EXTRACTS FROM MAX O'RELL'S BOOK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9324, 29 March 1889, Page 3

EXTRACTS FROM MAX O'RELL'S BOOK.

"JONATHAN AND HIS CONTIKENT." A BRIGHT CRITICISM OF YANKEELAND. [from THE new YORK! WORLD.] CHAPTER XXII. • . THE STAGE IN THE UNITED STATES. The American stage boasts some excsllent actors, but it owes its prestige rather to the talent of a few brilliant individualities than to distinction of ensemble. The plays are written for certain actors, and the secondary parts are made to serve the purpose of throwing up the " star." This is why the French plays that are transplanted to the stage of Amerioa generally fail. I saw one very striking proof of 'this in New York. Mr. Abbey, the indefatigable impresario director of allack's .Thdatre, brought out "L'Abbe Constantin." The principle role was entrusted to Mr. John Gilbert, a veteran of the American stage. Certainly M. Got himself could not have played the part of the good old priest with more simplicity, tenderness, or pathos ; but this was not enough in a piece which demands at least half-a-dozen actors of talent, and the play was a complete failure. French plays are written not for stars," but for whole companies of actors. The author knows that such and such an actor will play the lover, that certain others will take the roles of the father, the prosaic notary, the brilliant officer, the valet; that certain actresses will create the parts of the coquette, the ingenue, the aovbrcttc, the diieima He knows that the directors will only entiust the members of his company with such parts as are well within their province. The translator of these plays runs his barque with a light heart towards the rocks of failure. Sometimes he does worse than translatehe adapts. A study of French manners is transferred to America and American personages. The play, becomes incomprehensible, unreal, and it'' is not the acting of a "star" that can redeem or save it.

American theatres are nob subventioned by the State, and private enterprise can scarcely afford to give the public the luxury of a whole company of talent. The " star " is usually his or her own manager, draws the public, and realises the profit?. The repertoire consists of two or three plays, which are performed before a New York audience for a mouth or two, and then taken round to the ohief cities of the t/iit'CS.

This is why one sees fresh companies nearly every week in half the theatres. To day a drama, next week comedy, operabouffe the week after. Sometimes the change is still more brusque. Mr. Henry Irving and Miss Ellen Terry gave a series of performances at the "Star" Theatre. New York, during the month of March last. On their departure they were succeeded by a troupe of performing monkeys. The theatre was just as likely to have been hired by travelling revivalists.

There is bub one company of actors in America, and that is Mr. Augustin Daly's excellent company of comedians. I have seen comedies played with a good deal of ensemble at the Union Square, Madison Square, and Lyceum Theatres in New York ; but Mr. Daly's picked company is incomparably superior to any other to be seen in America, or, for that matter, in England either, if one excepts the admirably even opera company of the Savoy. Mr. John Drew is a young lover agreeable to look at, gentlemanly, persuasive, natural, and full of life ; Mr. James Lewis, whoso grotesque face is a veritable fortune, is the best high-class comic actor on the American stage, Miss Ada Italian's comiqtry is irresistible. A certain coaxing drawl in her musical voice lends great seductiveness to a very handsome ptesence, and gives an additional charm to her clever acting. Mrs. Gilbert, who is so like Mile. Jouassin, of the Coinedie Frtmoaisa, as to be mistaken for her, is the equal of that actress in some of her duenna parts. The actor whose role consists of handing a card or letter to his master is an artiste. This is the stage as we are used to ib in France.

If good companies are rare in America, good-actors are numerous. The greatest American actor is Mr. Edwin Booth, who is so justly famous for his interpretations of Shakesperian roles in America and England. Mr. Lawrence Barrett, who often plays with him, is also a highly talented tragedian. In comedy, two veterans, Mr. John Gilbert and Mr. Lester Wallack, must be named first, then Messrs, Robson and Crane. In purely American plays, Mr. Joseph Jefferson is an unrivalled exponent of simple, touching parts. I had the good fortune to see him in " Rip Van Winkle," a role which belongs to him as " Pierre Chopart" belongs bo M. Pauiin Mdnier. Mayo, Florence, tTarrigau are names which are connected with a thousand successcs in the minds of the Americans. Mr. Steele Maykaye is a good actor, besides being a dramatic author of great ability. His play, " Paul Kaijvar," with its realistic scenes of the French Revolution, would doubtless draw all Paris, if ever the directors of the Porte St. Martin or the Ainbigu theatres took it into their heads to mount it. For original, fantastic creations, the palm must be awarded to Mr. Richard Mansfield. I wish M. Octave Feudist the pleasure of seeing this young and versatile actor play the part of Baron Chevral in "The Parisian Romance." The conception is as bold as it is artistic, For cleverness at "making up," Mr.'Mansfield is unrivalled.

