The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-09-17
What John Mccullough Saw in London.

What John Mccullough Saw in London.
Mr.. John Mccullough, the tragedian,
has returned to New York after paying q
visit to London partly for pleasure and
partly to make arrangements for season
next spring. To reporter of the World
yesterday he said he had been delighted
with his trip to the old world.
I 81 left here for London" said Mr.. Nc
Cullough, ION the 9Th of June, in COM
| pany with Mr.. Sothern. My idea was to
theatre to play in. But the first thing /
Merchant of Venice at the Lyceum Thea
| tre."
"What is your opinion of Irving?"
ST can hardly describe my feelings
with regard to him. There is notion
that he is the pet of certain number of
men. But he has great hold on the
middle classes-the kind of people who
pay two shillings for a seat-and every
artist in London takes pride in him..
.Does he take all the credit of play
to HIMSELF"
''No; he suggests all the artistic phases
of the play, arranges the scenery and de-
signs the costumes. / saw him first as
'Shylock.' He takes a different view of
the part from any other mans have ever
known. liked it best the second time. I"
SIS his acting at all Irregular"
| "He is better rs an actor OF peculiar
things than as tragedian. In The Bells
and Charles l. he seemed to me to do as
fine work as anything of the kind ever
saw. 1t seemed to me he might play one
part well and another part poorly. Ma
ture has not given him the swell of
| passion"
sWhat is the peculiar secret of his
\ success?''
ST 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 unapproachable. Two
weeks ago tonight 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 to get in -
stWho else is doing well in London be-
sides Irving?"
"Toole. He is drawing crowds at the
| Folly theater in The Upper Crust.
Then Mr.. and Mrs. Kendall and Mr..
Hare are playing in THE Lady's Battle
at the st. James theater. This is the
perfection of performance. | believe
if these three people come over here they
|
them to come. Their play is light lit
tie French thing of the time of the revo-
luton, and it is perfectly pure"
"What actress pleased you most in
London?"
"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.. 4Raymond's reception?"
| "Well, he himself was received most
cordially, but the play was a failure.
The people did not understand it. They
could not form any conception of the
| Americanisms, and they wondered how a
man like Raymond could appear in such
piece. So far as Raymond himself was
concerned, he was called before the cur
tain and applauded, but The Gilded
Age fell fiat. Miss Katharine Rogers
played with him, but she wasn't good. !"
ibid 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
pects?"
very good, indeed: He and his wife
will open on the Both of this month in
|
! feel somewhat nervous, because the play
| is SO very American; but there is no
! doubt that they will succeed.
How were Mr. and Mrs Mckee Ran
| kin received in London?"
'sThe people liked The Danitespvery
much. Holinshed, the manager, of
the Gaiety who by the way is glorious
| chap-said at the Savage club breakfast
that it was the best American drama he
had ever seen. The Danites' started
| first at the Globe Theater, and is now
running at Sadler's Wells Mr.. and Mrs.
Rankin will play there for some time,
and will then go into the provinces.
"What is your own programme for
England?''
"Well, as I said before, went to En-
gland partly on pleasure and partly on
business. thought that by being there
in person could do better than by COR
respondence. The result was that
made arrangements with Augustus
Harris, the manager of the Drury Lane
April. Mr.. Harris has just begun his
sVirginius, 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 you company ?"
saThat do not know. ALI 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 7 shall leave New York during
the first week in April, shall play in
London about a month, spend the re-
mainder of the summer quietly without
fulfilling any engagements, and will then
return to the United States to carry out
my engagements here"
will you appear at all in the play Of
sAurelian, which Miss Dickinson wrote
for you ~
s.No; Miss Dickinson took tho play out
of my hands. It was splendidly writ
ten play. I cannot say whether it would
have been suitable for dramatic repre-
sentation."
ssWhat do you propose to do after
your return to this country after your
London engagement ?"
81 will travel all over the country as
usual. L shall open at the Fifth Avenue
theater. on November 18th, in syir-
ginius, and will play for four weeks"
'sThe Savage Club breakfast, of course,
was greatly appreciated by the Ameri-
cans p
.sWhy, just look at the menu. Com