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A DRAMATIC CRITIC and the best of his sort worked was of genuine gold, though as thin, perhaps, as the petal of the cotton blossoin, or that the negro minstrel drolleries sometiines had a contagious jollity and a rich unction which were all their own. This was the period, also, of the first prevalence of the "variety show;" the Howard Athenaeum, which had had an experience of more variety than any other piece of inasonry in the city of Boston, being appropriately dedicated to the new programme. This " show " was the foun- tain head — or rather, the beginning — of all that kind of theatrical entertainment which now goes by the trebly absurd and grossly misdescriptive name of " vaude- ville." Indeed, there is neither distinction nor difference between the entertainments with the two titles. " Vaudeville " is only " variety " " writ large " and grown fashion- able. The later show has merely a bigger [ i8 ]
THE STAGE FIFTY YEARS AGO bill of fare, chiefly through its use of the contrivances of modern science. To the vocal and instrumental solo, the dance, the song and dance, the stump speech or monologue, the one-act drama, sentimental or comic, the dialogue, generally in dia- lect, of the two funny men, feats of acro- bats and jugglers, and the deeds of per- forming dogs — all of which were of the old regime — are now added the wonders of the kinetoscope and the biograph. And this congeries furnishes the amusement which at present about equally divides with the regular theatre the public patron- age, counting its daily spectators in Bos- ton by double thousands. It is good to be able to believe that the public's morals are not jeoparded by the prevailing taste, and good to be assured that the overtaxed public's mind and overwrought public's nerves are rested and soothed by " the vaudeville." Also, it is to be hoped that [ 19 ]
- Page 1 and 2: UNIVERSITY OF CA RIVERSIDE, LIBRARY
- Page 8 and 9: Bit
- Page 10 and 11: COPYRIGHT, 1902, BY HENRY AUSTIN CL
- Page 13: NOTE The reader is informed of what
- Page 16 and 17: CONTENTS XVII. ADELAIDE NEILSON 1 5
- Page 19 and 20: REMINISCENCES OF A DRAMATIC CRITIC
- Page 21 and 22: INTRODUCTION and fascinating folk,
- Page 23 and 24: INTRODUCTION My equipment for my ta
- Page 25 and 26: II Spectacle, Farce, Melodrama, and
- Page 27 and 28: THE STAGE FIFTY YEARS AGO But what
- Page 29 and 30: THE STAGE FIFTY YEARS AGO men had c
- Page 31 and 32: THE STAGE FIFTY YEARS AGO with two
- Page 33 and 34: THE STAGE FIFTY YEARS AGO of the tr
- Page 35: THE STAGE FIFTY YEARS AGO a man of
- Page 39 and 40: Ill The Worth and Impotence of Free
- Page 41 and 42: IMPOTENCE OF FREE CRITICISM hinting
- Page 43 and 44: IMPOTENCE OF FREE CRITICISM applaud
- Page 45 and 46: I IV Some Early Experiences and Mis
- Page 47 and 48: EXPERIENCES AND MISTAKES quent appl
- Page 49 and 50: EXPERIENCES AND MISTAKES outspoken
- Page 51 and 52: V Selwyn's Theatre and the Robert-
- Page 53 and 54: SELWYN'S THEATRE Sargent Curtis ; a
- Page 55 and 56: SELWYN'S THEATRE Colorado and the t
- Page 57 and 58: SELWYN'S THEATRE that of the life o
- Page 59 and 60: VI The Ephemeral Drama and the Endu
- Page 61 and 62: THE EPHEMERAL DRAMA culiar to their
- Page 63 and 64: THE EPHEMERAL DRAMA have no essenti
- Page 65 and 66: VII The Great Dramatic QyiNQiJENNiU
- Page 67 and 68: DRAMATIC Q_UINQ.UENNIUM ton : first
- Page 69 and 70: DRAMATIC CtUINQ^UENNIUM — by clos
- Page 71 and 72: VIII William Warren, Comedian BOSTO
- Page 73 and 74: WILLIAM WARREN presented in the dra
- Page 75 and 76: WILLIAM WARREN Apropos of the large
- Page 77 and 78: WILLIAM WARREN must submit to a rec
- Page 79 and 80: WILLIAM WARREN voiced organ. There
- Page 81 and 82: WILLIAM WARREN depth and suggestive
- Page 83 and 84: WILLIAM WARREN through a vast galle
- Page 85 and 86: WILLIAM WARREN Senator from Massach
THE STAGE FIFTY YEARS AGO<br />
bill of fare, chiefly through its use of the<br />
contrivances of modern science. To the<br />
vocal and instrumental solo, the dance,<br />
the song and dance, the stump speech or<br />
monologue, the one-act drama, sentimental<br />
or comic, the dialogue, generally in dia-<br />
lect, of the two funny men, feats of acro-<br />
bats and jugglers, and the deeds of per-<br />
forming dogs — all of which were of the<br />
old regime — are now added the wonders<br />
of the kinetoscope and the biograph. And<br />
this congeries furnishes the amusement<br />
which at present about equally divides<br />
with the regular theatre the public patron-<br />
age, counting its daily spectators in Bos-<br />
ton by double thousands. It is good to be<br />
able to believe that the public's morals are<br />
not jeoparded by the prevailing taste, and<br />
good to be assured that the overtaxed<br />
public's mind and overwrought public's<br />
nerves are rested and soothed by " the<br />
vaudeville." Also, it is to be hoped that<br />
[ 19 ]
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