The greatest actress on the American stage is a Pole. Madame Modjeska has no living rival bub Madame Sarah Bernhardt, whom, to my thinking, she sometimes even surpasses. Her interpretation of "La Dame aux Camelias" appeared to me superior bo that of her great French rival. Madame Modjeska does nob perhaps put into this part the fire, the depth of passion, that Madame Sarah Bernhardt displays, but. she endows ib with more feminine grace, more purity. She appeals less to the senses, but more to the heart; she subjugates the spectator less, but touches him more it is the courtesan redeemed, purified by love, as M. Alexandre Dumas conceived her.

The American theatres are spacious, elegant, well lit and well ventilated. The seats are comfortable, and that French bugbear, the ourease de lo<jcx, is unknown. The ground floor is entirely covered with stalls, but the rise, from the proscenium to the back of the theatre, is so considerable that the spectators sitting on the last row have as good a view of the stage as those in front. And a good thing it is so, for the women adorn their heads with such monuments of millinery when they go bo the play that, if the floor were horizontal and you had a stall that was not on the first row, you would have to trust to the kindness of the ladies in the front to toll you what went on upon the stage. With the exception of the Metropolitan Opera House and two or three other large theatres, the auditoriums are only fitted up with stalls, one or two galleries, and a very few boxes.

Prices are moderate, and range from 1 dollar 50 cents to 50 cents. For lower tastes or leaner parses there are the Bowery theatres, where melodramas, variety shows, and harlequinades are served up, and the price of admission varies from 25 to 10 cents.

The Americans have an unbearable trick of arriving late at the theatre. For twenty minutes after the curtain rises there is a constant bustling and rustling of newcomers, which debars you from the pleasure of following the actors' speeches. If the play begins at eight, they come at a quarter-past; if it begins at a quarter past, they come at half-past, and so oil. At the time appointed for the curtain to rise the stalls are empty. This bad habit annoys the actors and disturbs the spectators ; but the evil is incurable, and managers try vainly to stop it. I know one who followed the advertisements of this play by this paragraph : — " The public are solemnly warned that, unless the whole of the first scene be witnessed, the subsequent action of the play cannot be understood.''

His efforts were crowned with failure. Nob to miiim'sUiid the play is a pity, but not to create a sensation when one comes in, dressed in one's most killing attire, is out of question.

CHAPTER XXIII. THE RELIGION OF THE AMERICANS.

The Americans are Christians—that is to say, they jfttend church on Sundays, Like other Christians, they attend to business on week-days. ' In America religion is served up with sauces to suit all palates. Independently of the Catholic religion, there are 189 dif? ferenfc religious sects. England has only 185,

Every good preacher draws a full congregation, no matter to which sect he belongs. The church in itself is not the attraction, "and the minister has no other influence over the people than that which he exercises by his oratorical talents. A religious or moral lecture is as popular as a literary lecture, a concert, or a play. Put a bad preacher into the pulpit in America, and he will soon empty the church ; replace him by a gifted orator, and soon there will be "standing room" only, and every seat will be at a premium. The priesthood is nob a vocation, it is a profession ; no talent, no success. An American will go and listen to the minister of a sect differing from his own rather than sit and bo bored by a tiresome preacher belonging to his own denomination. He will rather go to hear Dr. McGlynn, the excommunicated Roman Catholic priest, or Dr. Felix Adler, the eloquent agnostic; religious as he is, he will sometimes regret that Colonel Ingcrsoll does, not appear in public on Sundays any longer ; Protestant as he is, lie has no scruple about going to hear a musical mass in the ' 'atholic cathedral ; in fact, you can see him everywhere, except in the churches where dulness prevails, and the mind waits in vain for fresh nourishment-.

The churches advertise a preacher in the newspapers as the theatres advertise a "star." In default of a good preacher, other attractions are put forward to draw the public. How resist the two following appeals, posted at the doors of a New York and a Chicago church ? I copied them word for word with great care : — Musical Evangelists. Solos ; . Short sermons; The place' to happy and saved. ' Walk in, ladies and gentlemen, walk in. The other, more seductive still, was worded thus :— No reason for not coming! Freo .seats; Cheerful services! Books supplied to the congregation,

The public are requested to leave the books in the seats after use.

Religious sects multiply every day. No doctrine is too absurd to make proselytes. The latest religious invention in America is Esoterism, which promises'immortality to its followers—immortality, that's all ! Thedoctrine of the l^soterists-teaches that, if man were really pure and followed the precepts of the Gospel to the letter, he would become immortal, not in Paradise, bub here below. As ib is probable 1 that no Christian ever yet succeeded in following minutely the precepts of the Gospel, the Esotersists may be right. To live for ever, say they, you have only to remain virtuous, even in the married state. Celibacy must be embraced. Celibacy pure and simple, however, is nob sufficient, for where there is no struggle there is no victory. Devo tees must therefore marry, but in all honour remain celibates- If you succeed in mastering your passions, no malady will attack you, and you will become immortal. " But," you will probably say, "do the Esoterists never die?"

