New-York tribune., 1884-01-09
oTHE AMERICAN DR4MA."
,,rcruRE by JUDGE BARRETT BEFORE THE NINE
TEENTH CENTURY CLUB.

Indigo George c. Barrett delivered an ADDRESS
-, The American Drama last night at the meeting VI
Az Nineteenth Century Club at the house OF Courahu'
palmer. No III East Twenty-hrst-st
Judge Barrett said in part:
Tho American drama does not differ from any other
Io saTa IN The distinctive form which our republican
sst,tnons take. Wherever there Is nulan Igalt g,
there drama The % PessSS1 o ihrce great prom
p paf caTses first the lack of general art cniturei
seconrailns effect Of the While all these are
bnnlcoble 10 the American drama tbe! aso ~ " ~
tl5ft tl5, ~ the whole subject OF dramatic decadence -
fo9t O , "a more generally diused here than In any
other country. But there Is want D! ar ,e ~
Hat Snltyaiion which enables one TO speak wen OF
Una. tside Of his own walk In Iife-wnich enables
business man 10 discuss gracefully quesqqgns ~ 6
10 statuary. music. the drama Go3RTIy f6st etciency
a. onr otherwise rapidly developing clylzauon Ien F
we interweave with this the intensity y & Oi %
ssssnaly soto the higher forms OF art ana &
ssbIa 70 the mushroom growth Of the lower Ihe
s f,r1S delight ms through the mind and the heart
me lower forms amuse us through Tue senorS - ~
sonderful that these lower forms should appeal TO the
S worker and TO the exhausted professional man
nncultiyated III arti He does not want 70 oe o'o W
tears life Is tragedy and drama enough 10 nun. ne
9s somefbing 10 please the eye 10 tickle the ear to
tfv the fancy 10 make him aughto remove the strain
6e terrible tension upon his oyerwronght nerves.
$1,000 id0e once confessed To that the only thing ne
feaIy eniOyed was a good Old-fashOpco variety shoM
Then rs 10 the war: II is undeniabe that TIE war
,aissd suddenly 10 afiucnce lot of iliterate com,
nonplace, vulgar people IheSe liSoy Snnoe1
tas more sensuons than the variety show is wanted;
A. we are treated to boue, opereta opera com
scns bnrleSoue and all that these terms imply TO meet
t6is oemapd there naturally arose new class OF
managers With few tenacious and honorable ex-
centiGns the old managers bad TO succumb Inc new
~ we're supposed 10 be capitalists. They certainly
were ieuoraInuses-gnorant OF the profession 'hey icy
entered Ignorant OF its traditions, Ignorant Oh ~
methods The outcome Dt this public taste phdcreu 20
NV snch caterers the substantial dc5truC'i"n "
Tie only school Of acting We hAd-o"f goou o'u So'A
companies -, -. .o..,r,, ,rooessos
AZ to the remedy: We must walt Tor natural pTooeSS1S'
FOR greater cultivation, for less rapidly hcqLC@u gu "., @
bctter literary preparation. Nor must we Ignore gchl9s
ss factor IN the scheme of evolution; The dranAIc
penius will not come from the bench. lie WIN 10.
So,mc rom the stage nor viii he be associated WIN se
mechanism. As to the character and quanV pi @ NE
cenius we nav be certain. lie will 6e poet. lie ma!
never have penned line Of verse but he VIII DC poTt
Tic will not connuc himself 10 stndy -o, o. M ~
beautnl or the presentation OF the good uuci less "l
coody good but OF the true, lie Will PANT VIM 10 no
Ands " good and OF beauty. Tie VIII palI !SL ."' m
secs whether ne II subjectivcly or o6ecuvey- ht
Syhst the commonplace material eye sees upon ue
Surface OF things hut that which can alone pe sC,
shrough the spirit and by the poets eye-the depths OF
Tie human heart, the eternal verify Of human NATURE