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THE DRAMA
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THE DRAMA

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THE
DRAMA
BY
MRS. KENDAL
A PAPER READ AT THE CONGRESS
OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE
PROMOTION OF SOCIAL SCIENCE,
BIRMINGHAM, SEPTEMBER 1884

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THE DRAMA.
IN
N dealing with the Drama within the
necessarily brief limits of a Social
Science Association paper, the great diffi
culty is to decide from what point of view
so large a subject is to be treated. That it
should have a place in your discussions
seems appropriate enough, for assuredly
there never was a time when the Theatre
was more popular, or so much a topic
of conversation, as now. The English
people are indeed rapidly becoming alive.
to the fact that the " progress and culture
of a nation depend upon its diversions as
well as upon its occupations," and as a
matter of consequence the Dramatic Art is
receiving an unprecedented meed of recog-
nition. It appears to me, therefore, that
the most useful thing for me to do to-day
will be to glance for a few moments at the
R
2
THE DRAMA.
difference in the condition of the Drama in
its earliest days and now, and to consider in
what ways it has improved, in what de-
teriorated. That it has in many ways im-
proved, every playgoer of intelligence must
admit; that it has in some ways deteriorated,
those who are closely associated with it are
forced to allow.
It is an easy and a pleasant task to speak
of its improvements. I believe-nay, I
know that there still exist very worthy
but self-constituted critics who speak with
shake of head and regretful sigh of what
are called the "palmy days" of the Drama.
That grand actors and consummate actresses
lived in bygone days is a matter beyond all
dispute; and indeed when one comes to
consider the conditions under which they
were compelled to follow their art, it seems
almost impossible to speak too highly of the
genius which enabled them indelibly to
stamp their names upon the age in which
they lived, and which will cause them to be
honourably-nay, gloriously-remembered
in ages yet to come. But surely I am
justified in saying that the playgoer of to-
day possesses advantages far and away
above those which his forefathers enjoyed.
Let us compare for a moment the play-
THE DRAMA.
3
houses of which we read with those with
which we are familiar.
In the old days the utmost disorder was
allowed to exist in the half-lighted audi-
torium. Eating and drinking were freely
indulged in; smoking was permitted;
wine, spirits, and tobacco were hawked
about; card-playing was resorted to be-
tween the acts; the more distinguished
among the audience were allowed to walk
and sit on the stage, and to converse with
the performers. It was no disgrace in those
days for gentlemen of good social position
to be seen tipsy at the play, and of course
drunken brawls and disgraceful quarrels
were of frequent occurrence.
"
The entertainment provided on the stage
was on a level with the intellect of the
audience, and the playgoers were looked
upon as rogues and vagabonds." No
wonder that the Drama got a bad name, or
that people with a Puritanical turn of mind
regarded it with dismay.
Of course all this is going back a very
long way, and matters began by degrees to
improve; but I venture to say that it was
not until the present generation that cor-
rectness in costume, fidelity in scene-paint-
ing, and attention to every little detail con-
4
THE DRAMA.
nected with the action, came to be looked
upon as absolutely essential to the proper
production of a play.
Nowadays, indeed, that which is techni-
cally known as the "staging" of a play is
in itself a work of true art, and in its own
way gives rise to as much thought and care
as the author has for his dialogue or the
actor for his part. It has been objected
lately that too much attention is apt to be
given to scenery, furniture, and accessories,
and that there is a danger of the Drama
suffering from over-elaboration in this
direction. In plain English, this means a
thing may be too well done; and it seems
hard to subscribe to such a theory.
forefathers, you will remember, were con-
tent with a background for their plays on
which the name of the place supposed to
be represented was written up, such as-
"This is Thebes," or "This is a forest;
or sometimes even this trouble was not
taken, and the actors had to inform the
audience where the action of the piece lay.
"Our scene is Rhodes,"
Our
""
is the brilliant opening line given to an
actor in an old drama.
These crude arrangements gave way to
the introduction of scenery, but it was a
THE DRAMA.
5
long time before anything like correctness
was attempted, and we can most of us re-
member the days when there was no com-
plaint of the thing being "overdone."
