Imatges de pàgina
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fent moment, but in fome degree every thing that he will have to repeat in the whole fcene: By this means, and by none but this, he will be able to regulate his geftures and deportment, not only fo as to make them proper for the prefent occafion, but for the conduct of the whole fucceeding part of the scene.

We may even go a great deal farther, without exceeding the bounds of juffice in this article. The player ought not only to remember in general his own part in the whole scene, nay and in the whole play, but he fhou'd remember alfo, at least in a general way, the parts of the other actors who are, or at any fucceeding time are, to be on the ftage with him. On almost all occafions, the actor, before he begins to speak, ought to prepare his audience for what he is going to deliver, by fome proper action; and the beginning of this action ought, according to the circumftances, to precede the fpeech by a longer or fhorter time.

The players, especially the young ones, have a way of mechanically recollecting when they are to speak next, by getting off, together with their own parts, what they call the Cues, that is, the laft line of the fpeech of the perfon next after whom they are to fpeak. But when the performer knows no more of what is to be faid to him than the laft line, it is hardly to be imagin'd that he can give his fpeech the proper tone at its setting out; and 'tis utterly impoffible that he fhou'd introduce it with that kind of action we have just now mention'd the neceffity of.

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CHAP. IX.

Containing a Digreffion concerning certain Articles, which in themfelves are foreign to theatrical Reprefentation; yet without which the Truth of acting is never to be arrived at.

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"HEN the players are thoroughly perfect in the remembrance of their parts, and have ftudy'd fo carefully their different circumftances, that they are ready to beftow on each that fort of expreffion which is adapted to it; we find the most neceffary appearances are already all prepared to keep up the illufion in the representation, and to perfuade us into an opinion of its being a reality. We have nothing now left us then to enquire into, but fuch things as are independent both of the action and the delivery.

If we wou'd have the representation perfect in its kind, all that now remains, is to join these requifites of the latter kind with thofe of the firft.

If these connections are in fome degree neceffary to us in plays, they are infinitely more fo in the Italian operas. The more every appearance of reality is neglected in the very nature of performances, the more neceffity there is that the delufion of our fenfes fhou'd take us off from all thoughts of ufing our reafon. This kind of theatrical entertainment invented by the Italians, a nation fonder of fhew than of reality, and intended to amufe the eyes and to entertain the ears, rather than to affect the heart, to

rouse

roufe the paffions, or in any degree to employ the understanding, keeps up to this day the spirit of its original nature: Even when there have been people who have understood the language, and have infifted upon meaning in the words, it has ftill been left in poffeffion of all that gewgaw splendour which was intended originally to make fense unnecessary to it; and ftage monsters and pompous fcenery are yet allow'd among the things of greatest merit in it.

Our imagination is conducted by these kind of theatrical representations from prodigy to prodigy; and at every inftant we are expected to prepare oufelves for feeing scenes, each more extraordinary than the last. A magnificent palace changes in a moment into a frightful defart; and in a few minutes more, a fhepherd's cottage becomes a majestick temple.

A conjurer in one scene determin'd to plague a couple of unhappy lovers, ranfacks all the elements for means to execute his purpose; furies, fiends and difcord arise from the gaping ground, which presents all hell to our view; and the next scene shews us Venus and Cupid attended by the Graces, defcending from the clouds to crown the conftancy of the tender pair. We are hurry'd to the utmost bounds of imaginary worlds at the shifting of a scene, and are in one moment in the Idalian groves, in the next, in caves and grottos at the bottom of the fea, the refort of Nereids, and in a third we are feated on the top of Olympus in the midst of a council of the gods.

The art of the mechanick and decorator are no lefs effential in these performances, than the genius of the poet, the skill of the compofer, or

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the art of the player, to give fome fort of appearance at least of a reality to the representation. Our ridiculous pantomimes are as wild in this way as the strangeft extravagances of the Italians ever were; but excepting thefe, the theatrical pieces represented on an English stage, as they are conformable to nature and to reafon, and are deftin'd to employ the understanding, and to affect the heart, may eafily fpare a great deal in pomp and decorations. The probability of the incidents in our plays, the judicious conduct of the feveral scenes, the force and fpirit of the words, and the just play of the actors, often employ the mind fo abfolutely with us, that the fenfes have scarce liberty to exert themselves at all; and we are often fo pleas'd with the matter of a scene, that we pay no regard to the decorations of the ftage on which it is reprefented.

Notwithstanding that we are in the right to be more indifferent about this article at the playhoufe than at the opera, yet it cannot but be acknowledg'd it wou'd be much more reasonable that the scenery fhould always represent at least the place where the action reprefented is faid to be perform'd, than that it fhould be left at random in this point: And above all things it is abfurd and monftrous to admit a part of the audience upon the stage and behind the fcenes. This is a piece of folly that had its rife in France, and that has been often attempted to be introduced among us, but always with that ill fuccefs it deferves. Tho' the avarice of our managers feems very well difpos'd to fuffer the ftage to be fill'd as well as the boxes in this manner, the indignation of the generality of the

audience

audience has never fail'd to exprefs itself too feverely against the people who place themselves there, to encourage them to make a practice of doing fo.

We readily pardon the abuses of this kind in the particular inftance of the benefit nights of favorite players; paying them the compliment of facrificing to their intereft the appearance of reality, which the play might have without this, but which can never be given it under fuch circumstances: it might however be wifh'd, that even on these occafions, fome care were taken in the diftribution of these people, and fome decency obferv'd in the fault: as, that the ftage were never crowded till e every other part of the houfe were full; that even then the people were fo difpos'd on it, as to give free paffage to the performers in their coming on and going off the ftage, and a space fufficient left for the representation; fcarce any one of which particulars is now ever comply'd with.

The dreffes of the actors is another particular that we are ufually as carelefs about as the fcenery in our plays. We fhou'd indeed be offended if we faw a perfon who perform'd the part of a man of rank and quality, act in a plain fuit; but we are very unconcern'd to fee an actress, whose part is that of a chambermaid, enter upon the ftage in a habit that in real life might be worn by a Dutchefs. We forget the neceffary plainnefs, that a perfon of the characterand itation reprefented to us ought to appear in, and only fay upon the occafion, that Mrs. Clive has a great many very good cloaths. The general tafte, which we have for extravagance in drefs, makes us forget the intereft

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