Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-07-27
The Theater.

Many of u.s. in looking back on our ex-
perience of fifty years of life, must recall
some instances of merciful interposition,
when our own will, purpose and determina-
ton have been set aside by al unseen but
powerfully felt agency, and we, with our will
and purpose set, have been compelled to take
an entirely opposite course from that we
had planned, or have been mysteriously, or
| would rather say providentially, hindered
from carrying out our determined plans.
When quite young man, had an intense
desire, almost amounting to a passion, to
adopt the theatrical profession. l was fas-
cinated by the theater, stage-struck, enam-
ored Of all dramatic representation. The
gorgeous dresses, the music and lights, daz-
zled me. went home to my lodgings fas-
cinated carried out of myself How mean
and poor was my little bedroom, and what
dreary monotony of life mine was, plod-
ding in shop to learn trade Trade, pro-
fession, occupation, business-all was tame,
slow, groveling, compared with the glorious,
the grand, the bewildering pursuit of the
actor. Again and again, / enjoyed the de
licious enchantment, and fully determined
that must be an actor-I must strut my
hour upon the stage. | envied the poor
stick who came on to remove the tables and
chairs, the poor, despised supe; even the
| doorkeeper was an object of interest. Yes
| was smitten. | left New York, and for
awhile | worked in Providence, where be-
came acquainted with some gentlemen at
tached to the theater, lost good situation
through neglect Of my duties and fascina-
tion for the stage, and through the influence
of Mr.. Barry, obtained an engagement at
the Lion Theater, Boston. Surely | am
now at the summit of my ambition-a per-
manent engagement on the staff of artists
at regular theater. Before, it had been an
occasional appearance to fill up gap at
temporary place of entertainment. Alas
| found the gold to be tinsel. Here / ac-
quired thorough distaste for all theatrical
representations, and all the genius and in
tellect displayed by the most famous actor
has not, and never can, reconcile me to the
sham, tinsel crowns, the pasteboard goblets,
the tin armor, the paltry spangles, cotton for
velvet, all make-believe, the combats and
the sham blood Even the nightly disguise
became an annoyance; the painting the
face, corking the eyebrows, penciling the
wrinkles, the doing up with false whiskers,
hair, moustache, the French chalk, the
rouge, the burnt cork, to say nothing Of the
habiliments, rendered the whole thing at the
last odious to me; and | never felt meaner,
or had less self-respect, than when ! was
bedzened to do some character. How men
of ability and common sense can submit to
this caricaturing, night after night, passes
my poor comprehension. In that theatsr
found some men of education in the higher
walks of the profession; but oh, the olsen
chantmentl The beautiful women were,
some OF them, coarse and profaue the noble
gentlemen often mean, tricky, and sponging
In fact, the unreality of it, the terrible temp
tation to the lower forms of vice, especially
to those of the nervous, excitable tsmpera-
ment, increased by the falsehood and fiction
involved in their profession, in seeming to
be what they never were or could be, study
ing virtue to represent it on the stage, while
their lives were wholly vicious, repelled me.
john B. Cough.