Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-06-15
A REMARKABLE PERFORMANCE.
George RignOld Displays the Royal
RAgeantry OF Henry v in Colo.
RADIO.

George RignOld Displays the Royal
PaReantry OF Henry v I'm Colo.
Colorado Springs Cor. Washington Star.l
There has tonight, May 30, oc-
CURED in this town a memorable
scene in theatrical performances.
Mr.. George Rignold, let it be hoped
entirely through his manager, has
been advertised for week past to
appear at Colorado Springs in the
play of Henry V. Tonight, a.
picture Of disgust and horror, he
sat on his kingly throne represent
ing the prineely character Of Harry,
N'Kiug Henry "" The stage on
which he was to stride with maies-
tic step was 16 by 20 feet; the hall
he was to fill with the words of
Shakespeare could contain at its
utmost 400 people. AT the first
interval in his speech, the words
E'My Godp which he uttered, were
not in the play, but they very fully
expressed the agony with which he
contemplated the performance Of a
grand farce. 1t was sad sight to
see one of our greatest tragedians
brought to such disadvantages; and
it was q relief when the first act,
cut down as it was never mutt
lated before, closed. lie had an
opportunity for rest and recovery in
the sublime performance Of the Or
chestra, consisting of one fiddle and
nothing more. Shakespeare, happy
in all things, fortunately put cru
mor,' in the act Of Henry V, and
and through "RumOr," who, by
the way performed her difficult part
as perfectly as if before a large, ap-
pleciative audience, gave us some
idea of the transposition of the
character. This play, advertised to
begin at s o'clock, was delayed by
the necessity of each actor gliding
into the dressing-room separately
that space might be had for the
arrangement Of his or her toilet,
until 8 o'clock, and was then neces-
sarily cut down as much as human
ingenuity could accomplish. In the
second appearance Of Rignold the
audience, himself, his company. and
even, l verify believe, his gallant
horse "Crispin," waiting on the
street for the time of, and room for,
its entrance, saw how perfectly out
of place Shakespeare was in this
closet, broke into a general laugh
laughed Rignold outhis disgust into
a laugh, laughed his company into
a laugh, and the audience laughed
itself into an uproar of laughter.
When RignolGl.. in one Of the sub
lime speeches Of Shakespeare, broke
out and said: "Gentlemen, this
is too id ridiculous, you cannot
expect the utterance Of the words
of Shakespeare on such a stage, and
before such a house." there was a
burst of applause, long continued,
while the frame of Rignold shook
with laughter. Oil it was ridicu-
lous, it was painful, it was disgust
ingl And when about making the
second charge in battle, he, forget
ting the ceiling was extremely low,
attempted to raise his flag, and
found he could not place it upright
lie looked with a laugh to the
audience, at the ceiling, and forcing
his countenance suitable to making
the moving haranguo to the des
perate troops-pshaw, it was ridic
ulous.
Let me mention his entree int
London, and | will close a lette
that'does not give the one-tenth 0
the most remarkable perlormanc,
of neutrality-suspicious.. Ten mel
were enough to crowd the stage
and give the appearance of the in
habitants rushing out by the thou
sands to welcome back their yicto
rious king. lie came in on hi
horse, was able to make a few steps
and 10y iudicious management con
trived to turn the horse for hi
egress without sweeping aIl the in
habitants into the gutter.