THE DIRECTOR. No. 15. SATURDAY, MAY 2, 1807. COMEDIA, non sine multa Laude: sed in vitium libertas excidit, et vim Dignam lege regi. HOR. My observations on the theatre have produced several letters upon the subject, four of which I have selected for this day's paper. But before I give them to the reader, I shall insert a letter, which I have just received from a gentleman of acknowledged taste and talent, on the subject of the Opera. Dear Mr. Director, ALLOW me to pour my grief and indignation into your bosom. For a long time past nothing had afforded me such satisfaction, as seeing announced for the Opera, the ballet of the SIEGE OF TROY. Ar last, said I to myself, we have done with those everlasting Peruvians and Spaniards, Mexicans and Turks, and all the tribe of the barbarous and Gothic nations, who have hitherto almost exclusively engrossed our ballets d'action; at last we shall behold Deshayes, Moreau, Mesdames Deshayes, Parisot, Présle, Cranfield, &c. represent classic personages, and a classic subject: How delightful to the admirer of HOMER, and of VIRGIL! THE fact is, that I foolishly expected to see this classic subject, classically treated; that, like a great noodle as I am, I expected in this our dear England, to feast my eyes on all the elegant and simple grandeur of the Grecian costume, and on all the magnificence of the Phrygian attire; that I promised myself the most striking effect, from the happy contrast between the lofty helmet, the brass shoulder plates, the bared arms and legs of the sturdy European warriors, and the pliant mitra or cap, the loose vest, the long embroidered sleeves and trowsers, &c. of the effeminate Asiatic chiefs. There cannot be the least doubt, thought I, of all these characteristic features of the subject being faithfully represented, now that every manager of a theatre is enabled to acquire in perpetuity, for the moderate sum of two guineas, an inexhaustible store of models for the costume of all classical subjects, by purchasing Mr. Flaxman's compositions from the Iliad and the Odyssey; in which that great artist has contrived to introduce the most correct and chaste representations of Grecian and Asiatic forms of attire, utensils and furniture; the fruits of more than twenty years investigation of all the most interesting remains of antiquity, in Italy or elsewhere. But, alas! how grievous was my disappointment, when, in place of what I had pro mised myself, I beheld scenery, and dresses, and ornaments, the tawdriness of which was exceeded by the flagrant violation of all costume. Such was my dismay, that I could not bear to see the frippery representation out; but, at the conclusion of the second act (for this ballet, I believe, has no less than five acts) I ran home, vowing never to set foot in the Opera again, until two creditable witnesses should certify, under their hands and seals, that at least the illustrious Greeks, ULYSSES, MENELAUS, and others, concealed in the mighty bowels of the pasteboard horse, no longer issue forth from their lurking place in the corduroy breeches, dirty stockings, and string shoes, in which I had the unutterable mortification of seeing their persons attired, as, one by one, they slid down the rope. I am, Dear Mr. Director, Most truly and faithfully yours, &c THE next appears to come from a respectable tradesman in the city. To the Director. Ludgate Hill, Respected Sir, April 18, 1807. It is a subject of great satisfaction to me that, in the exercise of your office, you have begun with the Theatres. Being desirous the other day to treat my wife and daughter, and finding that a moral and sentimental Comedy, called "LOVER'S Vows," was to be performed, I settled to be in time, to secure good places in the pit. My son declined the party, as some of his particular friends were to be in the boxes. He therefore joined them at half price. My son, you must know, Mr. Director, is a young gentleman of seventeen years of age, who condescends to assist occasionally behind my counter, till a more eligible situation can be found for him. |