Can it be "overdone"? If a scene is to
be represented at all, can it be given with
too much truth or attention to detail? Of
course, lack of judgment spoils everything,
and it is very likely that mistakes in this
direction have given rise to the complaint.
It is useless to lavish mere money on a
scene. If the interior of a peasant's cot-
tage is to be represented, much expendi-
ture on the furniture would be ridiculous;
but surely the artistic care that reproduces
the humble home of the labourer, down to
such minute details as, say, the "sampler "
stitched in silk which his wife had worked
when a girl at the village school, and which
now decorates his walls, is a thing to be
admired.
Again, if the scene is a landscape, ought
it not to be made as true to lovely nature as
the resources of art will allow? Or if it is
a room in a palace, can it be too beautifully
given? If the surroundings and minutiæ
of such scenes are correct and in good
taste, they must add not only to the enjoy-
ment, but to the education of an audience;
for it may be reasonably supposed that the
B 2
6
THE DRAMA.
frequenters of the less expensive seats in a
theatre have not many opportunities of be-
coming familiar with the interiors of palaces;
and it is certain that the jaded City clerk,
who seeks a little recreation at the play,
does not see too much of landscape, nor has
he a very intimate acquaintance with the in-
describable attractions of an English vil-
lager's home. Perhaps it would be well
for those who are disposed to be satirical
concerning what they call 'over-attention
to detail" and "over-elaboration," to give
a thought to this side of the question before
airing their opinions.
(C
It may then, I think, be conceded that
in matters of scenery the improvements are
not only great but remarkable.
The comfort of the audience, too—is not
that considered nowadays as it was never
considered before? For obvious reasons I
do not often form one of an audience my-
self, but I should certainly think that good
light, attention to warmth and ventilation,
soft cushions, ample room, good music, and,
above all cleanliness, are things to be ap-
preciated and to be added to our list of
improvements.
And while advances in this respect have
been made before the curtain, equally great
THE DRAMA.
7
ones have taken place behind it, and actors
and actresses are at last surrounded by the
conveniences and comforts which gentlemen
and ladies have a right to expect. For the
improvements-the great improvements-
that have been made in this way honour
should be given where honour is due. It
was the Management of the Prince of
Wales Theatre that, some seventeen years
ago, first paid attention to the comfort of
the artists it engaged, and made the theatre
behind the scenes what it now is. This
fact should be recorded, because praise is
too often given to those who have only
followed a good example.
We have more play-writers, too, than of
old; and although a cry is constantly going
up that there is a dearth of good dramatists,
it is a matter of fact that much excellent
modern literary work has been, and is,
associated with the Stage.
It is to be feared that the playwright of
to-day is hardly appreciated as he should
be. His work is subject to keen and uni-
versal criticism; for it is a curious fact,
that whereas few would venture to criticize
books, poems, or paintings without some
little special knowledge, every one thinks
he has a right to pronounce judgment on a
8
THE DRAMA.
CO
stage-play, and is convinced that that judg
ment is infallible. And, again, the dra-
matist runs the risk of being misinterpreted,
and consequently misunderstood. His work,
moreover, does not find its place on the
library shelf, and is seldom read; but the
improved condition of the Theatre has
made the most famous literary men of the
day anxious to identify their names with it;
and let us hope that this desire will increase
and bring forth good fruit as matters still
further improve.
But perhaps the most remarkable change
that has come over the condition of the
Drama is the fact that there is at last a
recognised social position for the profes-
sional player. Formerly actors formed a
little body in themselves. The Theatrical
Profession was considered outside, if not
beneath, all others, and was regarded with
something like contempt. It was a wrong,
a cruel, and an absurd state of things, for
even then the Theatre was popular, and
was doing good work. Perhaps you may
remember Garrick's famous reply to the
Bishop, who told him that he could not
understand why his theatre was always full
while his church was always empty. "I
think, my Lord," said Garrick, "it is
THE DRAMA.
9
because I deal with fiction as though it
were a truth, while you preach a truth as
though it were a fiction." Members of all
the other professions were glad enough to
come and amuse themselves with the out-
come of the actor's genius; his ability was
recognised; it was, as it is now, the subject
of universal conversation and of much news-
paper comment; but the door of "society"
was closed to him. Now all that is altered.
