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this, for indeed they have left their dupes and admirers without the means of supporting fur ther imposition.

The stars of Heaven are content to shine on us gratuitously, but those earthly stars of ours, use all the fame which their talents may have acqui. red, to make profit by; this is scarcely honourable. The 'star' says, 'I am worth all the money which my name can draw,' and accordingly he extorts a sum which leaves it out of the

J. D. C-Acting requires an apprenticeship as well as any other pro- power of the manager to remunerate the other

fession; apply to a dramatic Agent..

THEATRICAL TIMES.

SATURDAY, OCT. 21, 1848.

THE STAR SYSTEM.

Now it

actors, or pay the expences of the house. But why do the manager agree to this. Because it has been the fashion to parade stars,' and he speculates on the attraction, thinking that if he lose money by the engagement, he will gain a degree of prestige to the house, which will prove serviceable afterwards. Vain hope the "star" remorselessly exacts his tribute, frequently before he performs, let who will, and what will, suffer by it, and the public having been indulged with This system has done so much harm to the star gazing, cry like babies, for another toy of cause of the drama, that even the stars' them- the kind, and thus managers have been necessita. selves are becoming sensible of its evils. They and all concerned in the true interests of the ted to keep up the system by which themselves are beginning to think that if they bleed the poor drama have been losers to a ruinous extent-in patient to death, they will loose him; and it is fact, amounting to a total sacrifice. their interest to keep him alive, even though in an would only be just when a 'star' demands as exhausted condition. Accordingly, some of the much pay as would amount to the salaries of all stars have renounced the system, and doubtles, all the characters himself. But the other perform the rest of the performers, to require him to play others will follow their example. This system ers must work, whether they eat or not. Nay, had its origin partly in the vanity and selfishness what is felt as a still greater grievance, the star of actors—it was carried on to an enormous ex-fellow-actors, but he exercises his domineering not only takes the bread out of the mouths of his tent by means of the opposite qualities in the influence to gag them. He knows that it is by play-going public, who had too little self esteem contrast alone, that he can shine; and therefore, and too much generosity, and it will now fall, in order to keep himself prominently forward, he because sense and reason are once more rising to requires that the other figures in the groupe shall the ascendant. In the best days of the British he may tower above them, like Satan― retire, or subdue their spirit or excellence, so that drama, when the greatest actors flourished, there was no starring. Garrick was content to work and to receive a working-man's wages-he was what would now be called a utility man, and was rewarded with no higher pay than is at present given to that worthy, though despised class. If Garrick had been offered the pay which Macready claims and demands, he would have shrunk back and exclaimed, No! I am sure the theatre can't afford it—if I accept it, others must suffer, and the best interests of the stage will ultimately be vitally affected.' Garrick was not wholly pos sessed by a selfish consideration for his own interests-utterly regardless of the welfare of the profession to which he belonged. But such is the grasping nature of our present stars. And what is the consequence? the great houses are shut up, like a bankrupt's shop, and our eminent stars have shot their baleful fires into other countries—they being no longer countenanced in

"In form and gesture proudly eminent." This is not only unjust to the actors, but to the spectators; because when we go to see a play, we expect to see more than one character or per former in it. It is also unjust to managers whose companies must appear to disadvantage when thus compelled to submit to odious comparisons be apt to reject more useful and steady lights. those who have gazed at meteors or comets, will Managers have certainly more to lose than to gain by encouraging the star system--so also have there are few stars who really deserve the name; all parties connected with the drama. Besides many of them are stars of ill fate, and others are but false fires,' puffed into a blaze by the press, whose wind is paid for, like that of a blacksmith's bellows-only it is not so usefully and beneficially employed.

It remains for the public to withdraw its sup port from this system. A working company of actors, where each man is allowed to do his best, service to the cause of the drama, than all the and all are reasonably remunerated, will do more stars in the world. We have then a play well

believe that Macready is not a great actor than that the public has lost its judgment or formed an unjust one, or that it lacks generosity. Why, it is the interest of the public to appreciate and reward merit; and when it fails to do so, it in

closed against Macready, the small ones cannot profitably engage him. The Princess's theatre is compelled to resort to Opera, because the legiti mate drama failed to attract with Macready. And say not that it is the decline of the drama which causes this. What causes the decline of the drama?-the want of dramatic or acting talent. Nor can we attribute this to the success ful opposition of the Opera; Garrick, Kemble and Kean all had to contend with that rival, but they were triumphant. Yet does Macready set a higher value upon his services than they did on theirs, but it is the fault of dear articles not to find a market.

acted in all its characters; and accordingly managers, authors, actors, and the public, all do, and receive justice. This is better than where the usurping, monopolising, and despotic influence of one baleful star of the night is felt. It rouses our in ignation when we consider the conduct of cer.jures itself. But not only are the great theatres tain stars of the present day whom we could name, whose vanity and selfishness is such, that they absolutely remain without engagements, because these Overreaches ask such an exorbitant sum for their hitherto overpraised and overpaid services, that managers cannot engage them, except to the manifest injury of every other department of the theatre. Surely nothing can be more unjust than to pursue our interests to the injury of others. It would be well if the public set its mark of reprobation on these men, and there are some women full as culpable. It would be well if the conduct of these parties lost for them all the attraction of their talents, as such a penalty would be fit retribution. But the evils of the system are working their own cure-a reduction is taking place even in the self-estimation of the stars, and a time will shortly arrive when they must be content to shine without putting out the light of others, or else they will have to hide their fires.'

