Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-01-09
Principal Pine Street IntermeG
Hen. E. J. Phelps On "The Stage"
An EIEGANT CONVERSATION BEFORE DELIGHT
ED AUDIENCE.

Principal Pine Street Intermediate School. /
Hon. E. J. Phelps 'n "The Stage"
ANEIEGANT CONVERSATION BEFORE A DELIGHT /
ED AUDIENCE.
From the 81. Adams Messenger, Dec 3lst1
The second lecture in the course conduct !
ed by st. Luke's society was delivered at |
Weldcn Hall last evening by Hon. E. j. |
Phelps. of Burlington. Despite the inclem-
ent weather, the hall was full and for intel |
lectual quality the audience was as good as
the town affords. Mr.. Phelps was intro |
duced by Hon. Z. A. Sowles, who spek Ike of |
him and his father as having adorned the |
Vermont bar for sixty years. He was also /
4 poet, but his genius had been smothered |
until on one occasion il burst forth at Essex !
Junction (rcferring 10 Mr. Phelps's lines on
that detachable place of detention), and he |
was also n presiding officer Of unequaled |
merit, as was witnessed at the Bennington |
Centennial, and an orator Of pre-eminent |
ability as could be witnessed now
In opening, Mr.. Phelps said that notwith-
standing this introduction, he should not at |
tempt lecture on the stage, but rather Il
familiar and informal conversation. He re-
membered encountering a tract in youth !
which represented that the open door and |
broad way to the pit of destruction was the |
theatre. lie had heard of stealing the livery |
of heaven to serve the devil in, but if this |
old prejudice against the stage existed now,
this lecture for a church would present the |
contrast of stealing the livery of the devil to
serve heaven in. But thai old prejudice
has well nigh passed away. Dramatic rep
resentation las come to be regarded as a
high art, as thing to he respected, emo
bed and used for the best good Of society.
For human nature is so made up that truths
are more forcibly impressed upon US through
the medium of the sensibilities than through
that of the intellect alone. Why this is,
matters not; suffice it that it is. The emo
tons have been stirred to their very depths !
| by heholdng piece of sculpture or paint !
! iH.r. The stage merely takes these represen-
tations from the canvas and the pedestal and
clothes upon them with life. They are
! superior to il only in permanence it is SUI
| periOr to them in vividness. They teach
only the cultured and appreciative; the stage
| teaches ALL 1t was not his purpose to con-
slider dramatic literature, important as it is,
| but only dramatic representation, and he did
not hesitate to say that if the pulpit,
instead of denouncing the stage, had
sought to learn from it, there would
have been less sermons preached to
empty benches BY this he would not be
understood as advocating ''staginess' in pull
that even on the stage but if ministers
would begin young enough, as actors do
and must, to learn how to manage the voice, |
to learn gesticulation, TO learn suiting the
uttcrance to the sentiment they would no
longer read the most impressive (however |
familiar passages of the service in about the |
same manner and voice at that employed in |
announcing the next meeting of the sewing !
circle. Ii he had wealth to leave for be-
ncvoent purpose-about as improbable a
| hypothesis as occurred to his mind-he be- |
lieved that if he endowed with it some in
stitution for teaching ministers how to read
the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer,
he should do more for the cause of religion
than many do who make provisions for its
being widely taught and heard. After some
/ further remarks, in regard to the general
character of the stage, and with passing
allusion to the acting of antiquity. Mr..
| Phelps proceeded to consider modern
| dramatiZation, which is a thing of compare
lively recent growth. 1t dates back only to
| the latter part of the 10th century. Before
/ Shakespeare there were few great plays and
| history leaves no record of any great imper-
sOnatiOns In the Eth and 18th centuries
there were four great actors, original crea-
/ tons, Incompatible beyond all others, and
I in his opinion they have not been equaled
tcrton, who, though the first true interpreter
of Shakespeare, commended by the critics as
the greatest actor of his time and the mover
of multtudes for wears, is almost forgotten,
nav, almost unknown 10 the world of let
tiers and art to-day But the impress that
| he left in that formative period upon the
art of embodying characters not his own was
too powerful TO be lost. Then came David
| Garrick, who averaged 50 well in every
piece of dramatizatiOn in which he figured
that he surpassed all predecessors and con-
| temporaries and has never since been equal
| ed. The opinion of some of the distinguish
ed men of his day-men eminent in all
circles of intellectual life in England-were
read by the speaker, in evidence of the
high rank which he ascribes to Gar
rick, and it is needless to say
that these epgrammatic and ANALYTICAL
criticisms were of delightful interest. Then,
| though not in the order Of time. came Ed
J. ,..,..al E..n 'EI-- -r-aicr'5 portrayal OF his
career as strolling actor, wholly unknown
until after he was forty, and of his poverty
and despair, and of his subsequent engage
ment at the Drury Lane theatre when its
management had met with so many failures
that they felt as though they had nothing to
| lose by trying HIM, and of his great triumph
in making the character Of Shylock new
creation, and of his sudden and wonderful
fame and the prosperity which he could not
bear, and the allusion to his visits to Amer-
ca later in life and after his best powers
were spent-all this story was listened to
| with thrilling interest, and was told with the
orators deepest pathos and sympathy. The
| last of these eminent four was Mrs Siddons. |
Grace in feature and character, reared to the
drama, a conscientious student of its highest
methods, she became wonderfully versatile,
and yet had her great specialtes. She
| ilourished before kean attained distinction,
and her only acquaintance with him was as
subordinate actor, when she inquired who
that ''horrid little man was America has
produced many actors of eminence, but it
may be doubted if any will descend into
history in the same category with those of !
England above mentioned, save Hackett, |
jefferson and Charlotte eastman. To each |
of these he paid high tribute. llackett |
was the most perfect Falstaff the world had |
ever seen. Miss Cushman was great in all |
she attempted and greatest of all in woman
hood. jefferson is the most finished actor |
ON the English speaking stage and is SO re-
garled in the profession He has so impress
ed his leading character upon the world that
the world knows him by it more than by |
himself, and when one meets him socially, /
and sees that some merry twinkle of the eye /
and hears that musical voice. he is impellcd |
To say You have been playing this we'll | |
had almost thought You Were my old friend |
Rip playing Jefferson The speaker oifer-
ed few concluding suggestions in regard TO |
the duty of the public 10 the stage. Purvey |
ors of any sort will always furnish what the |
public calls for. Let the people refuse 10 |
patronize the nude drama, and withhold
their dollars from the support of the sensa
tional and these will go down and the legit-
innate drama flourish in their place.
The foregoing is only an outline of this
charming ard classical two hours talk. Mr.
Phelps's style. So quiet and snbdued, at once
disniies his theme, seems 10 create an at
mosphere of thought and enchains the at
ttniion of his hearers. lie was listened TO
with the closest attention and would have
been oftcner applauded but tor the intrusion
of il upon the more delightful harm ny.
Rarely has Il lecture in this town been equal
ly enjoyed.
s:uiity Of " rong.
Some people have a fashion OF confusing excellent
IA, la