The Theatrical Profession is acknowledged
to be a high and important one, and the
society of the intelligent and cultivated actor
is eagerly sought after. Just at present,
indeed, the new state of things, having
become universally known and recognised,
has become also a little embarrassing.
One is always hearing or reading in the
papers that the professions are
""over-
stocked "that there are too many clergy-
men, too many lawyers, too many doctors,
and the fact that the terms of actor and
of gentleman may now be regarded as
synonymous, seems to have sent the "over-
draft" of all these other professions head-
long on to the stage.
How many younger sons of well-born
but not too well-to-do parents have hailed
the present social position of the actor with
IO
THE DRAMA.
delight? How many educated girls, find-
ing themselves, through force of circum-
stances, suddenly compelled to face the
world on their own account, have turned
with a sigh of relief from the prospect of
the stereotyped position of "companion"
or "governess" to the vista that an honour-
able connection with the Stage holds out
to them? From these, and from other
sources, the Theatrical Profession also runs
the risk of becoming "over-stocked."
These young aspirants rush to the Stage
as to a promised land. The would-be
actors congratulate themselves on the fact
that there are no "stiff" examinations to
pass; they complacently regard their hand-
some young faces in the looking-glass; they
contemplate with satisfaction the latest
efforts of their West-end tailors, and think
themselves on the high-road to fame and
fortune.
A young man of this stamp not long ago
called upon a London manager, sent in his
card, and being admitted to his presence,
informed him that he had made up his
mind to "go on the stage," and was pre-
pared to accept an engagement. The
manager, not unnaturally, asked some
questions as to his qualifications for the
career which he proposed for himself.
THE DRAMA.
II
street.
"Had he any experience as an actor?
Had he studied the dramatic art?" "No,"
was the reply, "but he had decided to 'go
on the stage,' and all that he wanted was
an engagement." The manager led him to
the door, and, returning his card, pointed
to a building on the opposite side of the
"That," said he, "is a bank; go
and present yourself there. Say that, with-
out knowing anything about the business,
you have made up your mind to be a
banker's clerk, and ask for a situation. If
you succeed in getting one, come back here
and I will engage you as an actor." The
young gentleman took his departure, but
he did not return!
The would-be actresses are more diffi-
dent, and are certainly more disposed to
devote heart and soul to their work; but
neither the one nor the other has the
slightest idea of the amount of study, of
labour, and of devotion to the art-to say
nothing of natural aptitude-that is neces-
sary for success.
Another advance that may be claimed
for the Drama in these days of its im-
provement is its influence as a teacher-
for a teacher it always has been, and ever
will be.
12
THE DRAMA.
Temperaments differ everywhere, and
one of the first things that a boy or girl
has to find out is what will exercise the
greatest influence over his or her nature.
There are many young people who are
perfectly content and happy with the
amusements that are afforded by study, by
a happy home life, and by pleasant social
intercourse; but there are also many who
require a little more than this, and who can
only show what is best in their undeveloped
natures under the influence of an appeal to
their imaginations. These rush to the
Drama as the thirsty wayfarer rushes to the
cooling brooklet.
How important it is, therefore, that the
draught should be pure, that the refresh-
ment should be really wholesome and use-
ful. It is quite certain that many hundreds
-nay, thousands of people have been in-
fluenced for good or for evil by what they
have seen portrayed upon the stage. Those
who go to the theatre with the capability of
weeping over scenes in which honest self-
sacrifice is depicted; of being aroused to
enthusiasm over the success of manly effort
or womanly devotion; or of feeling genuine
contempt for the portrayal of meanness,
treachery, and snobbery, will come away
from a good play, well acted, having learnt
THE DRAMA.
13
a lesson and gained an experience that will
probably be remembered with advantage
throughout the remainder of their lives. A
pure Stage is likely to be surrounded by a
pure people, and its influence from this
point of view can hardly be over-esti-
mated.