MACREADY AS AN ACTOR.

Old Kean once said to Macready, You can't act Shakspeare.' This was an assertion of which Macready himself gave the proof; and old Kean was doubly justified in making it-first, because it was perfectly true, and secondly because old Kean could act Shakspeare. Since that sun of the stage set, Macready has been allowed to shine, but this would not have been the case had young Kean been anything more than a mock sun of his father. When we first saw Macready, our ex. pectations had been raised to a high pitch, and great was the fall thereof. We had heard him spoken of as a great actor, and certain portions of the press had been loud in his laudation. No absolute enemy of a man can do him so much injury as the injudicious praise of friends or flatterers. They may blind the object of their adu lation; but they cannot deceive an impartial and independant public. Actors are all very fond of being noticed by the press; but all the good that newspapers can do them, is to introduce them, or draw attention to their merits, they must sustain themselves by their own efforts, they cannot long be buoyed up by blown bladders-fulsome panegyric, by its inordinate elevation of them, will but cause them to sink the lower, for the public forms its own opinion, judges for itself, and whatever pains may be taken to mislead or warp it, generally becomes just in the end. Thus though certain cliques or party critics, assigned Macready a place in the first rank of actsrs, public opinion has now settled his pretensions to a mere second or third rate position. The press is powerful only when it is right.

If Macready were a great actor would Drury Lane and Covent Garden theatres be closed to the Drama? No! To suppose the contrary would be an imputation on the taste and liberali ty of the dramatic public. Now we would rather

The first time we saw Macready he was take. ing the part of Macbeth. This is considered by his admirers one of his best, and therefore we do him no injustice to refer to our impresrions on witnessing it. It struck us that Macready did not act-that he scarcely recited, that he was a mere reader, and we remember perpetrating a vile pun on the occasion, calling him-Macreader. With him, all was cool intellect, without imagination or passion. His face seemed to lack expression, owing to his want of feeling or soul, and his voice was as the drone of a bagpipe. All that study however could do for him was done; and thus his attitudes was good. He seemed incapable of excelling in any but melancholy parts. His elocution was after the hop, step, and jump fashion, ridiculed by Peter Pindar. We did not feel in the least excited or electrified by him-he never lost possession of himself, and never carried us away; there was a total want of enthusiasm, and this doubtless is the source of his unsuccessfulness as an actor. He kept his own identity throughout, accordingly we never forgot that it was Mac ready and not Macbeth who was before us-and this defect we afterwards had occasion to observe runs through all his performances. He does not lose himself and become the character which he is attempting to personate, but he is still Mac ready; all his characters are but versions of him◄ self for he is a self-copyist, a mannerist. Now an author, much less an actor, that cannot lose his own idiosyncracy, can never be great-scarcely good, except perhaps in one unvaried line, and thus Macready excels only in woeful characters.

This actor has found many imitators, and why? because it is so easy to imitate him. If he acted from inspiration or impulse, as all actors of genius do, it would be impossible to imitate him, without some degree of like spirit or fire; but being a cold, unimpassioned actor, being an actor ruled and marked, and stereotyped, it is easy to take a cast from him, as easy as we would a mould from lead.

Macready does not love his profession because he has failed in it, and indeed his failure is the result of his want of love; as it is impossible to reach greatness without the aid of enthusiasm. He is a mere actor by profession, or rather he

makes a trade of it, for all his business is moneygetting. Thus there is no actor on record who has shewn himself so mercenary and exacting. Followers of the fine arts are expected to be more disinterested, and to make great self-sacrifices, to show their devotion to the art. He is as little a favourite with his fellow-members of the profession as with the public at large. His private respectability is his chief stronghold. To that more than to his talents, he owes the small amount of popularity he enjoys.

Macready is generally announced as the eminent tragedian!" people smile at this; but they would not do so if they felt his Eminence' really deserved the title. 'Ridicule is the test of truth,' in this instance at least.

