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Show Tlll'.A lllll.lt, TAK't'tC. Tho lollow ing sagacious reiiiniks upon up-on (ho stage wo in.-ert iu full, und think that, with tho demonstration of public uppiceiation, thoro is considerably iiioro tuith than poetry iu Cynie'.s effusion ef-fusion : S.u.r I.akk City, May lit), 1 S7 1. Klit.r llaalJ : It is very evident, and 1 think it will ho admitted by nil theatre goers, that legitimato playing or "holding the mirror up to nature" is played out in this ago. Few want to see it, and as few admit tho fact; talk to them and they will ussiiro you they don't want to sco any trn.-di upon tho stage, they want to sco something sensible and natural certainly, of course they do and they will a.-k, "Why don't we havo tho Couldoeks or Clmrlcs Matthews, Mat-thews, etc., they tiro such tine players, so lil'e-liko so entirely lice from rant and clap-trap, oto. !ow these very persons would ho among tho last to buy tickets for tho performance, if such genuine artists were playing. liut let another class of so-called "stars" come along, who outrage nature, common sense ami decency, and you will find the Theatre full, ami the persons who exclaim ex-claim "what trash,' "shocking," "horrible," etc., are the very ones who will attend night after night while that same tnu-h is being exhibited. Can you not prevail on Mr. Couldock to perform on the Jews harp, give a banjo solo, or introduce some still more outrageous muical instrument? Couldn't Miss Couldock perform some such feat us singing a eouiio song standing on her head? Such things introduced into their pieces might render them more attractive at-tractive to tho class named. Would it not be a good idea for our young and rising actors to devote their time to tho practice of clog dancing, murdering Dutch, walking on their hands, or singing comio songs suspended suspend-ed by their .heels in tho air? Our young actresses, instead of studying the higher walks of the drama, might practice rope-daueing, whirling around on one toe, or any other motion that will expose the form. This course ol study would save time and calico, and then it might pay, which is everything nowadays. People of course would express themselves as disgusted with it, but still they would pay their money to see if. Of course there are exceptions to this as to all general rules. While we receive a lesson in wituessing a good moral and intellectual play, we also need something to laugh at, for which purpose, we have the broad humor of the farce. The thea:re, I believe, was introduced as a means of instruction, to elevate the thoughts and feedngs, and not to degrado-, de moralize and influence the passions. But every dog has his day, and what is unpopular to-day may be all the rage in a few years. As with the theatre so with fashion, literary, and other tastes. What is all the go one day is scouted the next. Mankind and womankind also go from one extreme to the other. When the dramatic re-action comes I suppose we will have nothing but Shakespeare. Such is life. Cynic. |