The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-11-05
IRVING, THE ACTOR.
How He 1mpresses a Newspaper
Correspondent.
His Long Career on the staGe--Why
He Succeeds Comparison with
Edwin Family
Relations.

CINCINNATI, Nov. 5--The Enquirer's New
York correspondent telegraphs: The actor,
Henry Irving, has had that reception in New
York which might have been expected for
the long favorite of the British metropolis.
Mr.. James McHenry said to me three years
ago in London that Henry Irving was the
greatest figure seen on the British stage since
Edmund Kean, and that Ellen Terry was the
best English actress seen since Mrs. Siddons.
Some time after this expression Of opinion
/ went to see Mr.. Irving in Romeo and
wrote you some description of the perform
ance. He made bad impression on me as he
came upon the stage, with his legs too large
in proportion, and with a ad strut he had
upon them, and with a rather gypsy counte-
nance, as | thought in which was nothing
classical, though it bore thought. He played
along for some time without making any i'm
preston upon me, when suddenly | found
London to disappear, and in certain portion
of the play my mind was completely possessed
by the scene between Romeo" and Juliet. u
Miss Terry was playing Juliet 1t was
the first passage of love between the two.
The actor was hardly graceful, and really
did not seem to be deeply engaged in what he
was doing, yet somehow there was magnet
| ism in what he was at. He seemed to be a
rather Indifferent preoccupied gentleman,
who had suddenly taken up love for a pas
sion and was playing it too really to be try
ing to deceive He did not declaim to the
lady atall; he seemed to throw hit hand like
a scoop toward her full of love, as if he were
throwing sweetmeats; and yet there was a
snacly something IN his mode tina was as en-
| trancing as if n black-snale had been charm
| ing d rd.
That impression has not left me, and Mr..
Irving in this country is bearing it out by
the intense way ne renders some few things
in the course of his long pieces He has now
played two parts here-a lugubrious, weird
melodTama, and rather dreary scenic tab
leau. The people are bound to go
and see him, and tho verdict
is very much divided L think
that ON the whole the impression is rather
settling down to be that he is very intelli-
gent man, who has his own way of making
things effective, while that way is not the best.
1 have not seen this actor sufficiently to go
at this time into a positive expression OF
opinion about him What has been written
concerning him in the New York newspapers
seems to me to be rather fairer and more
desirous of getting at the truth than is geneI.
ally the case here. Che critic in The Tribune
William Winter, WHO is probably more read
than any professional critic in New York, is
said to have known Mr.. Irving in London
and to have been courtaousy entertained by
him Hence, there is little that is virile
not to say masculine, in these descrp
lions Of actors. If you are on social terms
you must either praise them or incur then
displeasure l should not wonder if a good
average theatre-goer, that could be taken al
random out of the house, would really be a
better critic than all these professional opn
iou-makers.
A career like his, whatever may be ouI
view in America of the actors style, is one o
the most creditable in our times He had {,
work very hard He has been twenty fiv
years on the stage. He made no considerable
success till he was thirteen years in the busi
ness. When at last he was allowed the leading
Shaksperean parts he seemed to have ex
amined them for himself, thought them over
made them new to the public, and put tina
naturalnesS which is such feature of all ex
isting art, over and upon the old traditions o
those characters 1t is said that Mr. Irwin.
does not live. with his wife, nor Miss Terri
with her husband; but these slips of the famil'
relation have been common to great man,
actors. even Edmund Keap and the eide
Booth and Forrest.
, Compared to Edwin Booth Irving has prot
q ably the most worldly temperament, exper
: ment and innovation, and he is perhaps nc
so conscientious about his methods of PLAY
t ing, provided he produces more intense situa
t tons. Booth, not in robust health, is ma
of fidelity to his mind and his text
books, and a great many thousand pei
sons in this country viii look q
@ Mr.. Irving solely through their ideal of Nj
: Booth. Irving would appear to be altogethe
| the superior manager, pushing his way pert
4 naciously to the front, making new opportU
l mites for himself, trying new parts; and b
) certainly has made record in England tina
e no man has had there since Macready, if il
deed any have had since the best DAYS of Ec
mund kean