New-York tribune., 1877-08-31
THE DECLINE or THE DRAMA.
DION BoUcIcAUIT on THE PRESENT CONDITION OF
TIE STAGE.

DION BOUCICAULT on The PRESENT CONDITION OF
TIE STAGE.
Mr.. Dion Boucicault contributes to the new
number OF The North Aertean ReUiec letter addressed
TO Cs.'.'s E's'e" on the contemporary drama lie
says:
earnestly lelleve the human mind always MAINTAINS
the samc average level There is always Homer, VIZ
gil Dante. and Shakespeare n existence, put ,i ai
fashion pre- vailed 800 The world seiing a
other things de, called forth painters anu scu,p @
fors TO beautify the temples Of God and the pa.
of princes, and immediately the gTea, o,S9e i p
appeared beaded by Rnbeps Iiin Michael Ase,v, s os
great poets are freaks Of Nature bnt the necessary
results Of human demand IL we nave no such 10 yo,s, ~
paintors sculptor, philosophers now u - SIMPLY pe
cause tho mind OF the niucteenth century @ l@lts
other aspirations. So our Mhion bas ,%t neeh
ming wlich sctnce has bridled Shakespeare Is
occupied 10 citing 9nns ~ dcIc an
canal; Bacon is trying 10 reach the North Poe GLS @
intellect no longer nedltaIye active. Ii bas been ~
yertcd by command of the world To Other O9ec's' anu
has accented other functions. r.,
TGcse my dear r., seem TO me the maiu cause for
tie decline Of the draiea; and Why Hercules Is splH y
ought 10 have rested il s further decline to tne
destructive nAGehce Of the newspaper press .
ago In iic language turf It was sired by Essay
ont Flying Post At first It's object was SIMPLY TO lt-
cuiac news. lhen IL DtE1i 10 ,oi
As mankind became more aud more Dnsy ia eonn.eicai
Affairs they had less time for Inedltaon, anu L We ~
very convenient 20 buy opinions ready h'u'' .hu ~
have Their minds made up Tor theu without uie oums
OF consideration SO This machine soon c,me MO w ~
vefsai use. ana the slow craftsman oi literature, tne V
fashioned thurer the weayerO sound, strOl argument
finding mar&et Tor his laborlousy hsl1h,n , DI1n-
produce became press man ING ,Ao'.ue M p-
now calls upon him FOR so mulch composition noi I"r
thought lie writes by the yard IL materi no: Wh.Aei
l. faculties are ill a Wgl-dispOsCd IN NCln Ct
ont ~ gear; copy must be bad Ihis daily ulklnE OF
hs brain tins eternal ulfrufa Q, eHoutnsi na3 t
tateG h.s mental system ne Is .Gei ils uCa.oS ~ ~
write for commonplace mtclccts-tnat - 10 tlcat MS
subject IN q shallow snowy manner, rs 'the impress
sio" is Only intended I'VE fora uay eu,
truth OF what lac writes lthat D. -econHi4y
mat;cr ne Is urged tc be acy and 30 learns 10 cover
with pciuC,s style his halHess of treatment ana 10
rut satin face upon a sh0ddy argument.
as If affrcts the constitution Of literature Il is needless
here alude 90 It's power and services as cohesive
&C. D.oiar ifs dynasty st was obliged to absorb onr
power az cssayists and degrade our independence We
became subject 20 training - which, II may 5e SAID TIE
march Ui intellect WAS Ie-uat'9 "j nc tI.oIlal ~
step this IL raised disciplined force Dut Dy
AS the newspaper press prcspercd so IN proper
tion have the poet the novelist ana me dranast Dis
l.t authors ncaded by Byron, shelley, Moore scott,
sheridan, Colman, BuWer and kn?Wes FORMED 9ut IL,
DerOd Tiey are private soldiers in the ranks OF the
pp,asg Hv y1i ever examined meditaiively the coun-
t,r OF bookseller Have yCu not Ouru nine out OI ten
works fiction displayed th,re Tor sale To De me
prodnct Of male brainst Why 90 women aimc5t mo-
un are recruited for the ranks of The press. That s
wherefore WCmen doinS their work IN tie Aeids
Bat Il may be remarked that surely sturdy brain
would rebel against THIS consumption anu iesOmtry pre-
d,prcciofue te products or t1utrre cultivated NIL
,is az resters win mo Intelligence aboyc or beyond The
scope OF newspaper article. Thi, mmuudinOus Try IL
habit the shoals Thought OyerN Lening the seFct lew
WHO st have stomach for works OF greater reach ana
In the drama the mschieyous influence Of the press b
still more fatal IN its ELECTS II has superseded ana n
placed band of critics that used 20 stand upon guard
90 actr Tis scifeleetsd iroSp of exa-cscd ana ex-
peIIeucad folk IdUg itself in It's power and s office,
was chceruly recognized by The rest OF me pubic as
leader i'm taste 1t was the body-euard al the drama.
o..
ihc ntWsDuptI press, ands he Old critical Dana mas prn
dissolved Unfortunately the newspaper criuc is, and
ursIip,s As low
state of health is liable 70 Jet in "A score Of maa-
dies, 80 low stale OF he drama has developed tle
commercial mauager. This person in most instances rr-
ccyed his education in baI.oon possibly on the far
been gamblers. Few Of them could compose Dll of tie
play where the spelling and grammar would not as
grace au urchn under ten years OF age. These men
nave obtained possession Of hlscllss theatre, ana
ussumo ia exercise the artistic Hu9 literary lunrCons
required tO the ACTORS, 20 read and determine te
OF dramatic wol rs, ana preside gehcFaI over tbe
highest and biest ,horts oi te hui'h nid ne Ki'St
Theatres "f London ore ii~d men OF tLI ga75 I no
Kenblr, hic.ard Brnsey SheI IAN -hHcfra1f Ee"r-e
tolnu ant Charles kcan To tnc cOp'ut rcal manager
@ 1r rgirn of buiioouerv We owe MIN also tLc dold2r
oi Fcach pl,s that sct i with lsl2 aud swamped tie
T6r example. me usual price received by sher'da.
Knowles. Bu.vor and Taifourf a. th1t tIlt Tor TIC
I0i Hf comedy L"l""u d c .. H.
amount tl' MANAGER Douell o." i'l egg NJ 'a, ing tie
wo * for his season. Ilute lat rt pH fd hr"
Play 60 principal London the ii t.a-tr IN i'i
ur 100 IT, In reply tO nt '. ,rtta ln ihc sl.H-
moss Of tie cum, De icmara r, % J - 20 To fhHS
and select hrStc.ass cout.it Att's M'ii u ttI-
.l..satcd viii cost M 225 Why sAouli | give You
R3OO or 5000 for your comedy of The success Of vhch
canuo feel so assufodW The arglimrn was unanswrt-
ablc ana the result inevitable sold work for tIOO
that took months hard work To comp se ana ae-
cppte n G. .nlnissou translate three French plays at
$50 apiecc. 1I!s work afforded me chld's play for
fortnight. Thus the Ln-hsh dramatist was obliged
either gcniush tine stage altogether or to become
French cOpyist.