It is worth while here, perhaps, to look
upon the influence that the Dramatic Art
has upon those most intimately associated
with it. The playing of many parts natu-
rally gives to the actor and actress a curious
insight into the sentiments and passions
that sway and bias human nature. The
earnest actor, who has heart and soul in his
work, and conscientiously studies the various
parts he is called upon to play, is compelled
to think, more than the mere man of busi-
ness, of human strength and weakness, of
hate and love, of joy and sorrow; for in
their turn he has to portray them all, and,
to judge by results, the effect upon his
nature is to make him very charitable.
Where, I may safely ask, is charity more
openly or more cheerfully practised than
among the members of the Theatrical Pro-
fession ? I do not allude to mere alms-
giving-the readiness with which an actor
will in that way help a comrade who has
с
14
THE DRAMA.
fallen by the way has become proverbial;
but to charity of a very different and more
valuable kind.
Clergymen preach forgiveness, but they
do not welcome among their own body men
whose names are identified with a stormy
past, but who would gladly do useful work
in a peaceful future. Lawyers have to do
with justice, but they look with wary eye
on those who have once tripped, and con-
scientiously warn their clients to have no-
thing to do with such easily misled and
consequently dangerous creatures. Doctors
practise the healing art, but their nostrums
are for broken bones and bodily hurts;
they have no salve for the weary mind or
the lacerated heart.
The Theatrical Profession, on the other
hand, offers chances to all men and women,
no matter what their past has been; and it
is in this way that I maintain it to be a
more charitable one than any other. A
sad and undeserved consequence of this is,
that actors are liable to suffer as a body for
the very charities they so unselfishly practise,
for they give the outside world opportunities.
of indulging in that scandal about the Stage
which apparently forms one of its chief
delights. The Puritanical-minded point to
some too well-known "backslider" who
THE DRAMA.
15
is endeavouring to earn a living in a theatre,
lift up their pious hands in horror, and con-
demn the whole profession. It would be
well, indeed, if these worthy people would
take the trouble to look a little further into
the matter, and ascertain how cruelly un-
just such condemnation is.
In all these things-and if time permitted
I could mention many more-the Drama,
it may be safely maintained, has not only
held its ground, but improved. But I am
now quite half-way through the time allotted
by the Social Science Association for my
paper, and I must turn to the other side of
the question, and tell you in what ways the
Drama of the present day has deteriorated,
and, unless actors and actresses will be true
to themselves and the honourable profession
that they follow, is likely still further to
deteriorate.
No true lover of the Dramatic Art can
look with satisfaction on the many ways in
which it is now advertised. Neither the
painter nor the poet thinks it advisable to
fill the columns of the daily papers with
the monotonous repetition of what this or
that critic has said of his work, or to keep
his name constantly, and with wearisome
16
THE DRAMA.
persistency, before the public. The extent
to which some carry out this system, and
the pains taken over it, is simply beyond
all description. An insatiable thirst for
newspaper paragraphs is always tormenting
them, and in every action of their lives the
thought of "How will that advertise me?"
or, "How can I use this as an advertise-
ment ?" is predominant. With people thus
constituted, even affliction is turned to what
they consider profitable account, and at a
dull period an illness is regarded as a
positive boon.
This absurd mania seems to be in a great
measure, I am sorry to say, peculiar to the
members of the Theatrical Profession, and
it assuredly does not add to their dignity,
It is done in manifold ways-in what are
known as "receptions" at theatres, in rail-
way station "demonstrations," by photo-
graphy, and by speech-making, and one
and all are degrading to the Drama.
As a
cloak for incapability such means may be
excusable, but true art in every branch
advertises itself. Advertising nowadays is
an art, but it is not the art of Acting.
This state of things has given rise to a
flippant and what may be termed " per-
sonal" style of theatrical journalism, which
is greatly to be deplored, and should cer-
THE DRAMA.
17
tainly be discouraged. The so-called thea-
trical papers, in which the leading artists of
the stage are alluded to by their Christian
names, and where insolent and generally
untrue gossip and tittle-tattle take the
place of honest criticism, are absolutely
debasing to the profession. The unfortunate
outcome of all this is, that the artist's capa-
bility, or, more properly speaking, "popu-
larity," is too often gauged by the amount
of publicity that is given to every little
action of his or her life. An unthinking
section of the public is hungry for news
of this description, and incompetent but
"knowing" actors and their managers
take advantage of it.
