THE DRAMATIC SOCIETY.
"Let us form a dramatic society," said Nat to his companions, one day.
"Perhaps we can put an extra touch on 'Henry the Eighth' or 'The
Merchant of Venice.'"
"I should laugh," answered Charlie, "to see us undertaking the drama. I
guess it would be straining at a _gnat_ (Nat) and swallowing a camel,"
attempting to perpetrate a pun, over which he, at whose expense it was
said, laughed as heartily as any of them.
"Let Charlie laugh as much as he pleases," said Marcus, "I think we
could do well in such an enterprise. We might not eclipse Booth, but we
could get along without a bar and some other things as bad."
"You will find," continued Charlie, "that a play of Shakspeare will not
go off very well without scenery."
"Of course it would not," replied Nat. "But we must have scenery of some
kind."
"Where will you get it?"
"Make it," quickly responded Nat. "It will be an easy matter to paint
such representations as will answer our purpose."
"So you will turn actor and artist all at once," said Charlie. "What
will you try to do next, Nat?"
"As to that," answered Nat, "I will let you know when I have done this.
'One thing at a time,' was Dr. Franklin's rule. But say, now, will you
all enlist for a dramatic society?"
Frank and Marcus replied promptly in the affirmative, and Charlie
brought up the rear, by saying,
"Well, I suppose I must be on the popular side, and go with the
majority--yea."
Here was one of the fruits of going to the theatre. What had been
witnessed there created the desire to undertake the same, although Nat's
object was to improve himself in rhetorical exercises. But the
enterprise grew out of his visits to the theatre, and was well suited to
excite critical remarks. It is probable that most actors and actresses
are made so by first witnessing theatrical performances. We are
acquainted with a person, whose nephew is an actor, with no purer
character than actors usually possess. He was a lover of books in his
youth; and his desire to become an actor was begotten in the theatre.
He was so delighted with what he saw on the stage, that he finally
resolved to make stage-playing his profession; and he now belongs to
that unhonored fraternity. It is not strange that some people were
surprised that Nat should originate such a society.
"What shall we play?" inquired Frank, on the evening the dramatic
society was organized.
"'Macbeth,'" replied Nat, who had witnessed this at the theatre. "It may
be more difficult than some others, but it is one of the best plays."
"_You_ must get up the scenery," said Frank.
"With the assistance of the rest of you," replied Nat. "It will be no
great affair to paint what we want for this play."
"How long will it take?" inquired Marcus.
"We can do it in two evenings," answered Nat. "We ought not to be longer
than that, if we intend to commit the play so as to act it next week."
"No one but members of the society will be admitted, I suppose," said
Charlie, "until we have thoroughly practised the play."
"No; we must speak it over and over, so that it will be perfectly
familiar, before we attempt it before visitors."
On that evening the society was organized by the choice of officers and
the adoption of a constitution and by-laws. Nat had the chief agency in
preparing the constitution and by-laws, as he did in the debating
society, and he found that a knowledge of grammar was indeed a decided
assistance. He was often reminded of the remarks of his teacher, when he
(Nat) was opposed to studying the science.
[Illustration]
It was decided to act "Macbeth," and the parts were assigned, and the
time of the first meeting appointed. Many of the young people joined the
society, and were much interested in its object. Such an organization
was suited to awaken more enthusiasm among the young, than a debating
society.
It was a pleasant evening on which the play was to be performed for the
first time, and every member of the society was there, curious to behold
the result. It went off with considerable eclat, although there were
some blunders and mistakes, as might have been expected. Even Charlie,
who was incredulous about their success, confessed that it passed off
very well. The scenery, which had been prepared by the boys, under Nat's
direction, was quite decent, and it showed that Nat's early practice of
drawing was very useful to him now. It would not bear very close
inspection, it is true; but a short distance off, and by lamp-light, it
looked very well.
Thus evening after evening they met, with closed doors, to practise the
piece. At length, concluding that they could entertain an audience,
they decided upon a public performance. The plan was adopted with much
spirit, and all were resolved to do their best.
The entertainment was given at the appointed time, and a good audience
assembled. Each one performed his part well, but Nat, as usual, was
thought to excel.
"I had no idea the boys would do so well," said Mr. Graves. "I am
surprised that Nat should perform so handsomely; he would make a
complete actor with practice."
"Marcus did very well indeed," replied the gentleman to whom he
addressed the remark; "in fact, all of them exceeded my expectations.
