Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-11-19
Mark Twain on PIay-Acting.

1t is right and wholesome to have
light comedies and entertaining shows:
and shouldn't wish to see them dimin-
ished. But none of US is always in the
comedy spirit; we have our graver
moods: they come to, us all; the light
est of us cannot escape them. These
moods have their appetites,-healtny
and legitimate appetites, sand there
ought to be some way of satisfying
them. 1t seems to me that New York
ought to have one theater devoted TO
tragedy. With her three millions of
population. and seventy outside mil
lions to draw upon. she can afford it,
she can support it. America devotes
more time. labor, money, and attention
to distributing literary and musical
culture among the general public than
does any other nation, perhaps; yet
here you find her neglecting what is
possibly the most effective of all the
breeders and nurses and disseminators
of high literary taste and lofty emo
tion-.he tragic stage. To leave that
powerful agency out is to haul the
culture-wagon with, a crippled team.
Nowadays. when mood comes which
only Shakespeare can set to music,
what must we do? Read Shakespeare
ourselves! Isn't it pitiful? 1t is play
ing an organ solo on jew's-harp. We
can't read. None but the Booths can
do it.
Thirty years ago Edwin Booth playel
Hamlet" a hundred nights in New
York. With three times the popula-
ton. how often is Hamlet" played
now in a year? If Booth We're back
now in his prime. how often could he
play it in New York? Some will say
rs nights. I will say 300, and say it
with confidence. The tragedians are
dead; but l think that the taste and
intelligence which made their market
are not.
What has come over us English
speaking people? During the first half
of this century tragedies and great
tragedians were as common with US as
farce and comedy; and it was the
same in England. Now we have not
tragedian, l believe; and London, with
her so shows and theaters. has but
three, / think. 1t is an astonishing
thing, when you come to consider 1t.
Vienna remains upon the ancient ba-
sis; there has been no change. She
sticks to the former proportions. q
number of rollickiug comedies, ad-
mirably played, every night: and also
every night at the Burg theater--that
wonder of the world for grace and
beauty and richness and splendor and
costliness-a majestic drama OF depth
and seriousness, or a standard old
tragedy 1t is only within the last
dozen years that men have learned to
TO miracles on the stage in the way Of
grand and enchanting scenic effects;
and it is at such time as this that we
have reduced our scenery mainly to
different breeds of parlors and varying
aspects of furniture and rugs. think
we must have Burg in New
York. and Burg scenery and
a great company like the Burg COM
pany. Then, with a tragedy-tonic once
or twice a month, we shall enjoy the
comedies all the better. Comedy keeps
the heart sweet; but we all know that
there is wholesome refreshment for
both mind and heart in an occasional
climb among the solemn pomps o: the
intellectual snow submits built by
Shakespeare and those others. Do
seem to be preaching? 1t is out Of my
line; L only do it because the rest OF
! the clergy seem to be ON vacation
The Forum.