The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-03-07
Applause, Calls, and Encores.

'Players, after all, averred Hazlitt, "have
little reason TO complain of their hard earned,
short-lived popularity. One thunder of ap-
plause from pit, boxes, and gallery is equal
to q whole Immortality of posthumous fame.
Nevertheless, the transitory nature of an
actors rewards has oftentines stirred regret
and commiseration. Shakespeare, as we all
know, makes sympathetic mention of the poor
player,
"That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more"
Garrick, in his prologue to the CLdRdostine
Marriage, states feelingly:-
"The painter dead yet still he charms the eye,
While England lives his fame can never die;
But he who struts his hour upon the stage,
Can scarce extend his fame for half an age;
Nor pen nor pencil can the actor save
The art and artist share one common grave"
Cibber, in his Apology" laments mellifu-
ously that the momentary beauties flowing
from an harmonious elocution cannot, like
those of poetry, be their own record; that the
animated graces of the actor can live no longer
than the instant breath and motion that pre-
sent them; or, at least, can but family glim-
mer through the memory, or imperfect attesta
ton of a few surviving spectators" And Haz-
lit, himself Notwithstanding his dictum on the
subject above set forth, has placed on record
certain expressions of tenderness for the play
er's evanescent glory. "When an author dies
it is no matter, for his works remain. When
great actor dies there is a void produced in
society, gap which requires to be filed up.
The literary amateur may find employment for
his time in readingold authors only, and exhaust
his entire spleen in scouting new ones; but
the lover of the stage cannot amuse himself
in his solitary fastidiousness by sitting to
witness play got up by the departed ghosts
of frst-rate actors; or be contented with
the perusal of collection of old playbills;
he may extol Garrick, but he must go to see
Kean, and, in his own defense, must admire,
or at least tolerate, what he sees, or stay away
against his will" Hazlitt, it may be noted,
was evidently writing under the impression
that at no time would the stage be left with
out the support of players of the Garrick or
the Kean class. If he had survived until our
present year of grace, it would have become
q question with him how far he could admire
or tolerate the condition of the modern stages
| he might even be driven to accept the alter
| native he himself suggests, and stay away
| from our theatres altogether, only aoih his
| will rather than against it, in common with a
| very considerable section of society.
An actor, in regard to the honor Of his pro-
| fession, considered apart from its commercial
| results, occupies the position of one who has
| invested his whole fortune in the purchase of
an annuity terminating at his decease, and who
has become entitled, therefore, to larger in
| come than accrues to the man able to lay up
treasure and to provide for and bequeath pro-
| perty to posterity. The player can be re-
warded only by the applause afforded him
| during the continuance of his theatrical
| career, and it is right, therefore, that such
| applause should fully correspond with and
| be adequate to his merits.