, 1879-01-05
THE MODERN DRAMA.

Another Managers OpufonS-11r. Palmer'$
y1ewa of Shakspcare's Unpopu1arity, Sum
day Performances and Their immortality,
and of Manager 1IcVicker, of Chfcago-He
Thinks Shalsspcare's Plays Unpopular Be
cause Immoral Compared with Modern
French Dramas.
Ne,o York Tribune, Jan. .
In an interview with alr. McVicker, the vete-
ran manager, lately published in the Tribune,
reference was made to the fact that the custom
of Sunday evening theatrical performances,
long prevalent in New Orleans, was spreading
to other cities. Some curious comments were
also made by Mr.. AicVicker on the unpopularity
of the Shakspearean drama, which from his
position as the Western manager most promt-
nent in maintaining the legitimate drama, and
also from his relations to EdwinBooth the leading
Shakspearean actor, excited considerable COM
ment. Coupled with these curious statements
were some good-uaturcd auima1versions upon
A. VI. Palmer, of the Union Square, who has
become identified in most minds Us the special
producer of French plays. To enable Mr..
Palmer to reply in Kind to these, and at the
same time to elicit his views upon the subjects
Of Sunday performances and the alleged up-
popularity Of Shakespeare, reporter OF the
Tribune waited upon that gentleman yesterday
afternoon, and by few leading questions e1-
cited tue manager to say number OF sharp
things upon several subjects.
Being asked If he agreed with Dir. McVicker
in regard to .s.thc evil tendencies that have
lowered the standard of the drama Of late
years. Mr. Palmer laughed and said: II am
afraid that Manager McVicker's late troubles
have somewhat jaundiced his views OF our pro-
gressiye and beaithful present. l don't think
T.. --n1a +f>o1 1rat%
jeremy Collier lashed $50 years ago. I know,
and so do you, that the drama OF to-day is, to
say the least, as moral as that OF
Shakespeare. and ten times more decent.
Mr. McVicker admits that the Shak-
spearean drama never was popular with the
masses. He think, ,because he requires thought
to understand 1t. I think, because It requires
a cast-iron stomach to accept it. The TACT is,
the American Of to-day is the most continuously
thoughtful, su btle, aud pcrceptiye OF human
beings in any age or cline. YET this thought
full American, who has annihilated distance,
weighed the stars, and bored for the centre OF
the Garth, turns bis back on the ShaKspearean
drama in the theatre, not because it possesses
too much thought for him, but because its
thoughts are too nastily expressed to suit his
civilized taste. The truth is, that while fmmor-
ality In all ages has been the subject Of the stageas
well as of the pulpit, the manner OF its treat
mcnt, to achieve theatrical popularity, must be
in accord with the manners Of the age in which
aye drunkenness, theft, murder, and adultery
to-day as there was in the days of Shakespeare,
and the stage takes Just as much cognzance OF
each, but the rough obscenity in rhyme, the
nasty pictures in blank verse, suggestive OF the
animal or carnal side OF all these appcttcs
which was reflected in Shakespeare, Massinger,
and Ford, arc in our day decently vei1cd from
sight when presented on our stage
We will, it IS true, cit in our theatres
and watch the $ufterines OF Camille, the
and hpr EfrT1rrfeg hnt no
this because the struggle OF her repentance aud
not the dirt Of her vi"e Is protruded Oh public
attention, by the manner OF the modern dram
mist. But day BY day the feeling OF modern
blages of men and women and young girls, the
picture OF Uan,la Inning In nauseous colors
thu actual doines in the incestuous bed OF his
own mother. It is not olir morality that
shrinlzs from the picture, but our stomach
which is nauseated by the manner OF
its presentation. The French drama of
to-day, OF whose success A1r. McVicker
SO feeliuglY complains, owes its superiority over
thu uid legitimate draula TO the superior decency
OF its manner Of treating precisely the same
Alo!ierc. It Is not that the age likes tee phlos-
ophy and poetry OF Shakespeare less, but that to
likes decency more. Another rcasor why
Shakespeare is SO little popular on the stage IS
that he is 'stale.' Partridge is good eating;
but would you like to eat partridge at every
meal in every day Of the tt.eatrleai year! yea
Another. reason still why Shakespeare
is not popular is that ne neither
have uor ever had sutac1ent number
of actors endowed With the genus 10 70 cas-. one
mcnts Of his imagination ana OF the sympathy
nf the reader Of Shakespeare with that imasgina
tion.'
II don't think that any art has deteriorated,
| nor do see ia IN age when knowledge, taste.