Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-10-20

est In the drama. The newspaper
called TO It not "a few young men. who
might otherwise have written for the
stage at the same time that II supplied
10 others the excitement and stimulus
which they had been wont 10 seek In the
theatre.
Almost contomporaneous with the de-
velopment OF the newspaper was the en-
largomcnt OF the novel at the hands OF
Sir Walter Scott. In the last century
Richardson and Fielding, Smollett and
Goldsmith had laid a solid foundation
for English fiction: but II was not until
the author of 'Waverly" built up an
enduring monument BY his splendid series
Of romances that the novel rose to be a
rival of the play. SCOTS instant trl-
umph. and the all-embracing populari-
~ which followed 1t, revealed To young
men OF literary aspirations that the road
10 fame and to fortune might lie through
the publishers shop. rather than through
the stage door. r, Is much easier 20
write n novel than It is to make a play;
and II is very much easier 10 get novel
published than IL is to get a play pro-
duccG and so the tendency Of the young
men away from the drama was strength
ened.
The expansion OF Journalism and the
extending OF fiction had twofold ef-
feet. Both movements drew away lite
rary aspirants. who were possible pro-
ducers OF plays, and who became jour
nalists or novelists. And, on the other
hand, from among those who would
have been play-goers. there was carried
away a certain portion able TO stay its
liking for the drama with the accounts
OF fires and robberes. Of murders and
ho vt.h Ia, he
per- and also a certain other portion able
20 satisfy its longing for the romantic
and the tragic with the heart breaking
tales Of the novelist.
Thus II came to pass that there was a
dearth of English dramatists. These
adapters, patchers-up of other mems
plays, hewers of wood and drawers OF
water for the daily needs OF the theatre
these there were then as there are al
ways. But real authors. men who had
studied life. and who could reproduce 1t
on the stage. had their attention turned
from the theatre. II was at this time
in England that the divorce was first
declared between literature and the
drama-si divorce as ill-advlsed for both
parties as the separation Of society and
politics from which We suffer here in
the United States.
Il
did not signify, and the theatres con-
tinued to act the dramas they had; they
revived old comedies: they restored Old
tragedies: they repaired the cast-off plays
Of the past. John Philip Kembe was
then at the head of the English stage,
and he had no liking for new dramas
Charles Lamb said kemble held that all
new plays had been written. Kemble
was q great actor. and it was natural
H..
none TOO good for his own acting. Yet
It may be doubted whether too frequent
REVEALS Of ShGkespearo's plays are signs
Of a healthy condition Of the stage-if ii
he admitted that one OF the chief du-
ties Of the theatre is to reflect. as best
il can. the life OF to-day.
At length. despite Kemble's careful
management. the stock on hand was used
up, and the public tired Of dramatic rem
nants. Then. for the first time, the yo
IN the English theatre began to be filed
from abroad-at first from Germany,
whence came '"rhe Stranger" and "Pi-
zarro" ana other fearful and turSid
dramas But the German supply was
soon exhausted, and recourse was had
10 the French. Until the beginning of
this century the English stage had been
seif-reliant. Ii had borrowed a play
from France now and then. but 1t had
lent quite az much as 1t had taken Few
even among professed students OF the
stage, know that In the clearing house,
where international borrowings are re-
corded there Is balance I'm favor Of the
English as against the French up 10 the
end OF the last century. For instance,
there were two adaptations of ''The Ri
walls" acted in Paris. and three of "The
School for Scandal" But early in this
century the balance ceased; England be-
gan 10 borrow Unfortunately from
France; and the fair exchange soon be-
came open robbery.
AS II happened, France was able TO
meet this demand. Its dramatic literature
had just burst the bonds which had
swathed it for more than a century.
Hermann had sounded his trumpet, and
the hollow walls of Classicism had fallen
with a crash. The chill stiffness and the
arid discussion Of the pseudo-classic
drama had been swept aside by the
fiery ardor of the Romantic revolt. The
tragedies Of the false classics as bare as
a demonstration in geometry gave place
10 the dramas of the Romantics, as fun
of color Of movement, and of passion as
a tiger Hugo and Dumas and their
fellows found dead dramatic literature
which was nothing but words; and in
its stead they made living drama which
was chiefly action. These bold. vigorous.
captivating plays. made on the model OF
Shakespeare and Of Scott in measure
were hardy enough TO stand the voyage
across the channei to the land OF Scott
and Shakespeare. And in due seaeon
there were few theatres in the United
States or Great Britain where Thirty
Years Of a Gamblers Life" and "Lucreua
Borgla." and "The Tower of Nesle" did
mot COO the lfghf of the iampc.
While the Romantics with their feverish
fervor were making over the French
theatre in their own image, Eugene
Scribe. workman Of surprising skill
in the lower walks Of the drama. was
engaged in perfecting the mechanics or
play-maklng. Taine has told us that the
art Of play-making Is as susceptible OF
Improvement as the art Of matchmaking.
Scribe almost succeeded in inventing a
machine-made play-and he found fac
tory for piay-makinG. As NJ. Alexandra
Dumas fills says, the dramatic art Is
wholly an art Of preparation. NO man
ever understood better than Scribe now
TO prepare. how TO twist, ana now 10
unite the knot which is the heart or a
play. TO the presentation OF the story
ID the development of the central situa-
ton. Scribe was ready TO sacrifice al
suggestions Of poetry, the study Of
character. brilliancy Of dialogue, local
color, style, and even. If need be, gram
mar His plays are plots. and little work,
ayl his characters are puppets, into
which he has breathed only enough Of
The breath Of life 70 enable them TO fail
easily into the situations adroitly ar
ranged for them. He might lay the scene
of a comedy in France or in England or
IN Prussia. there was no touch of local
color, no insight into national character
lstics. The action OF his pieces really
passed in a vague, unbounded region