The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-03-03

absolute concealment of artihce was surely the
height OF art
mrs. Jordan has morsespeciaIly dwelt in the
memory and regard OF playgoers from her
hearty performances of the rakes and romps,
the hoydens and Lille Pickles of comedy and
farce. In middle age her voice had Coarsened,
the outlines of her figure had expanded
somewhat unromanticaly and she became i'll
suited to the characters OF pathos in which she
had acquired her first reputation In addition to
the praises Lamb has layished upon her "Viola,n
10 may be noted that Leigh Hunt has written in
tho highest terms of her "Rosalind," )" and CON-
mended "her peculiar excellence in the artless
miseries OF "Ophelia." Considering that he was
writing in the very noon of Mrs. Sddons great
ness there seems 10 be some exaggeration in
Leigh Hunts applause when he says Mrs. Jor-
dan, as a performer who unites great comic DOW
ers with much serious feeling, aud who IN all her
moods seems TO be subservient to her heart is not
only the first actress OF the day, but, as it ap-
pears to me, from the DESCRIPTION we have OF
iormer actresses, the first that has adorned our
stage"
In descanting upon the merits of Bensley,
Lamb ayaled himself OF the opportunity to
character of "Malvollo." He points out that the
Lady Onvia's steward is not essentially ludi-
crous: he becomes comic but by accident.
'He is opposed to the proper levities OF the
piece and fails in the unequal contest" Still,
his pride or his gravity is too genuine to be con.
temptIble. He speaks on all occasions like
gentleman and man OF education. He is held
IN esteem by both the "Duken and OLIVIA
even after he has been made the victim of the
plot OF MARIA aud 'Sir Toby and, wrought
upon by them, has presumed to make love TO
his mistress. 1t is well worth the readers while
to refer to Lambs essay, If by any chance he has
forgotten its purport.
That Bensiey really performed the character
well may be readily believed. the part de-
mands an accomplished actor, much judgment
and forbearance; upon the least disposition to
overdo, or TO extort laughter al the sacrifice
! of dignity and discretion, the representation
| is ruined Bensley was in some respects pecu-
fitted n
man, he had served as an officer of Marines, and
been present at the taking of the Hayannah. He
was stiff in his gestures, solemn IN his manner,
| with hollow, nasal voice. Anthony Pasquln,
in his rather coarse satire upon the actors OF his
! time, 'The Children of Thesps," charges Bens-
! leybwith paymg''more attention to walking than
| Words" says of his voice that there seemed
10 be "a Iookery built in his throat" and pro-
Ceeds:--
With three minute steps in all parts he advances,
Then leres threo more, strokes his chm pirates and
with port as majestic as Astey's horse dances;
| though he admits that the actor was Invariably
perfect in his parts, and strove to remedy his in
| herent defects by care and attention. Lamb,
| however, seems to acknowledge no shortcomings
! in his favoriJe actor; he lauds, not merely his
"Malvoho, y but his. other representations, par
| ticularly his "Iago." Even his unpleasant voice
| Lamb found to possess Eat times the inspiriting
effect of the trumpet" He attributes to Bensley
| possession OF ''the true pOetcal Enthusiasm
the rarest faculty among play ers," and affirms
''had most OF the swell of soul, was greatest
in the delivery of heroic conceptions, the
| emotions consequent upon the presentment of
| great idea to the fancy" 1t may be noted that
another critic, MIR. Taylor, in his "Record OF My
| Lite,n says that the part in which Bemsey
chiefly shone was "Mosca," i'll Ben Jouson's Vol
pone
| the theatre, John Kemble, it seems, undertook
the character of 'Mavolo" but with what
success we are without information. In 1875,
| I'll. DE-, rhO had nod
| in what we may call the "Cbarles Lamb
cast of the comedy, undertook "Malvolio" tor
Suetts benefit, but acquired no great lame by
his effort. Mr.. Adolphus, his biographer, says
apologetIcally that the part is not one much
coveted by the players; perhaps it is because
men do not like to appear merely for the pur-
nose OF being ba1fled and derided."
OF the representative of the part OF 'Aguer
cheeks Lamb writes "Dodd was it, as it came
out OF Natures hands," The essayist relates
how, long years afterwards, he was wont to
exercise of hls profession taking his daily
walk in the gardens of Gray's Inn, finer and
more open then than they are now, being as
vet unencroached upon by Verulam Buildings
Struck by the sad thoughtful countenance OF
the actor, Lamb began TO marvel how ole
''Sir Andrew" could have looked so marvelously
vacant and foolish, how he could have assumed
so absolute a LOOK OF slowness of apprehen
sion But Dodd seemed to have been able
''to keep back his intellect, as some have had
the power to retard their pulsation." He dieC
| in 1885, within a lew mOnlnS OF MS qulIIulg Vnt
stage. He was a man of reading, lett behinC
him choice collection OF old English literature
and possessed ready WIT, Lambs laceAout
friend, Jenny White, met the player one day II
Fleet street having seen him the previous even
ing as "Sir Andrew and was irresistibly i'm
, pelled to take of his hat, with the SALVATION
, ''Save you, SIR Andrewr" Dodd, not dis
concerted, put him of with courteous, hall
, rebuking wave OF his hand and retorted, Away
With Palmer's "slr Toby" Lamb was les
satisfied The actor did not mil OUT tn
sohdty of wit in the jests OF that half Falstaf;
| but OF Suetps "Foop he writes, ''Shakes
spCare foresaw him when he framed his fool
and TESTERS"
| A particular obstacle in the way of salts
factory representation of Ttcetth Night ha
often arisen from the great difficulty of OBJ
tanning a likeness between the actor playm
sebastian and the actress playing ~ lola,
sufficient to maintain In any degree the ILLUSION
, upon which the comedy is founded. The pei
! formers are generally too distinctly ditleren
IN appearance voice, and gesture leven Whe
! assisted by the most careful costuming an
! adroit "Enaking-up") to deceive any one for
! moment; and the play, in this respect, cor
= stantly comes "halting ot.n On some occi
sions, Mrs. Jordans Viola" had the adya1
u her brother, Mr. Bland, who resembled her i
J stature and feature, il not in ability. In th
same way the ''Vioap of Mrs Henry Slddon
sometimes was assisted by the Sebastian" {
her brother, Mr.. w. Murray, remarkable hk
; ness existing between the players III
: Germans have attempted to evade the difficult
by giving the two characters to one performer
a bringing on the stage in the last scene
: mute "Sebastian'-a young lady dressed TO r
, semble the Sebastian V ioan of the precedin
. scenes, This fashion has been introduced fC
y the first time upon the English stage in receI