THE STAGE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5255, 26 January 1878, Page 1 (Supplement)

TH E STAGE.

IfProm the' Charing Cross Mdgdiine.) i - “jJ.o;hold the' naUror/up. to nature/ show -virtu?-herd ownJ image/aid ,the:/very rage; and bodybf the timehis'-formaud pressure.” jThis tia the work of the play wright, if he know and love his mrt.-i.What he represents on the mimic, a reflection- of the world-j-the-great stage on Which we all strut, play our; parts on, well or illp then make our final ■ exit, tie must not only show us what theavoyldis. like, but in what it is most : unlike! the thing it . should; be'-;7 there must: be ■ no false coloring, for. the sake of effect, no drawing;.an-'improbable .eonditiopi.of.things .from,his iOwn inner!cop-; aciousnessj for the"sake of .harmony/no.reflecition, iffi short,-from.'' a. .blotched/.of/,-ill-shaped, .glass if I 'the' ipirrw may*'be.■ .-small; iwheii the dramatic instinct is not great,-but. it must be true. The;,yirtnq-,:he would have .us: love' -miist pben.clothed, in spotless 'White/' her; feja;. tures must-bo/clearly ;seqn,-, ;hetf/beauty must ; be.trauscejrdanVher form,- ,of/matchless’ shape, bo that the most vicious and'Criminal of his iahdienCe,,shall; inwardly' {row -the* knee| and pay her rightful homage. Around the. vice or sin he would;.depict there must be no false halqjtf .superficial goodness, no show of greatness of soul to, hide a want of principle, the .Thotol i odiouspess, must,, be lettered in capitals so that the, groundlings may haye.no needy of r:spec,taole,s, : .,; Lastly, he'.must depict the age in : whiqhrhe lives—he must regard ( himself as; the;historian.:of,, society toiwhom fufurerages wi l l look for A. faithful: picture of :hisrtime..! ,l’ius l is t the.real ! work of,the dramajtiah,,and this .is I ,,.what : Sliakspere did. • i.He'; ,Upheldj'a mirrgr;- that; could .not lie ; ; that .reflected not : only the. positive,; the. practical, ,the.average,,form of ithings,;,but -their : !euees,;their .distinctions;;,All/the lights .and;', .shadesaver.eatruerr-ney.erjtpo. light,: never;too: dark.> -:Hft:USfid his fancy, his poetic imagination,to embellish ( the . real, not to. crgatp the ideal.,OiHe 1 yyoh, our; love pf v virtue.;by -ho stagey hyperboles,, no. ,clap-trap_ of lover wrought pathos but by producing her in all her native moral,beauty,■ that captiyatesitbe- remnant,'ofl the divine;, within .u 5,.;,!, He never,jinakbsi us tlaaghat virtue/even in.our sleeves,; nor laugh 1 jaloud[With./vice, .and,if/a.t, times-Iwe,-cannot' repressiftn inward, chuckle, jyo■ rejoice;bocavise it is,bidden; Ho made all things-loveable by the very strength .nf'.jtheir,; '.He 1 madeiOrimefand sin' hideou3i,and hateful, vice, ■andiolly/contemptible.aiid ridiculous,' ;; .