New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-02-08
Mrs, Mowatt's Autobiography.

In the sspulchre there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea.
---.--
Mrs. Mowatt's Autobiography,
We make the following extracts from the 18th
Chapter of this interesting volume, from which
we nave heretofore taken occasion to copy ex-
tensively:
There are two distinct schools of acting, and
1t Is a disputed point which is the greater
The actor Of the one school totally loses his
own individuality, and abandons himself TO all
the absorbing emotions that belong to the char
acter he interprets. His tears are real, his
laughter real, as real to himself as to the au-
dience. Frequently they are more real to
himself than to his listeners for the capacity
sensation experienced are widely different
The current upon which the actor is borne
away may, or may not, be strong enough to
bear the spectators upon its bosom Byron
says:
"The poet claims our tears but by your leave,
Before we shed them, let him gYiere ~
But audiences say nothing of the kind. They
are oftener moved by what is simulated than
by what is felt. The paste jewel glitters more
brightly in their eyes than the diamond of
pure water.
The actor of an opposite school, if he be
thorough artist, is more certain of producing
startling effects. He stands unmoyed amidst
the boisterous seas, the whirlwinds of passion,
swelling around him. He exercises perfect
command over the audience; seems to hold
their heartstrings in his hands, to play upon
their sympathies as on an instrument; to cleo
trify or subdue his hearers by an effort of
volition; but not pulse in his own frame
beats more rapidly than its wont His persona
tions are cut out of. marble; they are grand,
sublime, but no heart throbs within the life
like sculpture. Such was the school of the
great Talma. This absolute power over others,
combined with perfect self-commend is pro-
nounced by a certain class of critics, the per-
lection of dramatic art
have acted with distinguished trapedians,
who after some magnificent bur=t of pathos
which seemed wrung from the inmost depths Of
his soul, while deafening themselves, and us,
with their franctic applause. quietly turn to
their brethren with eomical grimace and q
| few muttered words of satirical humor that
caused an irresistible burst of laughter. Heads
were turned away, and handkerchiefs stuffed
into mouths. but the &c star of the goodlie
companie" stood rapt in Inconsistencies, very
touching to the audience, but particularly try
ing to the conyused actors
This singular faculty of keeping stage ex-
istence totally distinct from the actors own
personality, has many times been ludicrously
exhibited to me. / mention an illustrative oc-
casion.
OF
English provincial towns. The play was the
Stranger" An old established fayorite of
that audience enacted the Stranger, and with
! considerable power. It was the first night this
gentleman had assumed an opposite character
to me, We had never exchanged word except a
courteous good morning" when we met at re.
hersal, ''good evening" at night. The play
had made deep impression upon the audience
During the fifth act. when Mrs. Halle, implores
her injured husband to allow her to behold her
children once more, the sound of weeping
throughout the house was distinctly audible
upon the stage. Mrs. Halter had lust spoken
the words, 6" Let me kiss the features of their
father in his babes, and | will kneel to you, and
part with them forever
The Stranger turned to raise me from nv
knees, and, as he did so, whispered in the most
lachrymose voice, & Poor things, they want UNI
brellas in 'front.' !" Then precisely in the same
tone he uttered aloud the words of his part
Willingly .ddelaide. Ihave despatched a ser
want for them to a neighboring village He
should be back by this time. When he arrives
they shall be conducted to the CASTLE They may
remain with you until daybreak Then they
must go with me p
The sobs of the audience increased In the
same deep tone of deep anguish the Stranger
murmured, as he again leaned over me, "It's
raining so fast in the boxes those poor fellows in
the pit will catch their death of cold. I'd better
send umbrellas round p Not muscle of his
countenanee changed; his face retained its
heart broken expression, and he sadly and de-
liberately wiped the supposed tears from his
eyes.
had no such control over my risible propen-
stiles. could only bury my face in my hand
kerchief; but fortunately the laughter which [
could not suppress had an hysterical sound not
inappropriate to Mrs. H0lleT.
No amount of study or discipline could have
enabled ME to belong to the grand and passion
less school, never succeeded in stirring the
hearts of others unless | was deeply affected
myself. The putting off of SELF csnscio usness
was, with me, the first imperative element of
success, Yet l agree with those who maintain
that the highest school of art is that in which
the actor, Prospero-like, raises or stills tenn
pestuous waves by the magical force Of his will
produces and controls, acith0ut starting, the
emotions Of his audience
The anecdote have just related is not the
only ludlcrous one associated in my mind with
theplay of the stranger" An amusing incident
occurred one night during that plays repre-
sentation in Savannah. l was informed at re.
hearsal that the two children, who usually ap.
pearedl as Mrs. Ha!ier,s forsaken little ones
were i'll, No other children could be obtained
Yet the children were indispensable adiuncts il
the last scene. The play could not be changed
at such hasty notice. What could be done
was walkingup and down behind the scenes
very much annoyed, and wondering how tn
difficulty could be overcome, when the perso,
who temporarily offciated as my dressing mai1
aeeosted me. She was an exceedingly prett,
mulatto girl. She saw that was distressei
ABOUT the absent children, and, with grea
deal Of hesitation, offered to supply the de
iiiciency, Frightened at the prospective de
liverance from our dilemma, and telling lel
that would be much OBLIGED innuired to whom
the children belonged.
They are mine, ma'am," she answered
timidly. 9 have d couple Of pretty little one
very much at your service
"Yours'" l answered aghast at the infor
nation. ''Yours Why. Mrs HaHer's chill
dren are supposed to be white. am afrai,
yours wont very readily pass for mine p and
could hardly help laughing at the supposition
The young woman took my distressed merri
ment good nsturedly, and replied, go, m.
children are not pery black, seeing as how theil
father is altogether whiter'
DO you really think that they would pas
| for white childrensn =
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