But Nat plays as if he were perfectly at home."
"I don't know about the influence of such things," added Mr. Graves. "I
have my fears that such a society will foster a love for theatrical
exhibitions of a far more exceptionable character."
"I feel exactly so, too. I think it may lead some of the young people
here to attend the theatre, when otherwise they would not. There is no
doubt that Nat originated this society in consequence of attending the
theatre himself. If nothing worse than such an exhibition as we have had
to-night would grow out of it, it would be well enough. I would say amen
to it. But I fear that it will lead to something else."
"There is the danger," replied Mr. G. "Young people are easily led
astray by such appeals to their senses, and the more easily because they
do not see any evil in them. It is just as it is with using intoxicating
drinks. A young man sees no wrong in sipping a little wine at a party;
but that first wine-glass may create an appetite that will make him a
drunkard. So the sight of such a theatrical performance as this may lead
some of the boys to want to witness a play on a grander scale at the
theatre."
The exhibition of the Dramatic Society occasioned many remarks like the
above in the village. Some people had expressed their opinions
unfavorably before the exhibition, but this settled the matter in their
view. The very skill which the boys displayed in the performance served
to awaken still greater fears; for the greater the witchery of the play,
the more danger to the young.
"Thar," said old Mrs. Lane, who entertained us on a former occasion, "I
knowd that it would turn out so. It is jist what I telled ye, when I
heard Nat went to Boston nights arter great speakers. You'll have to
b'lieve me byme bye whether or no."
"Ah!" said the lady addressed, "it would all have been well enough if
Nat had confined his attention to that. Perhaps it will be well enough
now, though I fear that theatrical performances will have a bad
influence."
"Pesky bad," replied the old lady. "When boys are runnin arter such
things allers, there is no tellin whar they'll stop. And thar's the
danger of too much edication. If Nat had stuck to his bobbin, and never
knowd any thing else, I guess it would turn out better for him in the
eend. I don't b'lieve in so many new-fangled notions as they have in
these ere times."
"I have no fears for Nat," responded the lady; "for I think he
participates in these things for self-improvement; but others may do it
for the sake of the amusement. I am afraid that others may imbibe a
taste for the drama, and become theatre-goers in consequence."
"You seem to think that Nat can't be spiled; but I take it that his good
motives can't make the theatre good. It is a corruptious place, anyhow,
and if it don't spile him, it won't be because it ain't bad enough."
"Time will show us the result," continued the lady. "But they say Nat
exhibited marked talents for the drama at the exhibition. Several
persons have told me that they were surprised at his ability, but I am
not; for he always excels in whatever he undertakes. He enters into
every thing with all his heart, and does it with all his might."
"Lor, yes, we all know that," replied Mrs. Lane; "and so I reckon that
if the theatre should spile him, he would be wicked with all his might.
He'd make a rale prodergal son, only more so."
On the point of Nat's excellence in performing the drama, the following
conversation took place after this public entertainment.
"You ought to be an actor," said Charlie to him. "You are exactly cut
out for it, and every one who heard you the other night would tell you
so."
"So far as that is concerned," answered Nat, "the profession of an actor
is the last one I should choose."
"Why?" inquired Charlie. "I thought you was in love with the business."
"By no means. I have told you over and over my object in going to the
theatre, and in forming the Dramatic Society, but you always appear to
doubt me. I would not be an actor even if I could be as famous as
Booth."
"You would not? and yet many seem to think you have a taste in that
direction, and _I_ have thought so too. But tell me why not."
"Because I have little respect for the business as a profession. It
affords a brief pleasure to an audience for a short time, and that is
all it amounts to. I think it is a good discipline for us in the
Dramatic Society, and I know that I learned some valuable lessons at the
theatre, and I am still of the opinion that a theatre might be so
conducted as to prove a source of innocent amusement, and not a curse."
"You couldn't make many of the people in this community believe that,"
said Charlie. "They think it is a gone case with you since you have
favored theatricals."
"I know that," replied Nat, "and they would not believe me if I should
tell them what I have you, so that I see no way to convince them but to
wait, and time will do it. I would carry bobbin all my life before I
would be an actor."
"Well, what would you be, Nat, if you could have your own way?" inquired
Charlie.
"I would be an orator and statesman like Edward Everett," quickly
answered Nat. "I always had great respect for such men. It is easy to
respect them; but no man can cherish high respect for an actor."
Here the conversation was interrupted.