Year: 1874

Tho Comedy or the Coulisse.


Great as has been the public pleasure over
the millinery drama it was reserved for Mr..
Bronson Howard to afford us new delight
the comedy of the coulisse We may struggle
against the conviction as much as we please,
but after all we shall be forced to the con-
clusion that in the fashionable judgment there
can be no drama without dress. Art is not
art if it lacks the aid Of the modiste. The
only difficulty hitherto experienced has been
in finding theory of dramatic construction
that will allow liberal display Of dress goods
and yet not repress the natural flow of spirits
which belongs to the American girl. Of course
we are now speaking only of the American
drama-they do these things better IN France.
No dressmaker oan turn real actress, how
ever fine her figure, into mere
model for the display Of millinery won
ders if the playwright has given her part
with some relation to a plot and with little
action and feeling in it. A society part in
society play nowadays must demand nothing
of the heroine except to dress as society girls
dress and to talk as society girls talk. 1t is
plain that, to afford such an opportunity, the
regular course of plot and the activity and
hustle of even ordinary dramatic action are
out of the question. But as the success of
every piece depends upon popular apprecia-
ton, and as the populace are divided, one-half
demanding a plot, or something like plot in
every drama and the other half asking only
saucer Of sentiment sweet voice, o pretty
face, splendid figure and sumptuous harness,
it became exceedingly difficult to please both
parties. Mr.. Howard, in his new play Of
'Moorcroft, /" shows dramatists how to obviate
the difficulty. He has made discovery which
will satisfy everybody-it is the new idea of
the comedy of the coulisse.


It may puzzle some Of the readers Of the
HERALD even to understand what peculiar
field of art is occupied by this new element in
the classification of the drama. The comedy
of the coulisse-who ever heard of that be-
fore? Nobody; for it was only last Saturday
night that the young dramatist let the world
know that he had invented it. In fortnight
everybody will know everything about it and
everybody will be talking Of the capa-
biities of this newly discovered domain
of art The comedy Of the coulisse is a
revelation, and it can scarcely fail to prove a
source of perpetual delight to theatre goers.
But how shall we describe it? It is thing SO
fine in conception that to be appreciated it
must be seen. Words only drag it down to
the vulgar level Of vulgar things 1t is moth
ing but side show, but if we called it o side
show it would be considered little more ar
tistic than circus. 1t has much higher
purpose and can be adapted to suit
all circumstances. A young lady is possessed
of some dramatic talent and blessed with q
deliciously foreign accent, sure to take with
the audience. Another young lady has .
splendidly moulded form, and Isl great favor
ite on account of her beauty and her dashing
American manners. Here is an opportunity to
blend in pretty unison flower from the
foreign Conservatives and native rose in its
first bloom. Such q bouquet our managers
have longed to present; but how could they
do it and yet preserve the seeming require
ments Of art2 The comedy Of the coulisse
has answered that question. It is simply to
place the two young creatures on rustic seat
by q side scene and let them talk-the one as
society girls are supposed to talk, and the
other in broken English, so sweetly done as to
merit recall This is the comedy of the
coulisse. Again, an actor has some comedy
talent, and he is, on that account, prime
favorite with the manager patrons. Itwould
be absurd that the requirements Of plot
should keep him out of the bill, especially if
the action is laid at Newport, where the side
scenes afford unlimited scope to the imagina-
ton. All that is necessary is to call him
Uncle Ruckert, or by some equally felicitous
name, and bring him on. This is the comedy
of the coulsse, and without it this was impos-
sible Or again, 'sstar' performer in a
variety troupe has remarkable powers of
imitation, especially Of disagreeable women
who are nowhere more disagreeable than on
the stage. In order to show the actors pecu-
liar powers to people who never 60 to ''variety
entertainments" it is only necessary to put
name like "the present Mrs. Peters" in the
bill and give the actor chance to howl in the
side scenes and walk over the stage once or
twice. This is the comedy Of the coulisse,
and without it this would have been con-
sdered presumptuous and preposterous in a
drama. 9


The BRITISH ANNEXATION OF THE "FEE-
JEEs." The Feejee, or FIJI, Islands having
been formally turned over to the possession
of England, Queen Victoria, as sovereign over
the group, takes the place Of the lineal sue
cessors of


oky.poky,wnky- wang


The King OF the CanniDal Islands.


The group lies in the South Pacific Ocean,
between the fifteenth and twentieth degrees
south latitude and embraces one hundred
and fifty-four islands, sixty-fve of which are
.aL als4ad Only two however are of a size