PLAYHOUSE. 
at now occupies nearly the whole of the year, have con¬ 
tracted the feafon of the fummer theatres (formerly con¬ 
fiding of feveral months) to a very few weeks. It feems 
as if to deny the public all theatrical amufement, of an 
elegant or intellectual nature, at the larger houfes, was 
not Sufficient, unlefs they could be, in a great degree, 
prevented from feeking it elfewhere. Moreover, the in¬ 
troduction at the larger houfes of thofe entertainments, 
formerly peculiar to the minor theatres, is manifeftly 
unjuft and injurious to the Latter eftablifliments. If the 
minor theatres are to be reftrained from the exhibition of 
the legitimate drama, common fairnefs requires that the 
major theatres (hould not interfere w'ith thofe representa¬ 
tions which alone are left for them. If Drury Lane and 
Covent Garden are to monopolize tragedy and comedy, 
furely pantomime and fpeCLacle might be left for Sadler’s 
Wells and the Cobourg. When tiie proprietors of the 
privileged theatres turn Shakefpeare and Sheridan out of 
doors, to make w'ay for the diftortions of melodrame and 
the nonfenfe of harlequinade, the proprietors of the 
unprivileged theatres ought to be allowed to take them in, 
not only in mercy to the poets, but by way of reprifal, 
for the unjuft aggreftion of the larger houfes upon the 
rights of the Smaller ones. 
An attempt is Sometimes made to apologize for the 
nbufe of managerial power, by Saying, that the regular 
drama does not attraft, and that the public tafte requires 
the deSpicable exhibitions which at prefent degrade the 
ftage. If this were So, it would not be very extraordi¬ 
nary, and the faft may not involve any impeachment of 
the public tafte. The cupidity of the patentees has in¬ 
duced them to ereCt theatres of Such gigantic dimenSions, 
that, to a great part of the audience, it is juft poflible to 
See the ftage, but utterly impoftible to hear what is Said 
by thoSe who occupy it, Now, as comedy and tragedy 
differ from fpeCLacle in this, that it is neceftary that the 
aftors in them fhould be audible as well as vilible, it is 
clear that the Brobdignag edifices of Covent Garden and 
Drury Lane are utterly unfit for their genuine purpofe. 
But, Surely it is too much for managers to fay to the 
public, “Our avarice has cauSed us to build theatres So 
large, that the regular drama cannot be heard, therefore, 
it fhall not be affed in them or in any other place.” 
Again, if the public tafte were as bad as it is represented 
to be, who but the managers are accountable for it ? 
After the extraordinary pains which they have taken to 
depraye the public appetite, are they the perfons to com¬ 
plain, if their exertions ffiopld be found to have Succeeded ? 
After being for a long Series of years deprived of Sound 
and wholefome food, and habituated to naufeous and 
cloying fubftitutes, would it be very Surprising if the 
public tafte had become, in fome degree, impaired, and to 
a certain extent incapable of appreciating the tone anti 
flavour of dramatic excellence ? But the charge is un¬ 
founded, The public tafte is, perhaps, generally better 
than it is fuppofed to be. Men may be content with in- 
fipidity and abfurdity when nothing better is to be had; 
but talent will rarely afl'ert its rights in vain, and the belt 
writers, in every department of literature, are commonly 
the molt popular. The unhealthy progeny of the Mi¬ 
nerva prefs once furnifhed the favourite amufement of 
the ladies ; but the Great Unknown arofe in the ftrength 
of genius to cover them with the mantle of oblivion; 
and they are now as completely eftranged from the toilet 
of beauty as they always were from theclofet of learning. 
Where is the evidence to be found of theexiftence of 
this imputed depravity of public tafte ? When, Some 
years fince, one of theatres was finking under the prefl'ure 
of debt and difficulty, was it Saved from total ruin by 
pantomime and Spectacle ? No ! the proprietors were lo 
fortunate as to discover in a remote corner of the coun¬ 
try, “a youth to fortune and to fame unknown ;” but 
who burned with the fire of genius, and who Seemed 
born to be a living illuftration of the paffions, as pour- 
trayed by Shakefpeare, Did the public evince any flow- 
671 
nefs in discerning the Splendid powers of Mr. Kean ? 