Another way in which the Drama has
certainly deteriorated is the style of play
that now attracts popular audiences. Our
forefathers could laugh heartily over a good
farce, but the staple fare of the evening had
to be the serious or poetical Drama, in
which some good moral would be pointed
out, and literary merit would be looked for
and found. At the present time, however,
audiences enjoy a whole evening of farce,
and farce of a very remarkable nature?
What, in reality, can be a more painful
spectacle than that of an innocent and un-
C2
18
THE DRAMA,
suspecting wife being hoodwinked and
deceived by a graceless and profligate
husband? Years ago it would have formed
the groundwork of a very pathetic play, if
not of a tragedy; but now it is a never-
failing source of delight to the lover of
elongated farce; and the greater the inno-
cence of the wife, and the more outrageous
the misconduct of the husband, the louder
are the shrieks of laughter with which their
misunderstandings are received.
>>
For this, alas! we have to thank our
French friends; and the "suggestiveness
which pervades the dialogue of too many
modern plays is another foreign importa-
tion that might very well be spared. That
most of the old plays were indelicate is a
matter of fact, but they were a reflection of
the times in which they were produced.
In those days a spade was called a spade,
and plain speaking was not only tolerated
but expected. That disagreeable "sugges-
tion" should have taken the place of down-
right coarseness is a bad sign of the taste of
the modern playgoer. Of course there are
very clever and very amusing pieces of this
order, but their success has given rise to a
host of vulgar and clumsy imitations, which,
while attracting audiences, certainly do no
credit to the English stage.
THE DRAMA,
19
In what is known as burlesque, too, the
modern Theatre has decidedly deteriorated.
Genuine travesty and pantomime are dis-
tinct and recognized branches of the Dra-
matic Art; but though some good burlesque
pieces, in which witty authors and clever
actors unite to create a hearty, wholesome,
and good-humoured laugh, are happily pro-
duced from time to time, the so-called bur-
lesque with which the modern playgoer is
familiar, and which, it must be owned, he
seems to enjoy, is not a very high-toned
entertainment. I am sure that if fanciful
children were taken to these pieces, it
would be a real source of sorrow to them
to see such trusted friends as
"Ali Baba,"
Aladdin,' "Robin Hood,'
""Robinson
Crusoe," "Sinbad the Sailor," and a host
of others, treated so badly.
>>
No one in his senses can blame managers
or actors for catering for this section of the
play-going public. A demand naturally
induces a supply, and if Dramatic Art has
deteriorated in this direction, the public,
and not the profession, is to blame.
I do not think that the Press of the
present day does all that it might do for the
true welfare of the Drama. Existing critics
generally rush into extremes, and either
20
THE DRAMA.
over-praise or too cruelly condemn. The
public, as a matter of course, turns to the
newspapers for information. And how can
any judgment be formed when either indis-
criminate praise or unqualified abuse is
given to almost every new piece that is
brought out? Criticism, if it is to be worth
anything, should surely be "criticism"
but nowadays the writing of a picturesque
article, replete with eulogy or the reverse,
seems to be the aim of the theatrical re-
viewer.
Of course the influence of the Press upon
the Stage is very powerful, but it will cease
to be so if playgoers find that their
mentors, the critics, are not trustworthy
guides. The public, after all, must decide
the fate of a new play. If it be bad, the
Englishman of to-day will not declare that
it is good because the newspapers have
told him so. He will be disappointed, he
will be bored, he will tell his friends, and
the bad piece will fail to draw audiences.
If, on the other hand, the play is a good
one, which has been condemned by the
Press, it will quicken the pulse and stir the
heart of an audience in spite of adverse
criticism; the report that it contains the
true ring will go about, and success must
follow. In a word, though the Press can
THE DRAMA.
21
do very much to further the interests of the
Stage, it is powerless to kill good work,
and it cannot galvanize that which is in-
vertebrate into life. Too many notices are,
it is to be feared, written "to order," and
the writer who has declined to praise an
unsuccessful actor has been known to lose
his post; but let us hope that this unjust
state of affairs, together with the "chicken
and champagne," of which we have heard
so much, is a thing of the past.
