INTRODUCTION.
THE 'Contrast' was the first American play ever performed in public by a company of professional actors.Several plays by native authors had been previously published, the more noteworthy being the 'Prince of Parthia,' a tragedy by Thomas Godfrey of Philadelphia, which was probably written, and was offered to Hallam's company in 1759 (but not pro-duced), and was printed in 1765, two years after the author's death.
A comedy called the 'Mercenary Match,' by one Barnabas Bidwell, is said to have been performed by the students at Yale College, under the auspices of the Rev.Dr.Ezra Styles, President of the College.Dun-lap speaks of having heard it read, but does not men-tion whether it was from a manuscript or printed copy.It was printed at New Haven in 1785.
The 'Contrast,' however, was the first to meet suc-cessfully the critical judgment and approval of a pro-fessional manager.This fact alone should redeem it from the neglect and inattention it has heretofore met with.Besides, it possesses considerable intrinsic merit, and as an acting play will compare favorably with many of the English comedies of the period; and though, perhaps, meager in plot and incident, it is bright, humorous, and natural; the dialogue is sparkling with genuine wit; and its satire aimed at the evils and follies of the time is keen and incisive.The contrast between the plain and simple honesty of purpose and breeding of our American home life and the tinseled though polished hypocrisy and knavery of foreign fashionable society is finely delineated, and no doubt suggested the name of the play.Thoroughly natural in its plan and characters, it was a bold venture of a young writer in a new literary domain.
The character of Jonathan is a thoroughly original conception; nothing of the typical Yankee, since so familiar and popular, had as yet appeared, either on the stage or in print.
The 'Contrast' was first performed at the John Street Theater, New-York City, on the 16th of April, 1787, and undoubtedly met with the approval of the public, as it was repeated on the 18th of April, the 2d and 12th of May the same season, and was reproduced with success later at Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Boston.It was, as far as can be learned, the first lit-erary effort of its author, a most remarkable genius, and one of the pioneers in several branches of our lit-erature, who, up to within a few weeks of its produc-tion, had never attended a theatrical performance.
Royall Tyler, the author of the 'Contrast,' was born at Boston, Mass., July 18, 1758, and belonged to one of the wealthiest and most influential families of New England.He received his early education at the Latin School, in his native city, graduated at Harvard, and during the Revolutionary War, and afterward in Shay's Rebellion, acted as aid-de-camp with the rank of Major on the staff of General Benja-min Lincoln.It was owing to the latter event that he came to New-York, being sent here by Governor Bow-doin on a diplomatic mission with reference to the capture of Shay, who had crossed the border line from Massachusetts into this State.This was the first time that Tyler had left his native New England, and the first time he could have seen the inside of a regular theater, thus confirming the statements made in the preface of the play as to the author's inexperience in the rules of the drama, and as to the short time within which it was written, as his arrival in New-York was within but a few weeks of its first performance.
Tyler was apparently immediately attracted to the theater, for he became a constant visitor before and behind the curtain, and rapidly gained the friendship of all the performers, particularly that of Wignell, the low comedian of the company.He gave Wignell the manuscript of the 'Contrast,' and on the 19th of May, the same year, produced for that actor's benefit his second play, 'May-day in Town, or New-York in an Uproar,' a comic opera in two acts.He shortly after-ward returned to his home at Boston, where, several years later (1797) another play from his pen, called 'AGood Spec, or Land in the Moon,' was produced.Ihave been unable to ascertain whether either 'May-day' or 'A Good Spec' was ever printed or not.
Tyler's modesty or indifference as to his literary rep-utation, as evidenced in his treatment of his plays, characterized his conduct throughout life with respect to his other works; so that, of the many productions of his pen that have been printed, the only one that bears his name upon the title-page is a set of Vermont Law Reports.And though early in life he acquired among literary circles a reputation as a witty and graceful writer of poetry and prose, it is doubtful whether he benefited much by his writings, either pecuniarily or in popularity, as an author.They were undoubtedly the recreation of his leisure moments, and though they were thrown off from time to time without ap-parent effort, they bear internal evidence of being the result of deep reflection and much reading.
Tyler adopted the legal profession, married, settled in Vermont, became celebrated as a successful advo-cate, was elected a Judge, and later, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Vermont, and died at Brattle-boro, in that State, August 16, 1826.
The success of the 'Contrast' was one of the pow-erful influences which aided in bringing about in this country a complete revolution of sentiment with re-spect to the drama and theatrical amusements.Up to the time it first appeared, the drama here had met with few friends, and but little favor.
