The record-union., 1899-10-15
DRAMATIC TASTE AND POSSIBILI
TIES.

The New York Critic says: "It does
one good in these days of Turtles and
Miles Fiji to hear of a large amount
of money being spent on a Shakes
pearean production" 1t proceeds from
this to remark upon lavish prepara-
tions being made by a large and tai
ented company of players for the spec
tacular production of a Shakesperean
play, which is to be taken upon the
road. That is, it is to go from city to
city, and Shakespeare is to be played
in places outside Of the great cities, as
we'll as in the foremost of the latter.
The question which suggests itself
is, whether the public will justify this
lavish" expenditure referred to;
whether the taste of the public in the
lesser cities and towns warrants the
endeavor entered upon? Judging by
California conditions. we should say
that there is not such justification.
Perhaps that is too limited a sphere
upon which to base sound judgment
However, lavish expenditure in prep
aration for the road necessitates in
crease of the admission fee, and
against that increase the people of the
lesser cities raise the voice of protest
There is not apparently such general
appreciation of the works of the great
bard, not such hungering and thirst
ing for outpouring from the purest
founts Of dramatic excellence, that
Shakespearean dramas can be fire.
quently presented with the cer-
tainty of good houses at nor
NAL prices. Hence the spectacular
is added; the increased cost necessi-
tates the augmented price, and this
the public resents. For the popular
taste has been so debased and per-
verted by the plethora of farce comedy,
the work Of the music hall, the in
trusion Of the vaudeville show. and
the overflow of the melodeon upon the
legitimate stage, that there has grown
disinclination among the very people
the masses - to whom Shakespeare
should be an inexhaustible fount of
pleasure and education, to embrace op-
portunity to see his plays staged and
acted.
How far this perverted taste has
gone in the elimination of the reading
of Shakespeare we do not venture 20
say, but that it has in large degree
diminished the desire for such literary
and poetic exercise is unquestioned.
While it is to be conceded that any
of the plays of Shakespeare deserve to
be framed as richly as is possible. are
worthy of the most artistic mounting
and the most elaborate staging that
the mimic scene may be made as near
reality to the spectators eye as is pos
sible within the walls of the theater,
yet it cannot be denied that nova
days lavish expenditure for the pro-
duction of Shakespearean plays has for
its purpose the catching of the fancy
and the catering to the taste of those
to whom the text unadorned by stage
setting has little or no attraction.
Thus the modern manager produces
Shakespeare with an eye to both lar
board and starboard
In every community of from 25,O0o
to $4,000 people in the United States,
especially upon this coast, there is
handful of cultured folk of
good tastes to whom Shakespeare is
an attraction in any form above that
of incapacity in the actor This hand
full is always appreciatively ready TO
pay tribute at the shrine of the great
est of dramatists, when the priests of
the offering are well equipped for their
offices. To such people Indifferent play
ing of Shakespeare is sacrilege and alb
horrent While the value and helpful
ness of spectacular Accomplishments