The sun., 1878-11-03

other theatre think II worth It's while 10 retain
'r99dit,3pns 9 t,p and actors i9I such 9 purpoee
obedience TO pubic domand. or as makeshiit
whlle the manager 10 hunting for something
l think that Mr.. wallack will answer this
question by shovelling tho old into tho closet
the moment he can Ru his fingers upon the new
a, hn elegant Dut somewhat superficial essay on
the subject assured ue the other day that " tho
most refined Of our playRoers look to these old
comedies ns an oyer.r9currine pleasure. with
tho samo delighted smtlo with which they read
aiayorte ode ot Horace or listen to the Nozze
di Figaro Of Mozart"
This j true, enough, but It ls poor encourage
ment after nll; for what manager OF practical
senao and with n theatre on his hands In New
York would risk his success with the readers Of
Horace. or what impreasaro would dare TO give
the Nozzs di Figaro" without a new Cheru-
bino TO save II
suppose enjoy tho old comedies as much
as anybody. certainly quite M much as | enjoy
reading Horace but every time that do am
aware that there are n hundred fellows in my
Harte. o'
/ have this advantage over the manager. that
can shut my eyes on these fellows.
obviously, the Horatian critics put Mr. Wal
lack In very bad box by their eulogiums Of
ms arrangement instead OF his performances,
his company is specially adapted 10 tho repre-
sentation OF the old, and people look TO his
d6evivRhls 6gonh as with ever recurring pleasure. why
thing. 4 read Alright. that he is specially
in furnishing Mr.. Waliack TO play in the Old
comedies himself. We have not another actor
upon the American stage who can for moment
Tomnntic; out, Of date roles, His Captain OF
the Watch" whips us back 10 Don Sancho OF
grandiose humoy that moves to the musio Of a
mandolin, but has the gracefulness OF mata-
dI,olr and the vigor OF knight ,errant combined.
and .Mrdble his Don CBsdr and his Bpneiitt
are are INC best authenticated color studies OF AN
When Mr.. Waack plays, old comedy ia
housed in a man, and old rs IL may bo shows
some OF its original gaycty Of heart and all Of
But il does not appear to me that Mr.. Coehlan
breathes at all deeply or freely in this yesterday
In ell the old comedies that have been pro-
duccd SO far this season he has had a conspicu-
Gus part. but you must have noticed that he APP
prnrcd to bo somewhat reduced In tho presence
OF the veterans. His IL not the hearty eXaggera-
tion OF the old school He does not inherit the
dcmonstrativo style Of the "pamy days" Ho
thinks less OF being picturesque than Of being
,rn'' ani MS standard q truth Is not theatre
but a dramatic one, Nor does he wear the
splendor Of fuss and feathers ns II he Gloried
in II. Something Of the modern contempt for
mere bla2onry sticks out Of him. when the
blaaonry is most needed. He utterly lacks the
pompous step of that comedy that was aimed
at eomrtiers and cavaliers. And 20. Mr.. Gilbert
toons with the free pencil OF a Hogarth. make
the etchings Of our Millais seem colorlcss
enough.
pressive influence Of civilization upon dramatic
eNpressi IN that the new actors feel less than
the old. This Is very hasty conclusion. They
have lesa need Of physical manifestation to
convey their feeling. That is all.
The stage had TO wait for our time to learn
that the profoundest emotions employ the
suhtleat expressions.
do not hesitate to say that II will be- another
mistake OF management II the production of a
new and neutrality-suspicious. play nt Wallack'
brings Mr.. Wallack To the front in a modern
role and shelves Mr. Coghlan.
However. q new and contempcraneous play IL
what Wallacks Theatre needs and what its
Horstian patrons expect. They have not done
Justice a. tho old comedies. which arc there
played with unuuestionahle excellence.
Can any one say with certainty that they
would not rueh 10 "A new "Shaughraun " Rs to
an ever recurring pleasure and with something
more than the delighted smile that thoy give 10
Horace or the "Nozle III Figaro2'
The pr lblem OF the modern theatre Is how to
combine the best acting ability upon the most
immediate themes. think We caro- less for the
Captain AbsOhde and Charles surface OF genteel
tradition than We do for the live new typo which
Mr. Denmnn Thompson has brought down
from New Hampshire.
True. W. ought TO revere the past and keep
the types OF beauty fresh ~ long as We can
But the oughtness Of art may well be left out Of
sight occasionally-at least while we study the
impressive Is NYM CRINKLE