J. W.

Imitatio vitæ, speculum consuetudinis, imago veritatis. The imitation of Life-The mirror of Manners-The representation of

Truth,

OLYMPIC.

lessee to support the legitimate drama,' at this
western tempe. The theatre has undergone complete
renovation; the boxes are comfortably lined, whilst
the dress circle has been handsomely fitted up with
draperies of crimson and amber. The ceiling, under
the brush of Mr Sang, has become one blaze of gilding
and colour. The side compartments represent a trellis
work, through which birds of brilliant plumage are
flying, and the central portion is occupied by one of
those fanciful designs, displaying strong contrasts of
colour. A beautiful medallion picture representing
Tragedy and Comedy, occupies the centre of the pro-
scenium, while below an elaborately painted drop
scene, with Shaksperian subjects in compartments,
tones down by its sober tints the otherwise too great
glare of the ceiling. The play selected for the open-
ing was Romeo and Juliet,' Miss Laura Addison
being the heroine. In the earlier scenes she seemed
to struggle with the feeling inseparable from being,
as it were, amongst strange faces: her voice was low
and tremulous, once or twice she lost her cue, and in
the famous balcony scene fainted outright. Subse
quently, however, talent triumphed over timidity; her
acting in the fourth and fifth acts left nothing to be
desired, or a doubt as to her claim to the first rank
in her arduous walk. She was loudly and repeatedly
cheered during the performance, and received the
honour of a call at the conclusion of the play. Mr
Creswick played Romeo fairly, and in the last scene
well; but Mr Holl's Mercutio was not the off-hand
Mrs Glover's
gentleman which Shakspeare drew.
Nurse, was a very near approach to perfection. The
play was splendidly mounted, several new
having been painted for the occasion. In the after-
piece of 'Catching a Governor,' the Keeleys, dried up
all tears, and sent every one home laughing.

SADLER'S WELLS.

scenes

The lessees of this favourite establishment are deserving of much praise for their exertions to create a taste for the works of our classic authors, more es pecially of Shakspere. Not only are these productions produced with all the skill of the scene painter and machinist, the result of whose labours are admirable;

On Monday, the performances commenced at this house with Bayly's musical burletta of the "Swiss Cottage,' in which Mr Binge and Miss St. George displayed great vocal talent: after which a drama, announced on the bill as entirely new,' but which is a free version of a very pretty French play, we remember to have witnessed last season at the St. James's Theatre. The adaptation is well managed, and the drama is carefully and efficiently suited to the English stage and an English audience. The plot may be thus briefly told:-A young man of fortune extends his pat ronage to a beautiful girl, an artist, whose works he purchases (through an agent) at an enormous price. Thus, she is enabled to live even in luxury, her real supporter frequenting her house, but especially in the more important element in the under the pretence of taking lessons from her in production of a play-the actors. For it is indisputhe art of drawing. By this means, although he table that the company collected at this house, is one intends her well, he compromises her reputation, of the best in London, for the performance of the true and his patronage,' for a time, threatens to ruin legitimate drama, and the result is, that even the her happiness. It ultimately, however, ends smallest character is well delineated. It follows then happily. The drama was very well acted: it is that plays when produced elsewhere, with one great. only necessary to say that the character of Edith, luminary,' in the principal character, and sticks' the heroine, was sustained by Mrs Stirling, to only in the rest, have for their reward a beggarly whose artistic skill and naive simplicity of manner account of empty benches,' while at this establishtold admirably with the audience. Mr Leigh ment, houses filled to overflowing is the consequence. Murray was a good representative of her dange-On Monday night, Shakspere's play of the Winter's rous friend and admirer: Mr Vining too, made the most of the foppish, and frivolous Lord Suipe Mr Emery merits great praise for his acting in the part of Mr. Rockley, an artist of the Lawrence school, he was earnest, natural, unaffected, and hearty. The scene, a villa at Chiswick, was worthy, for elegance, and minuteness of finish, of the Olympic in its palmy days of Madame Vestris's reign. The farce of Founded on Facts' has been again produced and still continues to covulse the audience with laughter. The drama of Time Tries All' concluded the evenings performances.

Tale,' was revived after an interval of three years.
this exquisite production of our great dramatis t to lie
We wonder that the management should have allowed

untouched on the shelf, as from the well-contrasted
nature of its incidents, and the great variety displayed
in the characters by which the plot is worked out, it
must always be a good and efficient acting play.
It was thus cast:-Leontes (Mr Phelps), Camillo (Mr
Graham), Polixenes (Mr Mellon), Florizel (Mr Mar-
ston,) Antigonus (Mr G. Bennett), Autolycus (Mr
Younge) Clown Mr Scharf, Hermione Miss Glyn, Per-
dita Miss Cooper, and Paulina Mrs Marston. The
Leontes of Mr Phelps needs no commendation on our
part: his delineation of the jealous king was, saving
a slight degree of hardness, most admirable. Miss
Glyn as Hermione improved as she progressed in the
part: a tendency to be too energetic, apparent in the