The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-26
THE WEEKS ADJUSTMENTS.
What Local Attractions Will Be Offered
at the Theaters and the Museum.
Review of the Seasons Dramas-Reasons for
the Revolt Against Melodramatic Trash
Personal Note and Gossip.

The legitimate theatrical season has now come
ito close in this city. The theaters still remain
open, and few sterling attractions may wander
lin, bat the bookings in the main are OF cheap
priced and cheap attractions In the spring the
better and well-known show HES TO fresher fields
and dwells in the larger cities. and the local
thcater-goer has but few dainty morses given him.
The waning season has been most remarkable
in all respects. The year has been full of dire
failures, and there has been depression which
has been unprecedented in tho annals OF the
stage. Both stars and plays have suffered
The causes assigned were the combined in
fluence of the industrial and financial prostra-
ton and the roller-skatipg and museum excite
ment While these theories are true there are
other and more latent forces that have
indirectly affected the taste of the people
and the patronage of the theaters
For the past few years the theater goer has been
given melodrama-and melodrama of all varie-
ties, from the tame and insipid to the most lurid
and trashy species of the article. No manager
was so poor but that he could not raise the ghost
of meodrama, and melodrama foreign and
melodrama domestic stalked up and down the
broad land, while the dear public applauded and
howled at climax and anti climax. Playwrghts
tore their hair and stole weird plots to hinge the
awful situation, and soon the market became
surfeited. The day for melodrama, and even
the spectacular which had sprung into an ephe-
neral existence, had come, and they died of in
anity Then arose the frightful conceit vaguely
called the 'hoss play" and which is now being
presented to the public, and which has indeed a
strong hold upon those who consider such trash
comedy. Melodrama and burlesque certainly
represent the extremes of the dramatic and
comic, and while there have been the we'll
known stars they have not influenced the public
taste to any degree. Highly seasoned dishes
have been the rage, and there fingers yet faint
rolish for these viands. But there has come a
more healthy appetite, apparent to the close
observer. The public taste has been vitiated.
Will the future bring forth abnormal desires
again? Is this revolt against these bon bons of
the drama and this sudden change and demand
for new novelties the outcome of a surfeited
palatel
Yes The American theatergoer has been
like hungry child with injudicous parents
who have forced him to eat candied food. Until
lately he has never tasted the palatable article
and now that he has grown larger and stronger
his own reason shows him the good that there
is in this meat. The important factor in the
development of taste and the moldirg
of tho public mind has been in
the perfect stage repreSe ntatl0nS given by
eminent foreign artists, and who have quickened
and awakened the artistic in our native Players.
This influence is now farreaching and the
amusement lover, instead of being led to acquire
a taste for the highly spiced, has now reached
that maturity which is making him critic and
which will make him demand the best and best
only of the stage The degeneracy of taste in
the past has been due to the abolition of the
stock company system, the increase in theatrical
speculation and the increase of territory.
Managers do not, as rule, care for
the artistic and their lack OF taste has
been made up by the blatant cry
of the Snowman. Hence has come reaction,
traccable to all these causes. During all this pc
riod, and while the country is growing and the
American taste has been developing there has
been a wealth OF attractions, and thousands Of
dollars have been taken from our shores by for
eign players, not because of the strong dramatic
instinct (which is an inherent in the Anglo
Saxon) but because of the cry of fashion. Now
the climax has been reached, and the public will
demand artistic performances and not mere
well-dressed and cold posers. The flu
ture is certainly bright for the legitimate
stage, and the lovers Of genuine drama and gen.
uine comedy may we'll hail the coming seasons,
for the great stars have recognized the desire
and are surrounding themselves with more COM
petent people, and the poor actor is departing to
the sawbuck The public say vale to the past
season and await the coming of the future.
Managers of local theaters will understand the
truth of these words.