Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-03-10

Ira Aldridge, as Described by TheOphile
Cautier.

Ira Aldridge, as Described by TheOphile
Gautier.
During my sojourn in the City of the
Cars, celebrated American negro &C
tor, CHANGED to be there for time, Ira
Aldridge by name. He was the lion of
St. Petersburg, and it was necessary to
go some days beforehand to obtain a
good seat at one of his performances.
He played 'sOthello" first, and his origin
exempted him from all need of artificial
coloring-hquorice- uice, or coffee
grounds, or sleeves of chocolate-colored
net. He had the right skin already, and
was spared the trouble of assuming it.
Consequently his appearance on the
scene was magnificent it was Othello
himself as Shakespeare had created
him-his eyes half shut as if dazzled by
an African sun, his nonchalant oriental
bearing, and that easy negro gait, which
no European can initiate. As there was
no English troupe at st. Petersburg,
but only German one, Ira Aldridgere
cited the text of Shakespeare, while his
interlocutors, Iago, Cassie, and BESIDE
mona, answered him in Schlegel's trans
lation. The two languages, both of
Teutonic origin, did not go badly to
gether, especially to one who,
like myself, understanding neither
English nor. German, gave his attention
principally to the play of features,
the gestures and the attitudes of the
actors. But it must have been drol
medley for those who are familiar with
both idioms. T was anticipating a
manner like that of Kean, energetic,
violent, stormy-a little savage, perhaps;
but the great negro tragedian, doubt
less wishing to appear as civilized as
white man, had a rational, moderate,
classic, majestic style, much resembling
Macready's. In the final scene, his
fury never went beyond certain limits;
he smothered Desdemona in the most
considerate manner and roared with de-
corum. In a word, SO far as [
could Judge, under the circumstances, he
seemed to have more talent than genius,
more knowledge than inspiration. At
the same time, he unquestionably pro-
duced an immense effect, and received
endless rounds of applause. An Othello
not so black and more ferocious would
perhaps have had less success. After
all Othello has been living among
Christians for some time. The lion Of
ST. Mark must have tanned the desert
lion.
The repertoire of a negro actor would
seem to be limited to colored pieces
but when you think of it, if white
comedian besmirches himself with blstre
to play black role, why should not
black comedian paint himself white to
play a black role? 1t has been done.
Ira Aldridge, the following week, play
ed King Lear A flesh colored skull cap,
whence hung some few locks OF silvery
hair, covered his woolly curls, and came
down to his eyebrows; wax addition
was made to his own flat nose, and
thick coat of paint covered his cheeks
For the rest, a great white beard con-
cealed the lower part Of his face, and fell
upon his breast; the transformation was
complete. Cordelia never could have
suspected that her father was black
man! No makeup was ever better con-
trived. Through kind of vanity, which
is not to be wandered at, the actor had
not whitened his hands, and they APP
peared below his sleeves as brown as the
paws of monkey. The King Lear was
a better performance than the Othello,
in my Judgment. In the former he acted
LIS palt, LII VIC ldttoI he Was supply HILL
self. He had superb outbursts of indig-
nation and fury, accompanied by attacks
of weakness and senile trembings, and a
sort of somnolent babbling, as one would
expect in an old man, almost a centena-
rian, passing from idocy to madness,
under the weights of intolerable woes.
One thing III the performance was re-
markable. showing how perfect was the
actors mastery over himself: although
a man of robust strength, and in the
flower of his age, Ira Aldridge never,
through all the evening, allowed one
youthful motion to escape him; voice,
step, and gesture, all were those of ex
treme old age.