatic season is about open for the year
ls77-7s II may be well TO adducs tow facts which
vil illustrate tho condition OF tho American stage in
Is relations TO actors and dramatsta During the last
uve wears tho question has been often asked 'why can
We not have q distnctivsly American dramaf" The
answer 10 this Is very smple-we cannot have dis
tiuctiveiy American drama because nothing American
Is distinctive except the indian and he is u creature
peculiarly unsuitcd for representa- on on the stage
Even the genus Forrest cond not invest the CHAR
po,sr OF Metanora with genuine interest and Sitting
Bus career would tire the patience even OF Bowsry
ua,opce Not one of Cooper's tales would be accept
able as a drama, has been shown by more than one
wainwright and apart from Cooper one has
bson able TO deal with Indian characteristics &C.
eeptxby even in novel; The Indian is
m, best only typo and all Indians are as
Ike as two peas. THIS closes the field for n dis
tinctiye drama in that direction, while all things else
which have been called American are not even types.
but only exagserations MIR. Raymond shows thus in
Colonel Sellers Mr.. Florence still further exempaes
AZ in the Hon. BarGwe Siote, and every actor who has
sred to has proved 1t more or less con-
cus,vey. But thar We might have an American
drama in the sense that we have TN American
literature there can be no doubt The writings Of
lopssow will last long the English language is
spoken In history In fiction and in poetry the htea-
ture Of America inferior to that OF England 1t
Is only In criticism and in playwriting that be-
hind the OF the world and tho reason Of this is
that our actors managers will not endure the
nor give scope the other An earnest crtque, even
If kindly meant, would raise storm, and the truth,
unless It Is smothcred in honeyed words until 1t loses
its essence altogether, is unpaiataDle.
GOING TO LONDON TO REACH NEW YORK.
This whole subject IS OF the greatest i'm portance,
and with n view Of arriving at some dehnte judgment
concerning reporter OF the HERALD was sent amo
those who supposed to be best informed IN regard
TO Il Tor tho purpose of elictng opinions and CON-
pairing results Among the persons interviewed was
well known literary man, who was understood TO be
the author OF q number Of plays which have not yet
been produced.
al hear" the reporter said, "that you have some
new plays ready for production. May ! ask you why
you do not put them to tho test OF public approba
tion ?n
'That Is a question moro easily asked than
rwered" was tho response ~ have several plays rs
sou say, and think they arc good playa which per-
baps is not surprising No ope except few personal
friends has them, and Tor the present think
J shall not bother about them."
'why notf" The reporter inquired.
s'Because | do not know where could offer Thorn
with tho slightest chance OF having them accepted
can't think just of manager In Now 0rk who
would even take the trouble read them. If you
promise not 10 PRINT my name or give the public any
Idea of my identity will tell you what intend dong
with snem." Tho pledge given and then the
well known literary continued:--'.l going to
send them 10 London Tor production there. My
rangements 10 that end nearly completed, and If
they have any thing like the success that anticipate
for them shall laugh heartily at the struggle Of Amer
lean managers 10 gam possession OF them"
81 SHOULD not be surprised If your device succeeded,
the reporter said IL met Barley Campbell In Pitts.
burg year ago, and he told me then he was going
abroad 10 superiutend the production OF his pieces in
the Engnsh provinces DO you know what measure
OF success he had IN hR undertu king?'
81 not the response, ''but from what have
heard believe his was fully commensurate
with the merit OF his pieces. see by the HERALD
that combination Is to travel this winter with his
comedies and 1t is possible that If he succeeds oil
round the world he will be able to get hearing in
New York some time in the regular season.'
THE RISKS OF THEATRICAL ENTERPRISE.
Pursuing his Investigations the reporter CHANGED to
meet Mr. Leon j. Vincent the we'll known stage
manager at Booths Theatre and Nibos Garden under
the management OF Jarrett 4 Palmer. "Well Mr..
Vincent what is the dramatic ook for the coming
season ?" asked the reporter It Is far from
aging" Mr. Vincent REPLIED ''although results may be
bette: than now seems possible"
'You are not inclined 10 give up the ship, then I"
said the reporter "Don't you think that everything
In tho dramatic way has been completely overdonc in
The last ten ycars? "Far from itn was he an wcr
''The New York stage backed by population OF more
than million does not give employment moro than
two thousand people all told, while London employs
over twenty thousand In the best times theatres
are not patrenized as they should be- for II they were
fully i've thousand persons woua hnd work in
catering for the amusement OF Inc rest of
the population" This is novel view OF
the theatrical condition," the reporter said
laughing Novel, perhaps but trae 1t is a
greater calamity than people imagine when a theatre
closes It's DOORS Tncre Booths Theatre Tor instance
Whea IL open under an enterprlsing Infringement it
gives bread 10 hundreds OF iames The class peo-
pie employed 10 II canuoI easily lind employment else
where, and the suffering consequent upon ITS close
something wrou scarcely be estimated. can not
look at It's barred doors and sompre walls w,nout
lively oil the csiamities % when they IN
aicationr lit rs astonishing that such saeuincent
tnoatre snoua BIZ idle what rs the raason1' "fhe
outlay necessary TO open and Keep open Is great
that in the best OF times few men have either
Tho resources or the courage 10 manage H. single
produc,ion like 'Sardan apalus costs ortune, and
such these capitalists averse 10 undertake
man oane to me not long ago and SAID he Was wiling
TO put 900 IN theatrical enterprise If he could be
certain OF getting ~ olt again. could only tell him
that Just now ibere Gould DO no such certainty"
RRMEDY IL IN AMERICAN PLAYS.
Mr. Vincent's reasoning seemed so antagonistc 70
his hopes that the reporter pursued the subject 10
ascertain, possible, whether The suge manager mad
any remedy 10 suggest by which The Theatre could be
made prosperous IL mad intended ask ng you, " he
said, wny rs that 30 few new plays produced In
New York nowadays, bnI what you tell me seems u
iull answer W my question. SIN, want TO pursue
the subject httis iurther. What advice would you
give drams,ist wno mad good play aud wanted to
produco II III this city ~
"l am AFRAID should have to give him PUpch's ad-
vice 70 people about TO marry--don't. IL would de-
pend on circumstances however, whether should
lake this gloomy view OF H. ii the dramatst YOU
speak Of bad really good play which afforded scope
Tor acting and was full OF novel effects were
too expensive, and, besides had money To back his
Enterprise, would say TO him. take theatre anu do
u. That Is the only way Just now. But, he had
money ana wanted me TO mud a place for his
play wouia have To tell Tim frankly that coulo not
DO II The o,ner day thrce good pieccs--a comedy,
drama aud musical spcctacie-were psoed my DIS
posal, but | don't know manager TO whom | can
sven offer thcm. toa the gentleman who brought
these pieces that unless he could procure the