Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-09-13
ANDPLAYS
Lawrence Barrett Tells OF What He
Saw Of and Heard Of Plays and
Players While in London.
The New Sensations That Are to be Inn
pOrted for the American Stage
the Coming Winter.

A few DAYS since Mr.. Lawrence Barrett,
the trssedian, returned from Europe, and as
it was rumored in dramatic circles that his
time had been equally devoted TO business
and pleasure-business in arranging for
future appearance on the English stage and
pleasure in passing many agreeable evenings
at the plays and with the players of London
"a reporter of the New York Herald called
upon him 10 learn the results Of his trip.
had no special object, other than pleas
ure, in going to London this summer. bad
been in England in 1867 and had not visited
it again till 1881. had found, in 1881, the
stage and dramatic society so full of strange
changes after those fourteen years absence
| that determined TO go back again in 1882 to
further observe what had attracted my stien-
| ton. You can hardly imagine how different
everything seemed, how completely a new
generation had taken possession of the stage
and how vastly everything had been
improved. The new theaters of London
| had a brightness, freshness and artistic
elegance that was like the opening up of a
new world compared with the London Of
| 1867. The social standing of the actors, in
private circles and in the semi-public ground
| Of the leading clubs, had become greatly
improved also. In the sympathy which
| seemed to exist in the theateIs between the
actors and their audiences-the result Of
better peTbODdl dS we'll db pTOlebclOudl dC-
| quaintanceship-and the cordial greeting
which 1 found extended to them almost
| everywhere beyond well "a in the play
| house, showed me in a remarkable degree
| how the gap which fifteen years ago existed
between actor and auditor had been lessened
until they we're now able to, and did, cordi-
| ally take each other by the hand across the
| foot-lights, This was one of the strongest
| impressions m ade upon me by the conserya-
| tive and once frigid I,ondOn Dublic
AN ACTORS OPINION OF IRVING.
Yes, 1 have seen Irving in a number of
characters. L saw him play Hamlet"
matthias" in The BeHs, "Charles ," 'Shy-
lock, ;" "Romeo" and others. / was simply
delighted with him. His mannerisms? Oh,
yes, he has mannerisms, l admit, but / do
/ not notice them. Let me tell you, when
/ 90 to the theater 1 go as q child does. Not
; 10 find fault with everything, but to enjoy
! whatever / can. ii the actors conception of
. a part is admirable; if he can carry that
: conception into execution readily, easily,
fully, 1 not only forgive but forget his occa-
sional mannerisms in the doing of it, and
7 only think of and thank him for the pleas
! ure be has afforded me. / know Irving has
| faults and mannerisms, but the genius Of the
man carries you above all that, and you
forget il under the charm of his acting. Al
least, that is the way l was impressed by
him.
His appearance? Let me see if 1 can de-
scribe Irving in a few words as saw him in
Hamlet" An interesting, not handsome
| face; graceful figure in repose, manly and
we'll carried; picturesque bearing, without
| the appearance of studied pose; less graceful
, and effective, however, in action. A voice
sweet and penetrated with sad cadence
which suits Hamlet" exceedingly well, but at
times, perhaps sounded montonously on a
single key. His acting is subtle, impas-
stoned, lifelike in its seeming naturalness
and yet highly effective in the breadth and
variety of its expression. A face full of
meaning, on which the thought in the mind
seems first TO be written before it reaches
the lips and is spoken, and yet both mind
and voice and gesture seeming TO act stimuli
taneously. A man, in short, whose genius
seems 10 strike you at once.
'RoMEo AND JULIET" AT THE LYCEUM.
Excuse me, you are wrong; the Lyceum
does not depend for its success on the ele.
gance of its settings. The mounting is al
ways adequate and in all respects a worthy
setting of the play, but it is never obtrusive.
This was particularly the case in Romeo and
juliet, which as given at the Lyceum / regard
as the most perfect display of dramatic art in
all its branches, both in the actors and their
surroundings, that has ever been seen on any
stage. 1t was magnihcently prepared but
Tue Wcdtlu Oi nduusOulc eCeUeTy nor
the elegant costumes were allowed to have
undue influence upon the auditors. They
were accessories, not features of the play.
Nor were Mr.. Irving and Miss Terry allowed
to assume any unnecessary prominence in
the tragedy. Everything tended toward the
one idea of faithfully carrying out the story
rs told by Shakespeare, not of Romeo" and
Juliet" but of the quarrels of the Montsgues
and Capulets, with the loves of Romeo" and
III O--c
that the performance, taken all in all, was
kind of art l have never seen elsewhere in
the extraordinary attention to detail, and
the complete and harmonious effect produced
by the whole.
BOOTH IN LONDON.
Yes, / saw Mr.. Booth in London, and
am happy to say that he has again met with
hearty recognition from the London public.
No; there seems to be no prejudice against
him on account of his being an American
All this seems to have been done away with
there, and could see no difference between
receptions given TO him and those rendered to
native born actors He has passed through
the probation" stage, as it were, and seems
TO have quite settled down TO the status of a
local English favorite. 1 was present at sew
eral of his performances and applause was
frequent, hearty aud spontaneous, and they
had him out with msny pleasant demonstra-
lions at the end of different acts. The play
ers of London are we'll inclined toward him,
and at the professional matinee which he
gave nearly all the principal London actors
were present, and Irving and others went
behind during the eltre'Gcte 10 take him by
the hand.
BOOTH AND BARRETT IN LONDON.
1t was proposed that Booth and / should
play "Cassius" and Brutus" next season
at his theater-tbe Lyceum-and he at once
hanar to ,ola uha ho aonlA do for
When Abbey brings Irving TO America next
autumn, Abbey is to take Irving's Lyceum
in his absence, AID Irving said at once, in a
very hearty way, that he would mount the
play for us there in the most elaborate man
ner, the scenery to be from sketches which
Alma Tadema had made especially for the
Lyceum stage. 81 will do all cam he
said, putting out his hand in friendly way,
Ito make it a success. l will myself direct
the preparation of all the appointments and
rehesrse the company as though it were to
be one of my own revivals, and my last act
before bidding my own people goodbye on
going TO America will be to present you and
this revival 10 them to enjoy in my absence"
That was certainly very handsome, was it
not?
No; it is not settled that we are to do it.
Booths engagements did not permit his
j lining in carrying out the idea, but / may
play "Cassius" there myself. l am 10 do it
either at the Lyceum or at Drury Lane,
which of the two is not yet decided upon,
but on one OF the two stages 1 am 10 make
my bow before an English public next sum-
mer u next autumn. If at Drury Lane it is
to be in June; or, if at the Lyceum, it is TO
be in September. Now, to return to the Lon
don stage of to-day. What shall 1 tell you?
MoDJEsKA AT THE HAYMARKET.
Odette? Yes, they were doing that at the
when l was there, with Modjeska |
as "Odette," Bancroft as the husband and a |
good company, including Cecil, Pinero (who |
wrote The Squire and Conway, handsome
young actor, who will probably be here |
shortly Miss Menser of WalIack's Conn