A History of the American Theatre

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1832 Excerpt: ...utility, and necessity of the measure. It is a great and powerful engine for good or ill; and though its general tendency may have been favourable to civilization and morals, evils have attended, and do attend it. In Germany, where it is altogether under the direction and control of the government, one of these evils is unknown; and where it is under the supervision and partial direction of the rulers, it is in its worst form avoided; as in France. The evil we ' mean, and shall protest against, is that which arises from the Eng' ' lish and American regulation of theatres, which allots a distinct portion of the proscenium to those unfortunate females who have been the victims of seduction. In Germany, the theatre is the prince's; it is directed by a literary man in his service. The director and players are paid by the government, and being chosen for talents and moral conduct, are honoured by the prince and his court. Here the theatre is the people's, as all things are. And the representatives and guardians of the people ought to prevent the misuse and perversion of it in any way. The directors ought to be controlled to their own and the public good by the official servants of the public, and in the particular abuse above mentioned, the prohibition of the immoral display would remove a just stigma from the theatre, and would further the views of managers by increasing their receipts. In France the theatres are under strict control, and some of them are supported by the government. The abominable regulation which causes this evil is there unknown, and the evil is unknown. It is not practicable to exclude the impure and the vicious from public resorts, neither is it to be wished. If the drama is such as a good government ought to permit, its influence cannot b...