New-York tribune., 1868-03-31
A VORD TO ACTORS.


drama have recently received fresh and
curious illustration in Philadelphia. An actor
named Mordaunt, at the Walnut-st. Theater,
being cast for the part of Mr. Dickenss muir
derous house Breaker, Bill Sykes, argued that,
as Mr.. Sykes was "a drunken rufian," 1t was
necessary for his representative to be
drunken actor; and therefore, before paying
his devotions to the hybrid goddess who pre-
sides over melodramas, and whose name Is
unknown to us, Mr.. Mordaunt sacrificed at
the shrine of Bacchus with such reckless
devotion that, as his manager averred. he
was quite incapable OF playing brute with
propriety and discretion. Expelled from the
stage, this jovial actor made an assault upon
the treasury of the theater-not a Ia Sykes,
with q Jimmy and false keys, but with a
summons TO the manager to show cause why
he should not pay Mr.. Mordaunt full weeks
salary. We hope that no judicial authority
will determine that an actor has right to
rehearse his part at the expense OF private
morality, especially as adultery seems TO be
the chief staple of the modern drama. Poets,
we know, are supposed TO learn in suffering
"what they teach in sOng;' but really, con-
sideriny the total depravity which our actors
are compelled to simulate, it would be very
inconvenient If they were all TO take practical
lessons in private life, before speaking the
speeches of sin and doing the deeds Of
iniquity behind the foOtlights. There is
an actor mentioned in one of Mr..
Dickenss novels, who always blacked himself
all over before playing "0thello;' but we do
not read that lie actually smothered woman
or two before going on for the Fifth Act.
oil 20
make the suggestion, 1t is not to be supposed
that Mr. William Sykes exceeded the limits OF
wide-awake sobriety when actually about to
engage in business, however much he might
rejoice in gin-and water during the relaxation
of domestic life. AS general rule, notwith-
standing it may diminish the fidelity OF the
performance, we think that most audiences
prefer sober to tipsy actor, especially as the
latter Is pretty sure to make complete and
unmitgated donkey of himself whenever
he attempts his exits and his en-
frances in q muddled condition. There
have been, it is true, great actors who have
brought disgrace upon themselves and upon
their profession by public exhibition of their
oinOmania; but while their talents have been
recognized, and their offenses in some cases,
for the sake OF those talents, have been pa
tiently endured, they have missed the respect
of their patrons, and have been quite as much
pitied as admired. We know nothing of the
talents of Mr.. Mordaunt, but we may safely
assume that they are not equal to those Of
George Frederick Cook Of Edmund Kean, or
of the elder Booth. These men Of genus
nearly made complete wreck of their pro-
fessonal ability and reputation, aud if they
were frequently forgiven when they had
grossly insulted their audiences, it was for the
| sake of what they had done when they were
sober. Considering with what extraordinary
forbearance the public in these days overlooks
the usual mediocrity OF actors, their ignorance.
their clumsiness. and their frequent absurdi-
ties Of speech and of manner; considering
that wholesome Kissing has gone out of date
and how we all sit patiently content, waving
what wo really want, and accepting from the
stage whatever We can get, we really thin,
that the least our players can do Is to come
on with all their wits unobfusticateds howevel
small, with which nature has been KIND enough
to endow them. Fl. .au.,F F.t4lr ruTOar