And here, I think, attention may be suit-
ably called to a duty that the public un-
doubtedly owes to itself in this matter of
criticism, and that is, that it should judge for
itself, and not pin a blind faith on all that
is told it. It is too true that if playgoers
are told that a thing is good they are quite
prepared to accept it as such, without tak-
ing the trouble to find out whether they
have been rightly or wrongly informed.
Thus many plays and many actors and
actresses are accepted and praised because
the critics have declared them to be good.
The fact is, the public does not judge
for itself, but is influenced and led by
"fashion."
Actors nowadays seem to be judged by
everything except by the art they follow,
22
THE DRAMA.
and I maintain that this state of things
is peculiar to the Theatrical Profession.
Clergymen become popular because they
preach good sermons; lawyers have large
practices because they advise their clients.
well; doctors increase the number of their
patients in proportion to their professional
skill; surely then actors should be suc-
cessful and popular in accordance with the
talent with which they act. But Acting
seems to have something akin to "Parr's
Life Pills" and " 'Holloway's Ointment.”
By advertising those commodities large for-
tunes were made, and it is the actor who
lets the public know, through the news-
papers, everything that he does, from the
entertainments that he gives to his friends.
and admirers, down to the goose that he
sends his gasman at Christmas, that seems
to get the largest following. "Bunkum"
of this description has of late years been
practised to an extent which is absolutely
nauseating; and all this proves that there
is
Something rotten in the state of Denmark.”
A complaint is constantly being made
that the moral tone of the Drama of the
present day is not so high as it undoubtedly
should be; but for this playgoers are to
THE DRAMA.
23
notoriety alone.
blame, for they run after notoriety, and
This may seem a strong
accusation, but is it not true? When men
and women have done wrong and take to
the Stage, is it not a fact that (provided
the wrong-doing has been made sufficiently
public) brisk business may be expected at
the booking office? This, I maintain, never
was in the old days, and proves to-day the
degradation of our Stage.
Some critics hold that men and women
cannot properly act noble and virtuous
characters unless they themselves have led
spotless lives. I do not go so far as this,
but I do maintain that it is pleasanter to
think that when the curtain has fallen, and
the actor or actress is at home, he or she
leads, or is capable of leading, the same
kind of life the representation of which
has moved an audience to sympathetic
tears; and certainly it can be no drawback
if, while admiring the artist, the playgoer
can at the same time respect the man or
woman.
Surely, then, it is more than a necessity
that actors and actresses of position, who
have the true interest of their noble art in
view, should make their lives an example
to those with whom they are associated,
and to those who are to come after them.
24
THE DRAMA.
By this means, and by this means only,
can the Theatrical Profession expect to
maintain its dignity and to secure the high
position it should hold in the estimation of
the public. It behoves actors and actresses
of every degree, while cultivating their
talents to elevate and amuse, to lead such
lives that those who have regarded the
Stage with a suspicious eye will at last give
it its proper place in the world of Art.
Time will not allow me to say more.
The Drama has an interesting, nay, to
some of us a fascinating, Past. It rests
with those who make it a profession, and
the ever-increasing public that supports it,
to secure for it a useful, an elevating, and a
glorious Future.
BALLANTYNE press, cHANDOS STREET, W.C.

A LIST OF WORKS
RELATING TO
THE DRAMA AND MUSIC
PUBLISHED BY
MR. DAVID BOGUE.


Super-royal 8vo, cloth extra, 10s. 6d.
Henry Irving.
A Biographical Sketch. By Austin Brereton. Illustrated
with Seventeen Full-page Portraits, from Drawings by EDWIN
LONG, R.A., J. A. MCNEIL WHISTLER, FRED BARNARD,
VAL. BROMLEY, ALF. P. TILT, J. FULLEYLOVE, and Mrs.
ALLINGHAM. A Few Large-Paper Copies may still be had,
Price £4 4s. each.
Imperial 16mo, 15.
Some Famous Hamlets.
With
From Burbage to Fechter. By AUSTIN Brereton.
an Appendix, giving Extracts from the Criticisms on Hamlet,
by GOETHE, COLERIDGE, SCHLEGEL, HAZLITT, ULRICI, &c.
Small 4to, printed on hand-made paper, cloth extra, 5s.
