Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1873-02-01
4 Grnnt Aetor,s Trlnmnh.

Great effects upon the stage are pro-
dhced only by great preparation. When
Charlotte Cushman plays the part OF
Meg Merilies, and Jefferson enaots the
character 81 Rip Van Wrinkle, and
Sothern enacts Lord DundTeary, our
delight aEd satisfaction are the result
of a profound and untiring application
of the actor to the study of the art, and
no maB or woman can hold audience for
q lifetime without that preparation
which great artists give to great concep-
tons. There was once an English actor
so terribly in earnest with the study of
his profession that he made q mark on
his generation never exceeded by any
other tragedian He was little, dark
man, with voice naturally harsh, but
he determined, when comparatively
young, to play the part of Sir Giles
Overreach in Massinger's drama, as no
man ever played it before. He resolved
to give years of indefatigable industry
in preparing himself for the part, and
to devote his whole intellect to proper
conception of the character. In the
whole range of English dramatic htera-
ture the characterof Sir Giles is estimated
one of the greatest pieces Of etfecsye
villainy and uutamable passion ever
portrayed, and Edmund Kean set to
himself the task of producing on the
London stage all the effect which the
author intended. With what intensity
he studied the language, and Low he
flung himself, with kind of rage, into
the feeling Of the pieces, all his biog-
raphers have recorded. His wife said
that he would remain up all night, be-
fore the glass, endeavoring to realize
by gesture, meditation and action, the
conception at which he had arrived.
At last, after repeated refusals to the
management to appear as Sir Giles,
saying he was not ready yet, and must
still give more time to the rehearsal, he
consented to have the play announced,
as now he felt he could do it justice.
And what was the effect of all this hard
work and uxceasing study of the part ?
Fortunately we know all about it, al
though Kean played it on that memoir
able evening, more than fifty years ago.
1t was one of the grandest effects ever
witnessed on the English stage. We
have accounts from various eye-wit-
nesses of the sensation and enthusiasm,
the presentation of this character pro-
duced, when Kean, fully ripe for the
occasion, came upon the stage as Sir
Giles; and some of the triumphs of
that wonderful evening in 1851, ct
Drury Lane, are well known. 1t was
observed that when he first walked in
from the wings there was that in his
burning eye which betokened greater
determination than usual, and Lord
Byron who was in a stage box, whispered
to the poet Moore, that something dread
full was written on the great actors
countenance, something more sugges-
tive of power than he had ever noticed
before. Never till then, in the history
of the stage, was there witnessed such
an exhibition of forceful endeavor.
Throughout the whole play Kean bore
himself like fury, but it was reserved
for the last scene to stamp an impression
which existed during the lifetime of all
who were present. The great actor
himself shook like strong oak, in the
whirlwind of his passionate vengeance
as displayed in the closing sentences of
the play, and when he was removed from
the stage, his face turned to the specta-
tors was so awful, that Byron was seized
with convulsive fit, and fell forward,
pale as death itself. The solemn still
ness of the house was broken by screams
of terror, from boxes and gallery: the
pit rose, en- maSse. Mrs. Glover, an
actress of long experience and great
talent, tainted outright on the stage ;
Mrs. H.rn, who was also playing il the
piece, staggered to chair and wept
aloud at the appalling sight of Kean's
agony and rage. Murden, veteran on
the boards, who played the part of Mar
all, stood so transfxed with astonish-
ment and terror that he had to be carried
off by main force from the scene, his
eyes riveted on Kean's convulsed and
awful countenance. The actor that
night was master Of the situation, and
profound and earnest study gave him
the clue to his great achievement.