Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-08-21
mCULLOUGH IN N
What He Saw of American Ae-
tors and Plays i'm That City,
and What He thinks
of Irving.
New York World.l

pleasure and partly to make arrange
ments for next season. To a reporter
of the World yesterday he said he had
been delighted with his trip to the
Old World. Il left here for Lon
DON" said Mr.. Mccullough, ION the
9th of June, in company with Mr..
Sothern. My idea was to look around
aud see what was the best theater to
play in. But the first thing | aid was
to 20 and see Henry Irving in the
Merchant of Venice at the Lyceum
theater.
what is your opinion of Irving?'
asked the reporter.
Il can hardly describe my feelings
with regard to him. There is a no.
ton there that he is the pet Of a GER
tain number of men. But he has a
great hold on the middle classes-the
kind people who pay two shillings for
a seat-and every artist in London
takes a pride in him."
docs he take all the credit of a
play to HIMSELF"
mo; he suggests all the artistic
phases of the play, arranges the
scenery and designs the costumes. |
saw him first as Shylock. He takes a
differt view Of the part from any other
mans | have ever known. | liked it
best the second time"
SIS his acting at all irregular ?"
He is better as an actor of pecu-
liar things than as a tragedian. In
The Bells and Charles L. he seemed
to NE to do as fine work as anything
| ever saw. 1t seemed to me he
might play one part well and another
part poorly. Nature has not given
him the swell of passion"
What is the particular secret Of
his ~success?"
II can only say that in artistic
taste he is thoroughly imbued with
the spirit Of his profession. In the
way of producing things on the stage
in the best manner possible, he is I'M
approachable. Two weeks ago to-
night | supped with him. AT noon of
that day | saw the entrance to the pit
of the Lyceum crowded with peo-
pie, who waited until $50 o'clock
to get in"
who else is doing well in London
besides Irving2"
"Toole. He is drawing crowds at
the Folly theater in The Upper
Crust Then Mr.. and Mrs. Kendall
and MIR. Hare are playing The Lady's
Battle at the st. James theater. This
is the perfection off performance. |
believe if these three people came over
here they would make their fortune
and | advise them to come. Their
play is a light little French thing of
the time of the revolution and is per-
fectly pure"
What actress pleased you most in
London p
Miss Terry, who played with Irving
in The Merchant of Venice She was
the most perfect Portia | ever saw"
Have you any personal knowledge
as to Mr.. Raymond's reception ?"
We'll, he himself was received most
cordially, but the only play was a
failure. The people did not under
stand it. They could not form any
conception of the Americanisms, and
they wondered how a man like Ray.
mOnd could appear in such a piece.
So far as Raymond himself is con-
cerned he was called before the cur
tain and applauded, but the 'Gilded
Age fell fat. Miss Catherine Rogers
played with him, but she wasn't
good"
did Mr.. Raymond say anything to
you about the failure Of the 'Gilded
Age?'"
"Oh, yes. He took the matter very
philosophically."
What are Mr.. Florence's pros.
poets ?"
Very good, indeed. He and his
wife will open on the Both of this
month in the Mighty Dollar OF
course they feel somewhat nervous
because the play is SO very American,
but there is no doubt that they will
succeed"
"How we're Mr.. and Mrs. Mckee
Rankin received in London ?"
"The people liked the 'Danites' very
much. Hollingshed, the manager of
the Gaiety-who, by the way, is a glo-
rious chap-said at the Savage club
breakfast that it was the best Ameri-
can drama he had ever seen. The
Danites' started first at the Globe
theater and is now running at Sadler's
Wells. Nh. and Mrs. Wells will play
there for some time and will then 20
into the provinces"
What is your programme for En-
gland2"
well, as l said before, l went to
England partly on pleasure and partly
on business. l thought that being
there in person | could do better than
by correspondence. The result was
that | made arrangements with Au-
gustus Harris, the manager of the
Drury Theater, to appear at that thea
ter next April. Mr.. Harris has Just
begun his career as a manager. am
to appear in "Virginius, and he
promised me that the piece would be
produced in the best style. Every
scene and every costume is to be new
Who will form your company
That | do not know. All L know
is that the Drury Lane theater is the
largest theater in London that Mr..
Harris is TO select the company, and
that everything is to be arranged in
the best possible manner. | shall !
leave New York during the first week
In April, shall play in London about
a month, spend the remainder of the
summer quietly without fulfilling any
engagements and will then return to
the United States to carry out my en-
gagements here"
will you appear at all in the play
OF 'Aurelian, which Miss Dickinson