The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-05-05
1MUsEAfENTS


ala assertion OF n now man. III TOOK n century
y slowly pcrfecting stage art TO organize such
,,oprc-entaton ne Booth gives us. Tho other
harm over night. and IL not yet mellowed |
y, refined s full Of the juices and promise Of |
be- 49,
."m,n,e. We always caught ourselves pay
Ss,rihuto to his words when we should have
esn thinking Of his conduct, Tho artnciality
n .neech was 80 splendid that we overlooked
neinsinecrity OF action. Always to me thero
-,s the smartness of jugglcry about H. but
never cared how many omelctos he made in
rr hat WIS 40 cntranccd by the clevernees OF
beeook When he moved Desd,7nona's bed down
ehc first entrance. right so that In killing her
te could show the fluctuant fury Of his face. we
admired the ingenious mind that could with the
rroperty mans wand evoke such stage bust
,osa But we forgot that Forrest in the same
.qne stirred our souls with his back turned to-
ward US.
Edwin Booth never could express emotion
through the back Of his head.
salyini did IT,
I, il yery certain that Mr. Mccullough. who IL
.inru,arly don,iout in rhetorical grace and
docs not vet know all the softer possibilities
NJ his magnificent voice. nevertheless has
larscr personal vibration than Mr.. Booth.
His is Enthusiastically the diapason Of strong
man. By strength mean not merely physical
v,or but the puissancc that comes OF feeling
md believing deeply and securely. That which
Mr. Mccullough does he does with broad.
abiding faith. and because he believes in 1t. we
who look at him believe in 1t also.
Inoyer fell, that Mr. Booth had this reliant
sense In fastening upon him the distinction
Of culture his admirers forgot that the growing
ouality Of modern culture II doubt. Ho haze
changed his conception Of " Hamlet" and
"Othello' rs many times az other cult
yated men change their religions. and believe
that Harift is as much OF a labyrinth to him
now ms the Sermon on the Mount is to Mr..
rockingham.
In speaking OF Kean's acting. Hazlitt said
we think 1t a rule that an actor ought 10 vary
biz part ar little rs possible. unless he is con-
ylnced that his former mode Of playing II lie
erroneous" Mr. Booths convictions seem to
relate entirely to his errors. He has shifted
rearranged. and altered the text and business
Of his best roles until it is no longer possible
10 tell what he believes.
For my part am better satisfied with the
vigorous and consistent conception which
though it does not agree with my own WE'VE IL
held with the tenacity OF a conviction.
That the public agrees with me was I think
shown by its admiration of Salvini's GHETTO.
which was repugnant TO the English idea Of
that part. But an actor has not only got to have
faith in his work-his faith must be q physical
function as well as n psychologist principle. 1t
must get into his body. An actor with
faith in his soul but none in his legs
was meant by Providence 10 adapt not to
represent plays. The world desires veracny
not alone in purpose but in execution. That
hind ~ bpunetv IL valuable in nrt ,yhnaa mimi.
iestation is honest We have got to have vis
ezra no less than virtue when We expect men &c
create character or indeed to create anything
and so it has passed into something like prov
CRIB that brains without bowels esuhs only IN
u dsembodied eNccllense-and the theatre "a
least was made to exhibit virtue only az il in
fucnces conduct. and controls action.
Mr.. Mccullough is among the large number
Of distinguished American actors who consent
ed to learn how to net long after they had woi
recognition by acting without learning. His
broad sincerity resonant SIMPLICITY and cnor
retic domination Of role pleased that portion
of tho public which is satisfied with dynamic
excellence and it is a noticeable regularity o
our stage that recognition by any class is III,
surcst means Of improving the player. IL in
deed. he has any capacity for Improvement an'
any ambition.
10 hls success. and not as has been so Offer
said. his success 10 his improvement
Mr McCUllough's earlier attempts 10 net il
this city may now be recalled with surprise
B"'veon the slam-bang Of his Othello when h
first played it here. and the discreet signin
caucc the balance propriety. and disciplined
ferry rot itnow is gap like n canon that no
ih.ns hat faith in his own abilities and ODE
clflt q the laws Of development could eve
bird %.
II. Is tho Inst ot tho tragedans. There is n
u.ro' SD INK behind this California trunk.
lthns We have exhausted the soil, and thos
coeu' qnist- who hope to restore the timbc
by s'g,wlAg their lessons like acorns, are con
wrug tho public domain into jungle ofunder
brush. have always looked upon the effort
oltAc leg'hcr- to got tragedians out of elocu
ton with ma n the same interest and disaI
Ioinim'nt Tat attended the endeavors of III
scionr IS 20 get bacteria out OF distilled wate
Bos.l tho present age doesn't want TRACED
sunless it b., such kind Us the Count Jono
offers and which has the realistic advantage {
always hang.nga real catastrophe over the au
dence instead II the actors.
Wheh this growing distastc for mimic tral
eiy Is owin., altogether TO the large place in ia
teene ~ M nov occupied with the passion pla
ot@-teHe", cannot say. But See very clear
| y that We DO longer make thcatric tragedy: "
only remember II. Theiew really great player
mat the world possesses draw upon the past fc
their material. And this reminiscent conditio
ltae stage is one Of the strongest proofs OF II
dcagc
Eayia Booth moo said with touch Of matt,
vii that tag iy was tumblng down on ~
count 90! it, wax supports But the wit OF III
- Ia al A. . lea d