Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-08-26
HENRY IRVING.
Impressions Of the Greatest Eng
lish Actors.
Mo win Soon Enter an American Tour
His Strong Points Eccentric
Tones and Electrical
Gestures.
LUa9oR Letter.

sail until OtlOOeI, IS py III INC WOSe
CONSPICUOUS figure now upon the Lon-
don stage. The Lyeeum, which is his
property, has not much TO commend 1t
in appearance. Its only feature from
without Is q big porticO, upheld by
Corinthian columns. When s O'Clock
arrives there is a fair house in the pit
and in the galleries, but the dress circle
and boxes are empty. The farce, THE
Captain of the Watch" is 3 pretty
comedy. and it is played as prelude 10
THE iyOns Mail,". which Is on the
boards IOT the night. The best place To
see life in a London thealer Is n the pit,
ADMISSION 10 which il two shillings, or
shOpt Ghy cents, and the entrance 70
which il through q corridor from = side
street. The pit, in point OF fact, Is the
best place in the theateT, corresponding
exactly To the parquet of an American
play house. The programmes are and
ed our by a young woman. The ladies
come into the boxes in the most pro.
BOunccd evening dress. IL Is at first a
little If a shock TO the American to see
them begin 10 throw OFT their robes.
Their hare arms and bare necks, as re-
yealpd hy the lOw-neck dresses n
short sleeves constitute u display OF
English scenery only equaled by the
bOskiI.r-s Of some Of the rugged up
lanes.
u ~ Funny
how these old DANES and dOwagegS,
without the inst approach to beauty,
and only historical "reminiscences Of
youth, will display their arms aud
shoulders and necks 10 the multitudes
I'm the thearers, and arch and crane aud
loll around in a sort Of an eager way, Is
though afraid the public may miss the
full effect OF the object lesson i'm anat-
omy. Contrast yOnder group in the box
to the right OF the stage, in their curls
and wonderful eOitfures, their eXpan9e
of uncOversdness, which shows necks
ribbed and stayed with economy as to
flesh, ptrchrd upon a swivel-like ar
rsngewtnt that works under the ridge
of bon i'm front and prOmOntOries Of
bone i'm the back arms that are long
and seem TO be wearing out at tue
elbows with carrying such heavy hands
contrast them in their eagerness to
hunt ont all the other similar displays
with their loDgnettes, with the same
numbrr Of enzey, quietly dressed Amer
lean women who visit
New York al
in shopping attire merely TO be enter.
tanned without a thought Of making q
SOC al event of the fact. The original
dudes are about the London theaters.
The American imitation Is q weak at
tempt u copy q disgusting original.
There i more collar on the English
dude. The broad eXpanse OF white
reaches quite up to his jaw-bOne. IL
seems 10 stiif,u all Of the upper part Of
his anatomy, and accordingly when ne
walhs il is with a equity kind Of wObhle,
which IL would set 4 compass crazy to
follow. and the more idiOtic and drivel-
ing the STARE and the expression of the
mouth, the higher 10 ia the order Of
DUGery does the ~peripatetic idiot seem.
There = TO telling how long this dis
ease has been raging IN London. 1t
has numerous victims. Ii takes ia the
cuaChmau with his tuggrrv anu the foot
man with his siekly look aud powdered
hair. Il runs through all Of the tribe OF
cads. ard without keeping accurate
count ! should say that there are about
l,2OU.Uy h. rads in London.
BuI to KeInrn q Henry trying.
There il u determined effort which
seems Ia hr backed By social and press
powers 20 put Mr.. Irving into one OF
the high uichps of Fame's temple. the
ear.maIk- Of this current fame indicate
this btyopd doubt. Ii was curious to
see and hear HIM 80 AZ To conclude for
myself whether he was q newspaper
made man Of fame. The curtain goes
up ON The first act Of the "LyOns Mail"
The sceup il in a cafe. The story il
from tie French, and has been shaped
for Mr.. Irving by Charles Reade. 1t is
founded upon q celebrated trial which
occurred in France under the directory,
the main feature Of which was the re-
semblancr of an innocent man Joseph
IrsurqUe> To "a murderer aud rO60er
iDubnec the captain of - gang of five
hundred men. There are two charac
trrs to h. assumed by Mr.. Irving. One
isIhat ui "a genial, hOnored physician
with = pretty daughter, in whose mar
riagr be- j. above all things interested,
and :har ot q brutal, bold thing, the
commander Ofthieves and the ruler of
muIderrls. The characters are strong
~ marked. One is light, airy aud
atfeCtiUi,ate; the other grum, stern,
r~uffianlv. but skillful.
The Double Role
involves rapid changes and distinct
pOrtrayais at opposite types. The situa-
ton IL oue demanding great surety Of
touch. The one point Of physical re-
SemhlanCs has, Of course, to be main
tanned, and this is easily done, but the
vitality of the interest In the play de-
ponds uVOu the ability of the actor to
keep the pOrlrailures of the doctor aud
villain distinct. How Mr.. Irving ac-
compli>l - this Will appear later on.
The story. opens with q rendezvous in
a cafe between three of the DubOsc'S
gang, under an appointment to meet
HIM 10 carry out bis plan to rob the
mail cOSch from Lyons. Thesubalterns
only know the chief by his horrible
reputation. One Of them is COurrail, =
society youth, who keepsup his display
or dark deeds. DubOSc has not arrived,
but a table is occupied in the cafe by
acquaintance Of COurrail, who,
ashamed uf his companions, sends them
away while he joins another party.
Iesurques lIr. Irving chances in.
The actor j. dressed i'm the civilian cos
tune OF the period Of the directory.
How Much - Nature In HIS Face
and how much is ait is not to be told al
\ performance, but he appears to be a
man Of medium height, with large
features, an eccentric but strong chin,
large dark eyes, and rather long hair,
which has become quite thin In front.
Ills lace Is lot handsome. 1t will please
men more than women. The features
lndicat" strong will power, every mus. |
Gle OF the body seeming Obedient to its
mere exercise. The actors voice Is
strange enough to create a prejudice on |
the hrst impression. He seems to pump
up BIS words rom hischest with a pain
ful effort, hut bis enunciation Is distinct
and the tone IL rather mellow, though
slightly nasal. But Mr.. Irving's genius
at least in The Lyons Mairr1is in
his muscles. In gesture he is rapid and
graceful, and has no rival on the Ameri-
can stage in the effecttyen ess aud dex-
terity of this much of his art, except
Mr.. Edwin Booth,
and often the latter seems 10 gesture se-
rnHnFn ne 70 Nar,a eln- -