The Irish standard., 1894-05-12
THE IRISH DRAMA.
How to Instill a Vigorous Nation
ality Into the Bosoms of the
Irish People.

11O" w 4A5g4A q ASOAOAS 4S1GAOA
ality Into the Bosoms Of the
Irish People.
THE STAGE AS A MEDIUM.
Incidents That Appeal to the I'm
agination Made Living
Realities.
1t, is, to my mind, very remarkable
fact that while Ireland has given birth
to some great actors and many eminent
dramatists, the history of the Irish stage
shows us to be wholly un-nstional, en-
tirely destitute of single character to
indicate national distinctiveness, or of q
single tinge of national color, says q
writer in United Ireland of Dublin. I
am aware that we have quite number of
Irish plays, but though they represent
in some way the secondary peculiarities
of the people-their social side, so to
speak-and very frequently burlesque
their lives and idiosyncraeies, yet they
are wholly devoid of national inspiration,
and national life in it's truest and broad
eat sense, in it's trials and prosecutions,
in it's heroic efforts to attain freedom. In
it's ever present, constant and unremitt-
ing strife against tyranny, it has up to the
present hour, 50 far as I am aware, re-
manned unrepresented ON the Irish stage.
We have no national drama, though our
history abounds in material ready at
hand to inspire the dramatist it only he.
had the spirit Of nationality to move him
to action. Over and over again we have
heard of various plans and shibboleths
for the purpose Of checking the growth
of English ideas in this country. With
the talent for differing which seems to
be pre- eminent among us, we invariably
disagree on the best means of promoting
that end, and the number OF panaceas is
hardly less than the number Of reform
ers. One says that in the preservation
of the Irish language lies the best chance
of combating the evil of Anglicization;
another says that their only hope is the
development of national literature.
One believes in cultivating a knowledge
of Irish music, and another has no faith
in any plan but in the encouragement Of
Irish pastimes. T am not going to say
that any Of these, or all of them, can &C.
complish the wished for result, nor shall
I say which often, in my opinion, ia
the best, but I hold most emphatically
that the Irish stage could be made one
of the surest and readiest means of in
stilling a vigorous nationally into the
bosoms of the people, and exercising
there from every odious thought and i'm
pulse that smacks of West Britonism.
We are all agreed that better know
ledge of our country's past history, it's
humilisting as we'll as Its gloritiying
pages, would make US better Irishmen.
and where could it be taught So etfec-
tive'y, 10 ,ividly and so impreesively e.
on the stage? There the past could be
made the present, and the incidents that
would otherwise appeal but to the
imagination would be living realities az.
peallng to every sense and emotion, and
acting upon us just as the daily events
passing in the world before our very
eyes. I believe it it were possible to put
upon the stage dramas founded on some
of the great events that mark out epochs
in Irish history the effect would be mir.
aculous, in my opinion at least, upon the
minds and hearts Of those who could sec
them. This plan would, as model o
intoxicating national sentiment, be more
effective than the whole years of study
of cold and lifeless tones. Suppose il
| could be possible to produce, say, dra
ma dealing with the Danish invasion
and Irish resistance to their encroach
ments, with Brian Boru as hero, ani
eliminating in the last act in his tragi,
death and the defeat of the enemy OF
the plains OF Olontfaf, what would be tn,
effect on the audience, supposing then
to have only modicum Of national sen
timent? Why, it would be revolutionary
Or supposing we had our drama baset
on the rovolt of the Geraldines, with th,
rash and valiant resistance of Silkel
Thomas, or, say, on the fight of tn
Earls, on the exploits of Owen Ro
!, O'Neill or the memorable events that be
gan with the battle Of the Boyne an.
ended with the ill-fated treaty of Liner
iok, what effect other than complet
change for the better in national senti
Iment, q newborn sense Of freedom
could follow from the representation o
such glorious events as these? For m,
own part, must cay that I would hay
more faith IN the nationality born Of req
i dramatic reproduction Of these events
Isupposing them 70 become widespread
I than. II all literature, supposing it 70 b
leven pre- em1nsntly national that va