Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1857-08-08
From lilo L ,ndou Times, July Is. I

n J
s. From Ito L ndou Times July 49, 20
Mr.. Dickrss As An Acron = Never, probably, in
any age did private theatrical performances attain
such high degree of celebrity as those. that took
place last winter ut Taystock house, the residence
Of Mr.. Charles Dickens. None were admitted to
witness them save the friends of the ANA eur man.
ager but SO wide is his circle of acquaint ance and
great is the social influence held by many of the
persons Of whom it is composed, that the merits of
the Tavistock, house Theatrcals" soon became GEL
ebrated throughout the whole literary and artistic
world Of London. The number who actually saw
the performances did not, most likely, exceed $780,
but most of them were not only talking men, but
men whose talk is to find listeners and hence
the fact that Mr. Charles Dickens was an actor Of
far higher kind than had been demonstrated by his
earlier amsteur performances, was one of the best
affirmed facts of the day. Under these circumstan
ces it was but natural that when on Saturday night
the Tavistock' performances took place before such
OF the public chose to visit the Gallery Of Illus
traton" for the benefit of the fund Tin remembrance
of the late Mr.. Douglas Jerrold" the long was
crowded to repetion. The Gallery, it will be
membered, is not in the shape of theatre, but is
an obong room, the length Of which far exceeds its
breadth, and hence the ntermnable series of heads
presented curious aspect to a visitor in the vicini-
ty of the stage.
An audience which is select as we'll as numerous,
and the humblest constituents of which pay 5s for
their places, is not apt to indulge in those noisy de-
monstrations of delight that freely given by
the mixed assemblage of an ordinary theatre. But
never there feeling of deeper and more genu.
inc admiration than left by Mr. Charles Dickens
in the minds of his auditors at the conclusion of Mr.
Wlkie Collins drama, The Frozen Deep" There
was literally gasp Of applause when the curtain
descended, and the conversation that ensued during
the interval that preceded the farce composed
of audatory criticism of details. To gain the cool,
deliberate appreciation of such an audience was no
small triumph. The ring leaders of conversation on
such occasions are men who, to use common phrase
are "up to everything especially in matters con-
nected with public amusement, and whose organ of
veneration is by no means largely developed They
would rather grasp opportunity for quizzing the
ridiculous than seize an occasion for admirng the
sublime. When such as these not only murmur
forth their admiration, bnt discuss the causes OF it,
who among an audience could raise dssentient
voice?
The performance of Mr.. Dickens as the vindictive
and (afterward) pentent Richard Wardour is in the
truest sense of the word, a creation. Nay we may
60 further and say that it is the creation of literary
man-that it is doubtful whether any mere actor
unless under the influence Of some extraordinary
sympathy with the part assumed, would attempt to
fill up outline with the elaborate detail that is in
troduced by Mr.. Dickens into Mr.. Collins sketch.
We feel that if Mr. Dickens had to describe in
rative form the situations of the Frozen Deep in
stead of acting them, he would have covered the
whole pages in recording those manifestations of
emotion which, not having his pen in his hand, he
now makes by the minutest variations of voice and
gesture Where an ordinary artist would look for
"points" Of effect, he looks for "ponts" Of truth
A specimen of humanity in which every twitch of
every muscle be accounted for is to be with all
the elaboration of actual nature, matter whether
it be admired or not. When Richard Wardour tells
the story Of his disappointment in love, there is
ample opportunity for much noisy grief and many
stride to the footlights, but Dickens dares to keep
h;S voico fho hole of kbo
The effect may be monotonous-but what of that?
He who talks not for the sake of display, but simply
that he may relieve his mind from an oppressive
and almost humilating burden, will necessarily be
monotonous. 4 man louder under the sense of
wrong would have excited less uneasiness in his
fdant But such as Mr.. Dickens presents
a man strong in the command of his voice, but weak
in suppressing the language of his eyes and facial
MUSCLES man whose constant attempts to hide
the internal storm by slight stmulations of good fell
lowshp, only renders more conspicuous the vasness
Of that which he would conceal-a man who has
habit of losing his temper in q manner that mere
ternal circumstances do not warrant-such a man is
just object of terror. Richard Wardour, as depic
ted by MIR. Dickens in the second act of The Frozen
Deep, is the most perfect representation of logged
vindctiveness that the imagination could conceive.
In the third act so intricate is the web of emo
tons that he unfods. that in a verbal description
more than an indication of the various threads
d
dour and the object Of his hate have departed to-
gether on an excursion during their sojourn in the
Arctic Regions, and when the "expedtion has ar
rived, on its return, at Newfoundland, both have
disappeared together and it is supposed that has
murdered the other. Suddenly a wild figure, ar.
rayed in tatters, makes its appearance. This is
Richard himself who has not only spared the life of
his rival when it completely within his clutch,
but has labored magnanmously to preserve him, for
the sake of the lady whom they both love, when he
might easily have let him die off without mourning
his blood-guiltiness. When the magnanimity of
Richard is fully established he dies in the of
his friend and his beloved. Now, throughout the
whole of this situation, Richard, by dint of moral
and physical suffering, is in state of downright in
sanity, and he is compelled to reveal the generosity
of his soul through the impeachment of mental fog.
All sorts of emotions are to be portrayed under a
stratum of madness, and at last this is to be flung
aside. By the most accurate attention in fitting
every articulation and gesture to the circumstances
of this complicated position, Mr.. Dickens solves the
intricate problem, and presents solution which
taxes the attention to the utmost so high is the
value of every one of his details Such deliberate
creation on the part of the actor only be appre
ciated by the most careful study the part of the
spectator.
OF the company generally, with the exception of
Mr. Dickens and two others, it may be fairly said
that they clever amateurs, though there is much
genuine pathos in the acting of the ladies' The two
who besides Mr. Dickens are worthy of compari-
son with any members of the theatrical profession
are Mr.. Mark Lemon whose representation of bluff
naval officer is good, sound unaffected bit" of
nature, and Mr.. Augustus Egg. whose humor, as the
grumb!ing ships cook, John Want, is at once unex
aggerated and characteristic.
The scenic efforts which, under the superintend-
ence of Mcssrs. Stanfield and Telbn, were deemed
perfect at Tavstock House, transferred to the
"Gallery of Illustration" the occasion of the per-
Torrance, and as proof of the zeal by which the
management was actuated, we have only to record
the fact that the preparation of the stage did not