Mary Anderson.
The Story of her Life and Professional Career. By J. M.
FARRAR, M.A. Illustrated with a Portrait, engraved by
GOUPIL & Co., from an Original Drawing by H. VAN DE
WEYDE.
Crown 24mo, limp parchment, is.
The Drama.
By Mrs. KENDAL. A Paper read at the Congress of the
National Association for the Promotion of Social Science, Bir-
mingham, 1884. With a Portrait and Autograph.
Published Annually, price Is.
Dramatic Notes:
A Year-Book of the Stage. Edited by AUSTIN BRERETON.
Illustrated with Sketches of Scenes and Characters of the Prin-
cipal Plays of the Year. The first Four Issues may be had
bound in one vol., cloth, price 5s. The Fifth Issue will be ready
in October.
Published Annually, One Shilling.
The Theatre Annual.
Edited by CLEMENT SCOTT. Containing Theatrical Stories,
Reminiscences, Verses, &c., and Illustrated with Portraits
of Favourite Actresses. The 1884 issue contains contributions
by WILSON BARRETT, E. L. BLANCHARD, H. J. Byron,
H. SAVILE CLARK, the late DUTTON COOK, H. A. JONES, W.
BEATTY-KINGSTON, the late CHARLES READE, Robert Reece,
CHAS. H. Ross, G. FAWCETT Rowe, CLEMENT SCOTT, J.
PALGRAVE SIMPSON, GEO. R. SIMS, ANNIE THOMAS, and Moy
THOMAS. The 1885 Issue is in active preparation, and will be
ready in November.
Crown 8vo, cloth, price 5s.
Edwin Forrest.
A Biographical Sketch by LAWRENCE BARRETT. With
numerous Portraits and Facsimiles.
Crown 8vo, cloth, price 5s.
The Elder & the Younger Booth.
A Biographical Sketch by ASIA BOOTH CLARKE.
numerous Portraits and Facsimiles.
Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged.
cloth, 3s. 6d.
With
Crown 8vo,
Our Actors and Actresses
Biographical Sketches of the Principal Living Actors and
Actresses of the British Stage. With Criticisms from Contem-
porary Journals. Compiled and Edited by CHARLES EYRE
PASCOE.
Crown 8vo, cloth, price 5s.
The Jeffersons
A Biographical Sketch by WILLIAM Winter. With
numerous Illustrations.
Crown 8vo, cloth, price 5s.
Charlotte Cushman.
A Biographical Sketch by CLARA ERSKINE CLEMENT. With
numerous Illustrations.
Crown 8vo, cloth, price 3s. 6d.
Geneviève
Ward.
A Biographical Sketch from Original Material derived from
her Family and Friends, by ZADEL BARNES GUSTAFSON. With
Portrait.
Crown 8vo, cloth, price 5s.
Mrs. Duff.
A Biographical Sketch by JoSEPH N. IRELand. With
numerous Illustrations,
Demy 8vo, Illustrated, is.
The Opera Glass.
Containing the Plots of One Hundred Fopular Operas; also
a List of Operas and Composers, the Dates of First Appear-
ances of Singers, &c., by LOUIS ALEXANder.
Published Monthly. One Shilling.
The Theatre.
A Review of the Drama, Music, and the Fine Arts. Edited
by CLEMENT SCOTT. Each number contains Two Photo-
graphs of Eminent Actors, Actresses, Dramatic Authors,
Critics, &c., together with Articles, Stories, Biographical
Sketches, Poems for Recitation, &c., by the Leading Dramatic
Writers of the Day. Half-yearly Volumes are published,
bound in cloth, price 7s. 6d. each. All the Numbers and
Volumes since January, 1880, may still be had.
Published Weekly. Twopence.
Under the Clock.
A High-Class Weekly Journal for Playgoers. Each Num-
ber contains an Engraved Portrait of some leading Actor or
Actress, and gives Notes on New Plays and all the Theatrical
Gossip of the Week interesting to the Playgoer. Subscription:
3 Months, 25. 9d.; 6 Months, 5s. 6d. ; a Year, 10s. 10d.
DAVID BOGUE, 3, ST. MARTIN'S PLACE, W.C.

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