New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-10-02
! MIR. BOJRCICAJLT ON LONDON ASSUR
AkCE.

To Ms Editor Of The ~ y. Tribune
SIR: In your criticism upon my comedy, London
Assurance in this days TRIBUNE, you take exception
TO the manner in which render the character of Daz
zle The great critical acumep for which your dra-
matte criticisms very justly celebrated induces me
to reply to yourremsrks. You say MIR. Bourccau q
dazzle lacks fascinating brliancy, and the easy
"dashing impudence which are Dazzles sole stock in
"trade are not present in Mr. Bourcicaus persona
"tionv believe il has been the custom to represent
this character az an airy brilliant active busting fell
low one of the heir-lOOms OF the stage; however
laughabe such representation may be, is not true
to nature have never met any such type OF charac-
ter in English society. The character OF Dazzle Is one
well known in LondOn-yOu have often seen hls por-
trait in Punch. He the easy, quiet plegnatlc man
about town. In appearance he closely resembles the
Saxon arstocrat and none but those VINO are porn anu
bred in English high life can distinguish between
his assurance" and tho polished ease OF high rank
The English ia man is i'll manner very slow, his draxl
both in gait and speech are his PECULIARLY; and the
hunor of the character consists in the fashionable
stocsm and phlegm with which he undertakes all kinds
of emotions. Charles County who Is fresh TO the DIS.
sipations of London Life betrays all those animal
shirts consistent with his youh-he dashee into the
stream; but Dazzle has gone through all tha'-he does
NOT lola Young County 10 his vagaries. he protects
him. in fact puts him through hS difficulties win
the practised assurance OF an old hand and with Gil
the cool decision OF experience Sch character Id IN
consistent with the gay, tlougultoS
fellow, which readily recognize o. the conventional
STAGE trckster of the old school, and may
be very elective, but 1t Is not true. IL
NAV make IN artistic performance, but II u
not a portrait from life. My view OF the character
was taken by Mr. Charles Mathews, who originally
play ed it, and with admirable effect. dress the part
exactly after the original. who still hourshes IN Lon
don where he is III popular a. ever; i~a'cheu tue
audience on Monday night with much curiosity, as
felt aware that the character was representing was
one with the diosyncrasy OF which they were not ao
uuained and it gave me extreme satisfaction to md
that they caught with admirable perception at the lnd
yiduality nor did single point escape them. There
was scarcely line uttered, or gesture given, but
was saluted with an explosion OF laughter.
In your structures upon my style rs an actor perhaps
Won are quite right. differ, principle, fundamen-
iay with the present school OF acting. believe II TO
be wrong ab iHtio. Ii Is In tact acting and not ma
lure In Comedy there Is extravaganza OF gesture,
facial distortion and affected u'lerahce, instead Oh
those natural intonations OF voice easy carnage and
pay of the eve which should fray rather than expose
The character assumed. In the Tragic school believe
that volume Of voice supplies the place Of intensity OF
feeling There is 10 repose the poetry one glare OF
the hdess dragon.eyed monster OF modern Tragedy IN
search of points branching the dialogue. There no
grouping of tenderness with pain, no antasonism vi
Character, no perspective in the passion. The action
is rack which the performer "ritheS ID mono'onou'
ANGUISH The DRAINS is pedestal ON which one SOIL
.ry creation is upllfted like Prometheus ON monu
ment bowling at the gods.
In The study OF the stage, 70 which have devoted
INV intellect and nv lie, have formed these earnest
convictions You must not accept my own perform
nee as a sample OF my system, being a. YET but a
backward pupil I'D -ry own school: Those characters
in which have appeared were faithfully s'udiea anu
drawn from perseils whom have met with in life and
il has given De deep qualification to observe that the
public have accepted these portraits and tor the sake
of their intellectual worth have overlooked any faults
they have seen i'll their artistic execution
Allow me to add that my comedy, London Assur'
mcc. as played on Monday night and now playing at
Waiacks Tbeaier, was excepting In my own pau
and one or two Others well and better played han
am ycurs respectfully,