New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-09-13
DRAMA AT OXFORD
Record of Tscenty-fre Years'
Progress.

From The London Post.
The closing OF tie doors OF the New Theatrs
at Oxford pending reconstruction, marks epoch
in the history OF drama at the English univer-
stiles With the disappearance OF the old theatre
constructed at the beginning Of 1885. go the last
material traces of the blight which Tor two CEN
turies afflicted the drama at oxford and Cambridge
no less than in London and the provincial towns.
Long ago Il the custom in the universities 20
celebrate tine visits of royal psrsOnages by drs-
matte efforts Texts OF plays in Latin and Eng
Iish which were written and performed before
Elizabeth James I and Charles in the Hail %
Christ Church at St. Johns. and elsewhere, are
still extant but the custom became neglected, and
from 100 on till the 40 Of the last century.
when Cambridge men were founding the Amateur
Dramatic Club the drama and the dramatic pro-
penslties might have been nonresident for al the
recognition they ebtaiEzd from the Authorities at
our universities Indeed efforts were made 70 Grad
icate these supposed evil tendencies. and under
graduates at Oxford were statutorily liable to re-
ceIve a fcggiuy Tor watching Punch and judy
show IN the street. II in the IS during a
period which for oxford In almost al respects
a second Renaissance. that some members OF
Esrasenose began 10 exercise their dramatic talent.
and among the enthusiasts were two future dgnita
ries of the Church-Cust. afterwaFd Dean OF YORK.
and s. RenOIds Hole. who later became Dean OF
Rochester. But this early Brasenose Effort IN
common with others at St Johns ard Ballot pro-
duced no permanent and substantial results II
vas left for the little group which became famous
I'm the early S0s-the group which included Nh Ar
thur Bourchier Mr.. Adderley and Mr.. Alan Maekin-
uon-to really sweep away the long-exlstnS pTeJu-
dice against the drama and give to tneir move
ment an impetus which still shows no signs OF ex-
haustion and already given 10 the English
stage such actors as Mr.. Arthur BOurcher himself.
Mr. II. 3. Irving, Mr.. Holman Clark. Mr. James
Hearn and others who. IL their names are less dis
cornpIished honorable work which does credit 70
the society which gave them their early training
Dramatic Society ultimately to develop was IN
It's Origin Similar to the smaller ventures alluded
RI eboTe Confiued at first almost exclusively to
Christ Church, It founded in 1872 and took the
name OF the Oxford PhllOthesplans When P1DH,G
performances came to be given at the HolyWei
, Music Rooms the authorities were enGounterea a
short tussle ensued. which fortunately thahhS 20
the fact that Dr. Jo%s5t became NC I
sitimlzatfon of the dramatic aspirations or tns
Christ Church undergraduates. Jowett whom Mr.
days performance happily characterized as tho
'broadest minded man VINO ever waiked GOWN ms R
question was natural and that 10 thwart would
merely result in driving it into su1terranean and
the ridiculousy anomalous character OF tne course
at that time pursued by the university au.L0[ls -
The revolving exhibitions which were common a.
that date at the OLD were refused the
permission and the opportunity 70 eiIne- pIesSht %
exercise which in his Introduction TO Piatos Re
public he had ADVOCATED as the ni io.- - Sa
generating into vice the result Of repression
ti dra1oatic club the PfIIosthespians.
ognized by the highest university autnoTly;; ap
DrcvaI given the suggestion maze IoI =
nov theatre TO be constructed: Sir Henry Irving
went down to Oxford TO lecture IN the Sheldoneh
and fnoIIv the undergraduates for their part
70 limit their activities to Shakespeare ana rs
pas however as in the case OF the performances OK
Browning's istraRord' IN February. 1880. SONS
times been obtained. IN -. v-.,
TTIus was inaugurated the period OF vnat NAV
h. called the legitimate exercise or the draInauo
t-sfIncf at oxford. Besides JOwett, Canon scotr
Holland then the senior proctor and MI "; -
at time tutor ar New .CoLIese
w.ra the most influential seniors IN helping 90
secnre the advance The first pubic perrsrn1-
once under the new arrangement was The Mer-
| chant OF Venice" given at the Town Hal IN
December 1883. when Mr.. ". J. MOTIFS anS nj.
Duke and shylock. those. be # noted, wien TIE.
tooI- an SATURDAY. night-the latest psrfornancs
| TINS far under the rules laid down by Dr. JoWetL
| Mfr Courtney took the part Of Bassanfo and MS
Tourfnev that Po-tia Later IN the year rn-
Society went on its travels, and was bold enough
| to attempt a matinee performances al the LONDON