Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-03-26
The ACTORS,
Dion BouCicauit on the Texas Assassiaa'
tion-.-what he says Of the Ameri-
can Stage and Sinful
Cincinnati.

/ Cincinnati COmmerciall
At six o'clock yesterday evening,
Nh. Dion Bouoicault sat in room No.
235 of the Grand Hotel. He had just
concluded his dinner, the dishes were
not yet removed. and reclining in an
easy chair, read the telegram from
Dallas, Texas, of the cold blooded
murder of Mr.. B. C. Porter, of the
Diplomacy Company, by James Currie,
a drunken iend.
Flinging aside the paper, he said:
" Poor Porter A sad tate-shOt
down for what? Well, if people will
venture into the outskirts of civiliza-
ton, or into the s%luioes, then they
must take the chances, and hen the
hend who shot Porter must take the
chances, too, the chances that are
melted out to such.
Il first met Porter in this very
room. two years ago" he said, musing-
". The Kurdish Company had
broken up, and Mr.. Stevens brought
him and introduced him to me. |
liked him from the start. He was out
of employment and | engaged him for
the next season. He was with me
during last year and when he left |
gave him FIVE hundred dollars as a
souvenir to start in something, but |
felt sure he'd lose it, and sure enough
he soon did"
Was he much of an actor?"
well, no, not much he was a
stage manager, and a good one. Of
course he could act-take a part if any
one was sick, yet his forte was as man
ager."
He was slow, but so good-natured.
A great big, easy-gOing fellow, tender
as a woman, gentle as a child, Porter
would not harm a fly. Why, he dare
not look at a child, if it looked cross
at him. Porter kick up a row f" and
a smile of queer incredibly swept
over the great comedians face. In a
moment he frightened. "Ah, Barry
more, that's another affair. / can I'M
derstand his taking off his coat and
pitching in, but not poor, good-natured
Porter"
Do you recall any instances of
any other actors who have met SINH
lar deaths-shot DOWN.
Laying his head back, the gravity of
his c~ountenance undisturbed We'll,
no; yet l know of a great many actors
who have committed murder-they
have murdered their parts"
From Porter's sad fate, Mr.. BOuci-
cault talked of the drama of to-day.
Unlike the late senator, Jim Nye.
whom a good dinner rendered too full
for utterance, Mr.. BOucieault' ideas
few clearly, and he has plenty of
them. The stage" he said, is
made by the audience. If the public
demand good plays, high dramatic
art, then the managers will speedily
put them on. The buyers make the
stage what it is. A good audience will
make good actors. Ihad rather have
an intelligent audience than a great
actor, for they will raise the standard
of the stage much more than n great
actor possibly can, for he only makes
his own reputation. In reference to
the tendency of the drama of to-day,
it is, I'm sorry to say, toward the
idiotic buffoonery and burlesque. The
same amount of ability could be more
prOftably employed. The tendency is
toward negro minstrelsy."
What do you think of amateurs?
Do they draw from the regular profess
sion p
i believe in amateur clubs, and
for this reason they serve to educate
the public the actors become critical,
aud their clubs and acting raise the
intelligence Of the auditors and a de-
sire is created on the part of the pub
lie for good plays and fine acting.
Amateur clubs exist in England in
great numbers. | am not aware that
they are common in France"
Is the American stage to be com
pared with the English p
"Oh, the American stage is i'm
measurably superior in every respect.
Our theaters are more commOdious.
better arranged, better managed. and
the audiences more intelligent. and |
attribute it to the general intelligence
Of the American people. The aver
age American is much more %intelli-
gent than the average Englishman.
aud | don know Of any reason except
that@5Od Almighty has made them So
THE GREATEST TRAGRDIAN.
In response to the question who In
his opinion was the greatest living
~tragedian, Mr.. BOucicault unhesitat-
ingly answered, " Edwin Booth" par
enthetically observing, "Of course |
mean in the English language.
What is your opinion Of the over
the-Rhine places p
oh, ] do not think they hurt the
regular stage. Anything that teaches
the people-they must be amused-is
beneficial"
VIII f~rst-class theaters. then. ever
introduce smoking and wine-drinking
IN America p
With great spirit Mr.. Boucicault
answered mo, sir-neyer. There
are a certain class Of pieces that can
be enjoyed among the fumes Of cigar
smoke and the clash of the drinking.
glass, but they are performances that
appeal solely to the sensuOus, such as
ballet and variety business, but an in.
telleetual piece you cannot enjoy with
such surroundings, and you throw
away your cigar and push aside your
wine. In England they have the Al.
hambra, devoted to such pieces as the
Black Crook and spectacular pieces
where the pit is tabled Of. and smok.
ing and drinking ia permitted. Tn,
nit will hold abov. -. -