The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-02-26
Dion Boucicault.

| One of our contemporaries speaking Of
Irish artistic genius in connection with the
name of another well-known Irish artist,
Dion Boucicault, SAYS
When we take into consideration the re-
lative proportion of the two countries, and
the terrible disadvantages, social and edu-
catiOnal, as well as political, under which
one of them has labOred for centuries, it Is
wonderful what vastly preponderating
share Ireland has contributed to what is
called English" art--tO say nothing OF
English oratory and literature. Take, for
example, the deama-a fascinating branch
of art. The number of G:ent actors OF
Irish birth who have won favor on the
British stage is a very remarkable evidence
of the brilliant artistic genius OF the race.
multidinous army of names crowds upon
Sheridan, the rival of Garrick, Macklin Tor,
to give his real name, McLoughlin), author
of the famous comedy, The Hs pocrite,"
and the greatest impersonator of "Shylock"
that ever trod the boards-Barry, Blake,
and host of others. The celebrated Peg
Wellington, the most fascinating actress
that ever appeared on the British stage,
was originally q poor Dublin orange girl.
Her name alone indicates the nationality
of Miss O'Neil,- the greatest mistress of
psthos that ever evoked the tears of an
enrapt audience. Need we scarce mention
O'Keeffe,, distinguished as dramatic
writer and lyrists as well as an actor; Kelly,
the gifted family of the Keeleys, Kenny,
and others celebrated in every department
of the mimic art. 1t was q mere accident
of birth that the elder Kean (the fiery Ed
mund) was Londoner; for both his parents
were Irish, as the name indicates. But his
son and successor, Charles, was Irish, not
only by blood but by birth; his mother was
a Waterford lady, and he was born there.
For many years the famous tragedian Mac
ready reigned supreme, without rival, on
the British stage. He was a native of the
Irish capital. Cork claims the honor Of
being the birthplace of James Sheridan
Knowles, who, if he was not very dis
tinguislled as an actor, was assuredly the
most highly gifted "English' dramatic poet
since the EliZabethian era-always except
ing that brother Irishlnan, Gerald Griffin,
whose single play, " isippus" is the high
est dramatic effort of this century.
To American readers such names as
Brougham, DAILY, Florence, Williams, and
others, 'kindly Irish of the Irish;D are so
pleasantly familiar that it is needless to do
more than mention them here. The great
est and most successful tragedian now on
the British stage is Barry Sullivan, a fellow
townsman of Sheridan Knowles, whom we
are happy to humber amongst our familiar
friends. But, indeed, the number of dis
tinguished Irish actors and actresses who
have adorned the British stage is SO great
that the enumeration OF their names would
almost occupy more space than we have at
command for the article.
Irishmen have equally illustrated tho
lyric drama. Sheridan's Duenna is incom
parably the most beautiful opera ever writ
ten. Two Irshmen-Michael Bale and
Vincent Wallace-are the greatest of the
so-called~ !" English" operate composers
and such Irish singers and operate ac
tress AS Catherine Hayes and others
were genuine children of song. Victoria
Balfe would have been one of the most
fascinating ornaments of the lyric stage,
if Spanish hidalgo, fascinated by the
charms of the fair Irish songstress, had not
laid his ducal coronet at her feet:
The celebrated dramatist, Dion Bouci-
cault, is a genuine Celt. His name is French,
but Irish and French blood flows in his
veins in equal shares, and he is himself
a native of the city of Dublin. We are
not aware whether, like that other
genial actor and dramatic writer, John
Brougham, he is a graduate of the great
Irish University; but the productions of
his facile pen prove that he is gentleman
of education.
Whilst his reputation as an actor was es-
tablished, Bouccault first asserted his skill
as a writer of dramatic works by his most
happy adaptation of Gerald Grif1in's most
beautiful novel, "The Collegians," to the
stage. The dramatization of that work,
unUer LlClo Ot hc SolIScu DdWu,
proved the greatest stage success up to
that time known. In America it was per-
formed hundreds of nights in succession
to crowded and enthusiastic audiences, the
author himsely playing, with a mingled
humor and pathos worthy of Tyrone
Power himself, the part of the generous,
true-hearted Irish smuggler, Miles Ma
coppaleen, and his beautiful and accom-
plished wife, representing the heroine. The
play met with like success in London and
in every principal city in Great Britain:
and Boucicault soon Cealized by it a hand
some fortune. The clever actor and
dramatist speedily became one of the lions
of London and his villa, in fashionable
western suburb of that city, became the
hospitable resort of all the leading littera
teurs, actors, painters, sculptors and cog
noscenti generally of Great Britain. Other
plays tp1owed in raj. rapid succession land and
here. They have brought the author
wealth and fame, and with his wealth Bou-
cicault fifty labors to maintain the dignity
of the profession. That Boucicault is a
man of lovable and attractive character
would appear from one anecdote from his
1opast;c life IT. is we'll known that a