The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-11

and women of talent for the stage seek
fame through farce or burIcsque. because
it is the shortest road to pecuniary reward.
As consequence the number Of actors
who are artists is decreasing. and the
number of actors who are opponents Of
histrionic horseplsy. broadgrin buifoonery
and roaring farce is increasing
If this promised to be permanent mood
OF the theater going public it would be a
subject for profound regret, for the stage
would thus be robbed of its finest form of
popular education. Burlesuue and farce
teach nothing, touch no depth of human
nature, but foster its shallow, silly side.
There is no art, of course, in buriesaue,
for while you may determine what is an
excess of feeling, whether it be passion or
mirth. JOY or sorrow, who shall say what
is extravagant in burlesque or too
loud in roaring farce. Of the whole
race Of burlesque actors of the Dixey
school the natural reflection is that
while unquestionably man can learn
to squeal like pig, or crow like
rooster, or bark like dog or bray like q
iackass, why should man want to do any
of these things in order to make people
laugh. An average burlesque is just about
on level intellectually as a matter of
humor and fun with the brain power, taste
and talent Of man who makes you smile
in spite of yourself By his clever imita-
tions of the voices of the animal creation.
On the other hand, legitimate comedy
or tragedy acting in its art stands for cul-
ture of the actor and in its influence
stands for culture of its audience. The
old high tragedy parts are full Of dignity
and depth of feeling and character, ex-
pressed in noble language, incarnating
thrilling thought, and so, even when but
indfferentiy acted, high tragedy is most
intellectual entertainment; q help to high
moods of reflection. 1t slim ulates. too, q
desire to read good dramatic literature;
cultivates the art sense Of beauty that lies
dormant in US all. So, too of fine comedy.
like that given last week on our boards: it
deals with genuine wit and pathos, humor
instead of inane gags and buffoooneries,
and the rancid sentimentalities of cheap
sensational drama, the wretched quackery
Of the stage.
Fine comedy is not only witty and
humorous in itself, but like Falstaff, the
cause of wit and humor in others. An
audience that habitually witnessed fine
comedy would gradually learn to appre-
ate the charm of grace, briliiancy and
point in literary expression, in speech and
manner, and all this helps to reform and
mend bad popular manners and speech.
Fine comedy is always fine manners and
speech; it is never foolish, stilted, awk-
ward, affected or vulgar save when it
speaks in satire. An actor may not be a
gentleman always off the stage, but if hei is
billed to play the character of a gentleman
he will certainly behave like gentleman
on the stage, for as an actor he cannot
afford to trile with his character and ex-
cite the contempt of his audience by drop
ping from the grade of a gentleman down
to the level of disgusting dude or affected
dandy.
Let us hope for the sake of American
manners, thought, speech and taste that
the legitimate artistic drama of human
nature and society is not dying out before
the passion of frantic, mopey-making
age for mere amusement, horse play and
leg drama. Nobody expects to see the
legitimate drama, whether tragedy or
comedy, often presented from Shak-
speare's works. This is not necessary nor
desirable, for few of Shaksperean plays are
for our modern stage and audience good
acting plays; but there are plenty Of
modern tragedies and comedies that de-
servedly keep the stage because they
are framed IN the spirit of Shak-
speare; that is. the pigments used are
made from clay taken from the unex-
hausted and inexhaustible deep bosom of
Dame Nature Whether our drama be on
domestic or foreign themes, whether 1t be
high tragedy or low, whether it deal with
exceptionally heroic incidents or the sim
plicity of domestic everyday life, it ought
to always ring true, stand for those
healthy, manly sentiments that come
home naturally to the business and bosoms
of the largest number of men and women
of peace and good will.