The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-28
THE CHARM OF COMEDY.

in Sheridans famous comedy, 1.-The
Rivals" 1.-THE Rivals was first per-
formed in London in 1775, two years
before Sheridan's other famous comedy of
1.-THE School for Scandal" A comedy
that has kept the stage with uninterrupted
popularity for nearly LII years; that
charms today an audience on the Pacific
coast that was not only an unsettled, but
an UNEMPLOYED country when this spark
ling drama was written, must be work
of immortal theatric quality. The secret
OF its immortality is not alone
the wit in which it abounds, but
in its happy, sprightly, dramatic
movement. Sheridan came of histrionic
stock on both sides; his father was an
elocutio,list, a stage manager; his mother
was a woman of dramatic knowledge and
experience; while Sheridan himself was
both an actor and stage manager, and
knew how to make a good acting play.
Between Congreve, who wrote in the days
of Queen Anne, and Sheridan there is no
immortal comedy unless It be Goldsmith's
''She Stops to Conquer" the superiority
of Sheridan over Congreve lies IN the fact
that his wit was not fatally tainted by in
decency.
The great audience that greeted Mr.
Jefferson last evening was tribute to his
established fame as the finest comedian
that walks the English-speaking stage;
the most famous living representative of
the legitimate comic drama. Compared
nil ha 1f
the outlook of the legitimate drama,
whether in tragedy or comedy, is not en-
couraging. There is talent enough, but the
popular taste has become so corrupted
that men and women of talent
for the stage seek fame through farce and
burlesque because it is the shortest route
to pecuniary reward. As consequence
the number of actors who are artists is de-
creasing and the number of actors who are
exponents of histrionic horse play, broad
grin buffoonery and roaring farce is in
creasing. This increasing rage for farce
and burlesque and decay of higher dra-
matte taste is deeply to be regretted, for
the stage is thus robbed of its finest power
of popular education. Burlesque and
farce touch no depth of human nature,
but foster its silly and shallow side. There
is no art, of course, in burlesque, for while
you may determine what is an excess of
tragic passion, who shall say what is ex-
travagant in extravaganza or too loud in
roaring farce?
The old high tragedy parts are full of
dignity and depth of feeling and charac-
ter, expressed in noble language, incar-
mating thrilling thought, and so even
when but indifferently acted high tragedy
was most intellectual entertainment, a
help to high moods of reflection. 1t slim
ulated, too, desire to read good dramatic
literature; cultivated the art sense of
beauty that lies dormant in US ALL So,
too, with fine comedy; it deals with gen.
uine wit and humor that lightens its pa
cries and the rancid sentmentalities of
cheap. sensational drama, the quackery of
the stage Fine comedy is not only witty
and humorous in itself, but like Fall
staff, the cause of wit and humor in others.
Probably reading Congreye walked Sher-
ldan to brilliant life.
An audience that habitually witnessed
fine comedy would soon learn to appre-
ciate the charm of grace, brilliancy and
| point in literary expression, in speech
and manner, and all this helps to refine
| and mend bad popular manners and
| speech. Fine comedy is always instinct
with the spirit of good manners and
tod h.
stilted, awkward, affected or vulgar,
save when it speaks in satire. 1t does
not bill 4 character as a gentleman and
then present you with only disgusting,
| gilded flop or tedious fool. For the sake
of American manners, thought, speech
and taste it is pity therefore that the
| legitimate artistic drama of human
nature and society is dying before the
growing passion of a frantic, money
making age for mere amusement, horse
! play and leg drama.
With Mr.. Jetferson's retirement from
! the stage we shall lose the last of that gem
| Grafton of fine American comedians who
were admirable interpreters, not of the
| laughter and antics of fools, but of that
| current of deep, delightful humor that
men of genius have in every age painted
in colors that are always fast The i'm
mortal writers are the great humorists Of
the worlds literature from Aristophanes
and Horace in the ancient world down TO
Rabelais, Cervantes, Montaigne and
| Shakespeare. OF Shakspeare's vast
genius for comedy. for humor, Wit
and the minor music of human ma
ture Hamlet" contains but faint reaec-
ton. No CLEAN Of humor breaks the
murky gloom of "Macbeth's' world of muir
der and supernatural horrors, moving
| down to defeat and death. In "Othello" and
Lear, while the top of Shakespeare tragic
genius is exhibited, his equally extraordi-
nary comic genius, or rather power as a
great humorist, is but family indicated.
In these three great plays there is no dis
tinct revelation of Shakspeares genius for
| comedy.
Now, let Us turn from these plays, de-
| fcient in number and variety of interest
| ing characters, deficient in adequate in
formation of anything save the morbidly
| tragic side OF Shakespeare's genius. TO
Henry the Fourth" Here we have
play, which is not a comedy, but in which
variety of comic figures move TO and fro
| OF a great humorisE. The morbid tragic
| is absent, but the top Of sane intellectual
| ity Is reached, and the genius OF Shak-