Yes, they die—once; bub, according to thein, this does nob prove the fallacy of their belief. If they die, it simply proves that they have failed to attain the necessary degree of perfection. Now, the Esoterists are safe bo continue with us, for either they will arrive at perfection and become immortal, or they will fall away from grace and will have children bo swell their ranks. The head of this sect, which is as yet only about two years old, claims that when the Esoterisbs attain perfection, nob only will they be immortal, bub they will have a clear insight into the future, a gift which will enable them to amass great riches. And, indeed, the utility of such an accomplishment on the Stock Exchange, for instance, must be apparent at a glanoe. Another sect pretends to -be able to cure all diseases by faith. The faith of these fanatics is nob shaken by bhe death of their patients. "If they had had more faith, they would have recovered." Doctor Sangrado cured all illnesses by bleedings and hob water. When a patient died, it was because bleeding had been boo copious or nob copious enough, and the water administered too hot or not hob enough. The theory remained excellent.

Most of these new sects are commercial enterprises, some of them established on the plan of limited liability companies. A room is hired and supplied with a table and chairs, and a few novelty hunters are soon attracted to the embryo temple. These in turn draw others, and by-and-bye a more imposing meeting-place is secured, and the pockets of the proselytes are appealed to for funds, to found what is called " The Lord's Treasury." Many poor, simple folk have been persuaded into giving all they possessed to <r the Lord's treasury." No need to put by a reserve fund ; human credulity is an inexhaustible mine. Fortune-tellers are furnished with some six months or two years' imprisonment. How is it the law allows schemers to found a '' Lord's Treasury" by promising immortality to the geese who bring their money to it? It looks as if in America, as in England, swindling may be practised with impunity in the name of religion. One meets with just lis many cases ol: bhe adroit blending of the worship of God and Mammon.

A publisher, who is not abovo making money by the sale of books stolen from English and French authors, is yet godly enough to build a church with part of the proceeds.

An immense quantity of literary piracies issue from another firm whose warehouse rejoices in the appellation of "Bible House." A popular preacher sells his church sittings by auction. Another furnishes to a syndicate advance shepts of the sermons he preaches on Sunday, so that the principal papers throughout the United States are able to furnish their readers, on Monday morning, with the full discourse delivered the day before in Brooklyn.

Sabbatarian hypocrisy is as flourishing in the Eastern States of America as in England and Scotland.

_ I was visiting the Sub-Tropical Exhibition at Jacksonville one Sunday, and at a certain stall I chose a few little natural curiosities.

" I cannot sell them to you to-day," said the stall-keeper to me, after well puffing his wares.

"No? Why?" ~- " Because it is Sunday—l can put them aside for you must buy them tomorrow."

This is the kind of thing one is supposed to admire.

A truly edifying sight is that of the noisy, dirty, blaspheming crowd, collected on a Sunday evening outside Madison Square Garden, New \ork, on the eve of a six days go-as-you-please walking match." From six or seven in the evening there is a betting, swearing-match outside the ga,tes. Bub the walking only begins at one minute past midnight.

Not to take the name of God in vain, the English have invented many euphemisms ; some men, imagining, I suppose, that the Deity takes no cognizance of any language but English, venture so far as to say Mon Dim or Mtin Golt.

At this kind of thin" the Americans are as clever as the English. . They have invented Great Scott!

Something admirable in all the main religious sects of America--is their national character.

When I hear ib said that religion is the sworn enemy of progress, especially of republican institutions, I turn to America and say to myself: !< This is not true." There is no minister of religion, from the arch bishops down to the most unlettered preachers of all the small isms, who would dare to tell his congregation that liberty is not the most precious, the most sacred of their possessions, and that the republic is nob the most admirable-rrthe only possible—form of government for America.

In France there is much indifference on the subject of religion ; but a great deal of incredulity is affected to satisfy a political bias.' I am certain that if in France you searched into the hearts of the people you would find there much less atheism than in many other countries. Religious belief

seems to be 'she appanage of the royalist party, and other people think they make a show of republicanism by throwing over the belief of the royalists. The religious man is rather looked upon as a political enemy than as a religions antagonist. This is the true' explanation of much apparent agnosticism in France. It must also be remarked that plenty of royalists only affect piety and go regularly to church as a protest against republicanism, and that many republicans may be excused for taking this display of religion for an act of hostility towards their pet institutions. This state of things is deplorable. Both sides are to blame for it. • In England and America, where the form of government is questioned by no one, religion does not clash with progress and liberty, bub lives with democracy in peace and harmony, as becomes a faith whose grnad precept is " Love ye one another." [To be continued.]