The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1899-02-16
Mark Twain on PIay-Actlng.

1t is right and wholesome to have light
comedies and entertaining shows; and |
shouldn't wish to see them diminished.
But none of us is always in the comedy
spirit; we have our graver moods; they
come to us all; the lightest Of us cannot
escape them. These moods have their
appetites, healthy and legitimate appe-
tltes,-and there ought to be some way of
satisfying them. 1t seems to me that New
York ought to have one theatre devoted
to tragedy. With her three millions Of
population, and seventy outside millions
to draw upon, she can afford it, she can
support it. America devotes more time,
labor, money, and attention to distribut-
ing literary and musical culture among
the general public than does any other
nation, perhaps; yet here you find her
neglectng what is possibly the most effec-
tive of all the breeders and nurses and
disseminatcrs OF high literary taste and
lofty emotion-the 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 playing an organ
solo on jew sharp. We can't read.
None but the Booths can do it.
Thirty years ago Edwin Booth played
''Hamlet" hundred nights in New
York. With three times the population,
how often is Hamlet played now in
year? Ii Booth were back now in his
prime, how often could he play it in New
York: Some will say twenty five nights.
| will say three hundred 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 speak
ing people? During the first half of this
century tragedies and great tragedians
We're as common with US as farce and
comedy: and it was the same in England.
Now we have not a tragedian, | believe;
and London, with her fifty shows and
theatres, has but three, think. 1t is an
astonishing thing, when you come to con
slider it, Vienna remains upon the an
Gent basis: there has been no change.
She sticks to the former proportions:
number of rollickng comedies, admirably
played, every nights and also every night
at the Burg Theatre that wonder
of the world for grace and beauty and rich
ness and splendor and coStlineSS-a ma les
tic drama of depth ard seriousness, or a
standard old tragedy. 1t is only within
the last dozen years that men have learn
ed to do miracles on the stage in the way
Of grand and enchanting scenic effects;
and 1T 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 a Burg in New York, and Burg
scenery, and great company like the
Burg company. Then, with a tragedy
tonic once or twice month, we Shall en-
JOY 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 p, mps of the in
telectual snow SUBMITS built by Shake
speare and those others. Do seem to be
preaching? 1t is out of my line: | only
do it because the rest of the clergy seem
to be on vacation. The October Forum