Samuel Breck Diary 1814 – 1840
From the personal diary of Samuel Breck:
January 1, 1814
In the evening I rode into town with Mr. Ross, and went to the play. The house was full to overflowing. The play a melodrama, according to the fashion of the day, called the Aethiop. The scenery and dresses fine, the fable ridiculous, and the dialogue so so. These tawdry representations are usurping the place of the regular drama both in London and Paris. The main exhibition consists of brilliant perspectives, uncouth costumes, a few songs and two or three stage ballets. Everything is arranged to please the eye; little or no regard is paid to the heart or mind of the spectator, once seen they become ever after uninteresting.