New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-10-30
THE DRAMA,
HENRY IRVING.

thoughtful observers whose duty has been within tho
last ten years TO consider and record the reciprocal n
Of the stage and society," have naturally been
PEELED to take into their account the originality forca
charm and commanding Of this remarkable acton
Wherever In the intellectual world an earnest and
devoted spirit is steadfastly at work, no matter
what may be Its line Of thought its vehicle of express
sion, source OF power Is established which makes
itself felt, through either sympathy antpathy, in
every fibre Of the mental experience OF the age Such
spirit has animated Mr. Irving He thoroughly
In earnest thinker, writer, manager representa-
tive leader of the dramatic art He has placed himself in
the capital city OF the world and there has gathered into
his hands all the strings that the great machinery
OF the stage In time 1t inevitable that the n-
fuence Of such should be recognized In America az
well in Europe that his history should become known
to our people and that wish for his personal presence
should spring up and thrive IN all the communities Of
western world.
Mr. Irving has been an actor for twentyseven years.
Seventeen OF those years he has passed In London and
not saying too much to say that during the latter half
has stood at the head Of the actors Of Eng
| land No man could have had such career, exerted
such influence attained TO such position, without
being possessed OF abilities Of high order, used with
WISDOM sincerity and resoute will Mr. Irving possesses
these abilities and has used them In this way The srue.
of his renown accordingly rests upon solid founda-
ton OF worthy achievement Judgment and taste differ
and will continue to dier-in defining his talents and
estimating his rank But upon point all opinions are
agreed-and all the agreed since the performance
| OF last night-he Ia thorough actor That he
| should come to America at this tLno
In the natural sequence Of events His coming has been
sought from this side OF the Atlantic for the last six
years He has been invited, again and agan-not be-
he had position to make, but because his position
already made. 1t ought accordingly, to be clearly
said at the outset that Mr. Irving cannot be viewed
actor who comes here upon trial His name and famo
were long ago established He Is a sensation IN America.
because newcomer; but he is not probatoner and he
Is not a surprise. The audience that greeted Mr. Irving
last night in the Star Theatre, where he made his first
professional appearance in America received him in this
split-greeting him. not a stranger but honored
friend. brilliant audience has been seen,
and cordial welcome uttered
true actor indicate his powers as surely-though
not of course fuy-in secondclas9 character, even
OF melOdrana, In character Of high poetic tragedy
The elder Booth electrified audience in slight
part the Second Actor, in Hamlet" Genius, tho
French philosopher said question OF quarter Of
hour Five acts OF Shakespeare and four hours OF labor
not indispensable TO revelation OF the divine spark
1t Is the IN which thing is done that first OF all
declares the actor To act great part greatly 20 reach
the highest but smaller part may be acted In
great manner and may be made the medium of wonder
ft message. Mr. Irving might have before US in
Hamlet. He has preferred TO appear as Matthias, ths
Polish Jew, in the well-kmOwn prose drama OF " The
Bells" His Judgment ytndcated The part Is ono
that utilities all designating excitements. and tina,
by all his pecuarities He labored under great excite
mcn did his audience butthis served only to in
tes the creation OF the actor and the enjoyment Of the
house
Mahias Il murderer who suffers, and he may be do
pcted either Of two ways-as suffering from the fear
and dread Of detection, suffering from this in
tcnsihed by Given from the former point Of
view he would be morally and spiritually superficial and
the excellence Of the best performance OF him would be
scarcely than tecnicalbecause the analysis not
of human being but Of grsly hend. Given from tho
other point Of view he may be made the vehicle for pro-
found subtle and pathetic study OF human nature in
of the most terrible forms Of its possible experience and
tremulOus under those haunting influences which.
to the Imagination are so thrilling and so splen-
did RemOre, It should be remembered, is misery THAI
is only possible to goodness radically wicked person
il Incapable Of suffering anything but physical pain
IaJo suffers Sir Ediodrd Mortimer, who has
mted partly Justihable homicide suffers the torments
OF the damned, because his conscience condemns hf
crime and because ne breads that through detection, III
honor will be stained before the eyes of the world TIT
analysis of his torments affecting; yet should
watch them almost watch dying reptile, but that
his Inherent goodness renders them no less mouTnfu
than terrible An spectaces OF pain and wretchedness
distressing but the quality OF the distress which
they cause is determined by the nature of the SUI
tcrer.
Matthias has done murder and robbed his victim,
prospercd the spois OF his crime, but the conse-
uuences of his crime have followed him In his soul
lie walks the world In pOmp and pleasure-with slow,
corrOdihg misery eating out his heart He Is living mon
OF the retribtye vengeance OF Divine Justice. 10
could be difficult for experienced actor TO play
this part effectively in professional sense Mr. IT.
wing has accomplished farnOre than that BY giving this
murderer u human heart by making patience, tender
the motive and passion OF his life and then by de-
pcting, with consuInate reality, those agonies of
the soul which only such soul suffer,
he creates an image not less pitiable than
horrible OF that sOrlon humanity which evil has
quered and which lneXorabe Justice must now destroy.
is course possible to misunderstood an actors in
tcnion; but whether with without purpose Mr. Irving
produced the effect pahos well very largely the
en- ect Of terror the latter being predominant, AMI his
method in the latter being wonderfully subtle and wildly
picturesque The feyeFish alertness cngendered by tho
strife OF strong Will against sickening apprehension tho
desperate defiant and now abect, OF neNor-
ableOom the slow paralysis Of the feelings under tho
action OF rcmOrse-thcso, indeed were given with APP
pallng truth Since tine Old days OF Charles Kean
display Of morbid spiritual vyisecton has been seen
upon the that approaches. even resembles tho
dream Matthias acted by Henry Irving The audience
completely spob)und during this scene. In all tho
long backward OF recollection find no parallel TO this
sustainnent of tremendous agony in that most difficult
ofal dramatic conditions sOOquy Here, undoubtedly,
is the essential spring Of lping's power: He wie.ds
q fascinating and victorious magnetism. essentially
personal Nothing else could sustain actor in his conn
plcc hold Oan audience through SO terrible an ordeal 3
that.
The effect upon the audience singular; and, in
fact this actor is who viii always leave upon the same
asstmblago strangely different impressions Speaking
with reference to execution and quality 1t may be said
that taste for the acting OF Mr. Irving is TO some extent
like the taste for Olyest has TO be- acquired But whtn
il has been acquired II gives It's pOSSeSsOr great de-
light. Mr. Irving is very peculiar actor His perSen-
Atty and his methods OF characterized by special
and great destinations but also by special aud per king
slngUlarites His oddities help to make him unique ana
these oddities not to all persons, agreeable Some Or
Them indeed are defects and viii remain defects IN tue
end OF chapter MI ryngs sage-wak. for examples
sometimes slted and angular and this PECULIARLY al
thnnrL rna naLural for nm. md Of ha re5l.s OF