The New York herald., 1877-09-02
AMONG THE ACTORS.
Mr.. Sotharn's Pacy Story d His Early Shug-
gaS Defeats and Iriunphs.
LORD DUNDREARY AT HOME.
How Dundreary and Brother Sam 60! Their
Present Stage Costumes.
SOTHERN'S RECOLLECTIONS OF FAMOUS MEN


II is not matter of wonder that Sothcrn is spoken
of as "a prince OF good fellows" He Is magnetic IN
manner. humorous in speech, rich In "reminiscences,
rcsponsively sympahetic 10 others, good listener,
an equally good tslkor and always sparkles liko a
newly opened bottle OF champagne. With such
battery of social forces, added to ability of high
order in the theatrical representation oil the Pc
culiar characters with which his name Is now centi
fed both sides OF the Atlantic, social and profess
siona success was legitimate result In person Mr..
Sothern Is probably FIVE eet eight inches in height
ana put together as IL intended lor hard work. He Is
wiry elastic, as restless as bundle of nerves un-
der gavanc action, and would bo marked in
any crowd a possessed OF strong indivd-
ualty and unusual personal characteristics ln years
The actor has pson we'll preserved that, like Tim
Linkinwater he might have been born hundred
ana ntty years old and gradually come down to five
and twenty. ior ne younger every birthday than
he the year before In TRUTH he is tyone years Of
ago, and milord chucklingy refers TO the TACT that
having into the world the first oil April "Duu-
dreary' and his ''Brother SAM are naturally April
fools. His faco, undsturoed by wrinkle or line OF
trouble and nab.ually quiet is still lighted up under
of beautiful white hair by pair OF bright BLUSH
gray eyes which look II they were undergoing con-
tinual drill to keep them proper subjection. 1t
countenance full OF expresson-now as imperturDabe
il 1t were carved out oil lgnum va perfect dead
wall, and again filled with crowd OF welcomes SHIN
Ing out of every smile long gray mouslache hides
the mouth. but fails TO conceal the many little
lights that hover about the corners especially when
the mental fireworks let OIL and the man begins TO
feel ii he were aurora borealis, Tidy In Dress
with little display of jcwcry, conversation onaily
Goldsmith Maid gong at her level BEST ingenious,
open and frank in tho acknowledgment OF a foble
an error such is a modest pen portrait OF Edward
Sothern, the actor.
The writer found him in his pleasant rooms at the
Gramcrcy Park HOTEL revising n new play and
stating the object the visit to obtain Of
the reminsce OF his stage experience was kindly
accorded an hour Tor the purpose
''lt's long story though, said Mr. Sothern, pick
ing up three or four photographs; ''or man with
twenty-year old LAD like that, who is already on the
stage, and girl OF twelve like that must have well
tu OF recoections, aud don't know precisely where
10 drop the bucket Perhaps had better start at the
beginning, SO here goes.
AcroR's
~ was educated Tor some years by private tutor,
with the queer OF DR.. Redhead the rector OF an
Engsn church, it being understood that should be-
a surgeon. attended all the operations Tor a
couple ol years in the Middlesex Hospital, London,
but the disgusting Genes OF the dissecting
sicAened me that abandoned the work. Alter that
studied theology for couple of years. but theological
books to-day my favorte reading Without
going TOO deeply into the matter think that my
vestigatons in this direction and many controversies
with clergymen threw wet blanket on my ambt.
ion to represent the Church militant twas not long
before commenced the study OF the old dramas, and
amateur appeared at tho Theatre Royal, Island
Of Jersey in the character OF Otheo the occasion
Of benefit Although it exquistcly
bad performance my part the mana or
offered engagement at a salary of thirty five
shlings 4 week. ! indignantly refused It, ana the
consequence that little while aiterward was
obliged 10 accept salary OF liteen shings week.
was then about twenty-one years OF age On my
arrival at the theatre, In Guernsey, where had been
engaged, found The play Of Hamlet announced tor
the first night, and that l Laerles, tho
Ghost and the Second Actor. Ny God, how staggered
was at thatl | had memorandum stuck on the
wings to toll when to make my changes. Some
practical joker took the memorandum down, and tho
consequence was, that relying my memory was
continually bounding on the stage in the char
acter Oh the agony OF that nghtl Fancy the Ghost
going on 10 act as Laertesl | was Immediately dis |
missed Tor lncapacity In TACT that entire portion OF
my professional was marked by frequent dis
missals for ncapacity.
REMISIscENcE or CHARLES KEAN
"A few mouths after this playing a: Weymouth.
England The regiment OF Scotch Greys was quar-
tereo at Dorset, few miles distant and Charles Kean
a
mine persuaded keau to aud mo play Claude
MeInotte and Used Up The next morning / re-
ceived letter from Kean, which by tho way have
pow saying that he heard was a novce aud strongly
advising me TO adopt the stage ae profession he !
also kindly pointed out my many faults but soothod
me with the remark that / had great originality A
year after this received another letter from
Mr. Kcan when was acting in Ports !
mouth, asking If 1t would he convenient
TOR mo to play the character in which he lad
seen me, adding that he would send Mr.. Bouccault
10 give his judgment concerning my progress and I'M
provemeut. Unfortunately me, however, lost the
oppor unity. From Portsmouth went to Woiver-
hampton and Birmingham, my highest salary bong
thirty 1--WE shillings week. for which played Romeos
Mercutios. aud all the juvenile and light comedy bust
ness. then md season OF broad low comedy parts.
Alter this Mr. Licy the dramatic publisher, OF Lon
don, made oier OF $2j a week 10 20 to Boston,
where opened in Dr. Pangoss and
low farce called John Dobbs.' My failure
n Psngioss was complete, although the audience
we're KIND enough because l was stranger, to call
the before tue curtain and give every encourage
oonL Tho papers mp rcilessly and uuoni-
inousy, but had just enough common to know
that their remarks strictly true. 1 was again I
dismissed for lncspaclty then went TO the Howard
Athneam to play juvenile parts redu uced salary.
They dismissed me again for incapaclty
YORK.
Discovering that Boston not exactly the field |
for success ] came to New York. aud applied to
Barnun, VINO then running his Museum where
the HERALD building now stands; told him In
Straightforward manner all that occurred and asked
nim 10 give me opportunity Of play ing twice day.
felt that all I wanted was constant practice and
experience He engaged salary OF $40
week, ana little whic after raised it to s25.
played twice day, and on Thanksgiving Day SIX
Zines. but II did tho enormous deal OF good After
mat Mr. Marshall, Of the Broadway, engaged me tor
$40 week. to play here and at the National Theatre,
Washington mention these details only 10 show
you what we OF the old had TO undergo in order
10 secure success rne very TACT that We were
obliged to play many parts gave a repose which, IL
esms TO me- our modern actors do not possess Alter