Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-10-21
MONDAY. ooTosER 81. 1889.

70 indexible. AYERS & LYNCH.
MONDAY, OCTOBER FL. 1889.
A Peculiar World Wide Vagary.-
Shall We Have a Renaissance?
Now that the Brass Monkey has run its
course in Los Angeles, and nothing that
we could say can in any manner affect
the receipts of the painstaking managers
who have conducted the Grand 30 ac-
ceptably-and their presentations have
often run up to high, fastidious and
expensive standard in recognition of the
exceptionally eclectic character of the
amusement-goers of Los Angeles-we
cannot forbear few comments on the
present tendency toward downright
and lamentable deterioration of the
American stage. Any one above the
grade of an idiot who could enjoy q
Brass Monkey is perforce obliged to
despise himself, and he only escapes
from great self.contempt by recalling
the aphorism Of Alexander Pope that ga
little nonsense, now and then, is rel
ished by the gravest men,"
But it is not only now and then that
we are treated to such vulgar travesties
of the wholesome old English farce.
The great grievance from which theater-
goers are now suffering is that, only now
and then, is there an exception to the
execrable line Of variety and burlesque
business which afflicts and degrades the
stage. 1t is only occasionally that a
really clever company, capable of inter-
spreting comedy or tragedy, in its digni-
fed sense, is permitted to hold the
boards anywhere in the United States.
Even twenty years ago companies, per-
fectly appointed to interpret any range of
dramatic selection, existed in the United
States. To explain our point, we shall
refer to the companies which supported
Miss Jane Coombs in comedy,
Charles Fechter in melodrama,
Edwin Booth in the higher
ranges of tragedy, as exem plifed at
Booths theatre, New York, in the win.
ter and spring of 1S71-72, and the stock
company which gave such lustre to the
Barrett & Mccullough management of
the old California theatre, less than
twenty years ago.
The last decade has witnessed q
lamentable descent of the stage in every
line. The progress of the dramatic pro-
fession has not only not kept pace with
the advance of wealth and population in
the United States, but it has fallen lament
ably behind both. Where are the people
who are to replace the Wallacks, Gil
berts, Burtons, Jeffersons, Booths, Bar.
rets, McCulloughs, and host of other
bright particular stars? We might as
we'll ask, where are the playwrights who
are to replace Richard Brinsley Sheri-
dan, Sheridan Knowles, Bulwer Lytton,
and score of others who might so
readily be added to the list?
There is something melancholy in
such retrospect. Not only have we no
longer any masterpieces, but we seem to
be running out of the histrionic talent
capable of interpreting those which
happily, we already possess. The fact
that a Brass Monkey could have any
sort of success before an American
audience seems to prove conclusively
that the American stage has undergone
. lamentable, entire and irrecoverable
decline.
But, from all we can learn, it is not
whit better in London. The United
States is today deluged by actors from
the metropolis of the world, who are in
danger of giving us buttery perversion
OF the correct English speech; and who,
with their accompaniments of physically
wellequipped femininity, with tailor
made variations and terpsichorean knack,
threaten to bury even comedy under
Atlas loads of the variety business.
Fortunately, for stimulus to better
era, Booth, Salvini, aud few other ex-
emplars OF the statuesque and heroic on
the stage, remain. But the overshadow-
ing question obtrudes itself, when they
go, by whom shall they be replaced !? |
Are We to sink to the frightful level of
the variety stage, forever and ave :? |
Is A Brass Monkey, or some equally re-
voting efigy, to gibber over the remains
OF the legitimate drama, imparting to |
both comedy and tragedy the air of |
vulgar and intolerable burlesque?
We have right to ask these questions,
and we should much like to know who is |
empowered to answer them. A dramatic
Renaissance is much more needed
amongst English-spesking peoples today
than was an artistic one when Angelo
and Raphael appeared to resuscitate q |
sister painting and sculpture from me.
dieval degradation.
A Republican Cloud.
The municipal election which xaa