When, fliortly afterwards, Mifs O’Neil, at the rival houfe, 
displayed an intenfity of pathos, which might almoft 
caufe “ ftones to w'eep!” did the public exhibit any in- 
fenfibility to the powers of this “ Queen of Tears 
When Othello was represented, with the united force of 
Mr. Kean and Mr. Young, did the treafurer of the the¬ 
atre find that his balance was on the wrong fide ? Did 
not the public rufli with an unprecedented eagernefs to 
witnefs the mafterpiece of Shakefpeare, Supported by the 
talents of the founder of the new School of afting, and the 
fineft remaining ipecimen of the old one ? But is not 
the patronage beftowed upon what is familiarly called the 
Little Theatre, in the Haymarket, a convincing proof 
that the tafte for the regular drama is not loft ? When¬ 
ever the performances at this theatre have been Supported 
by a tolerable company, they have been eminently encour¬ 
aged ; and we cannot help wiffiing that its feafon, inftead 
of being confined to two or three months, were ex¬ 
tended to fix. We like the houfe, firlt, becaufe there is 
not room for fpeftacle and pageantry ; Secondly, becaufe 
we can See the aftors without a telefcope, and hear them 
without a trumpet. 
We have noticed the inconvenience arifing from the 
great Size and the Small number of our patent theatres, 
but without pretending to point out the remedy. If, 
however, it w’ere poflible So to arrange interefts, that the 
patents of the preient theatres Ihould cover four, or even 
fix, of Imaller fize, dedicated to the Same purpofe, we con¬ 
ceive that plenty of good aftors would be found, and at 
moderate Salaries; for competition would quickly reduce 
the price of their labour. Such talents, though far from 
being common, are by no means So rare as is imagined : 
many people poflefs them in great perfection who difdair. 
to make ufe of them ; and many more are capable of 
acquiring them, if any thing could be made by them. It 
is almoft unneceflary to add, that increafing the number 
of theatres, and diminilhing their fize, would naturally 
tend to excite a competition among the managers to pro¬ 
duce good pieces which might be J'een and heard. It is 
by Such a competition that genius is discovered ; it is 
thus that horticulturifts raife whole beds of common 
flowers, for the chance of finding among them one of thofe 
rare varieties which are the boalt of their art. 
It has been frequently a fubjeft of debate, whether the 
ftage be favourable to morals. We fhall difmifs this con¬ 
troversy in a very few words. It will be allowed by all, 
that the intention of the players in afting, is to procure 
money ; and the intention of the audience in attending 
the theatre, is to Seek amufement. The players then will 
only aft Such plays as they believe will anlwer their inten¬ 
tion. And w-hat fort of plays are thefe ? They are Such 
as correspond with the opinions, manners, and tafte, of 
the audience. It the tafte of the audience be grofs, 
therefore, the plays will be grofs; if delicate and refined, 
they will be the fame. And if we go back to the time of 
Shakefpeare, we (hall find that this has been uniformly 
the cafe. The conclulion, then, which we draw, is this; 
if the tafte of the audience be pure, free from licentiouf- 
nefs, the plays will be the fame, and the ftage will be fa¬ 
vourable to virtue. 
Playhoufes were originally inftituted with a defign of 
recommending virtue and expofing vice and folly ; there¬ 
fore are not in their own nature nuilances; but it hath 
been holden that a common playhoufe may be a nuifance, 
if it draw together great numbers of coaches, See. as to 
prove generally inconvenient to the places adjacent. 
Jacob's Lavj Did. 
If any perions in plays, &c. jeftingly or profanely ufe 
thename of God, they forfeit xol, 3 Jac.l. c. 21. Players 
Speaking any thing in derogation of the Book of Common 
grayer, are liable to forfeitures and imprifonment. 1 Eli:. 
c. 2. § 9. Afting plays or interludes on a Sunday is fub¬ 
jeft to penalties, by 1 Car. I. c, i. 
By flat, ip Geo II. c. 28. no perfon (hall aft any new 
play 
