Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-02-19
LAWRENCE BARRETT.
a Discriminating study of the Modern
American Stage.

Discriminating study of the Modern
American Stage.
In the issue of Hdrpcr'S Wcchv for
Saturday, January 30 is given remark
ably fine full-page -portrait of the great
actor, Lawrence Barrett, accompanied by
u discriminating study of the modern
American stage, especially as effected by
the genius of Mr.. Barrett We reprint
the article in full
Since Mr.. Henry lrving's visit to Ameii-
ca we have gained n much clearer insight
INTO the direction i'll which to seek the
best development of our stage, as well us
Il much better knowledge of the material
at our command. Knowing as we do
what one man has done for the stage i'm
England, we turn with Il natural anxiety
to learn if there be any one here of the
profession of the theatre of whom a like
achievement may be demanded. Mr. Law
renee Barrett may or may not claim that
II Is his due to be first considered in any
such scrutiny of his calling but when we
look at what he has already accomplished,
ana weigh duly his relation to dramatic
art III America, ii is ut once apparent that
there is really no one else to be considered
! at all.
Any such eXaltation of the stage from
It's literary and pictorial side as MIR. Irving
| has effected at the Iyceum is possible only
When the conditions of the theatre are
purely metropolitan. 1t is essential that
IL should he Il permanent house, sustained
! ny great community, or rather by those
eclectic elements that exist only in great,
wealthy, and luxurious community. Sew
eral efforts have been made from time to
| time to establish Il great house of the
| drama In New ork, but they have failed
! by reason of various causes-in part be-
| cause the community was not ready for
such an enterprise, and in probably great
er part because the efforts were nisui.
rected or inadequate. Mr.. Booth how
ever much his taste and ambition IN
cllned TO SUCH cOmmendable aim was
| not adapted to the task. The fire and en-
| thuslasm that he bore to his part went
out when the curtain fell, and left him in
capable OF the answering, unhagging,
anu heVer,ialllng energy necessary to stis-
| tanned and prOlracted endeavor. Acting
was and Is Il serious matter with this great
| artist only when before the toOt-iights
The late John Mccullough, II most strenu-
Gus and conscientious artist, had no
| thought OF the dramatic eleganCes or of
! new literary and artistic developments in
ms own art NO one was more excellent
~ informed that he in respect to such mat
| tiers, but they were wholly apart from the
field of tremendous physical manifesto
tions in which he wrought With such
! splendid noise and industry.
| Mccullough is dead, and as deeply re
GREETED as any man Of worth that ever trod
our boards. Mr. Booth will retire it is
| Sald, alter perhaps one general season. In
any case he will never do anything for the
| development of the stage, having been
content for years with the most perfume
tory general accompaniment and support
oil established or classical parts. There is
no one, then, to be considered but Mr.
Barrett of whom it may be said, as it
most truthfully is of Irving, that he is
more an artist OF the stage than an actor
upon it, and that his finest and most pro
ductive efforts are put forth during those
tollSome hours when his audience is not
with him.
Mr.. Barrett has done more than any one
else IN America to present the higher
drama under conditions of artistic COM
pletehesS ana to stimulate the literary
ana artistic development of stage inn
pressed with his own character and taste
What he has achieved in this direction, so
tar, he has effected without theatre, and
| 1t has been so serious and remarkable an
achievement that it is earnestly to be
hoped That he may attain, as he SO earn
eStly desires, to the possession of Il house
OF the drama i'll this metropolis Hereto
fore he has led his cavucadc from town to
town the whole year round, subjected to
the wear and tcaG OF travel th,. Niris>l-
tudcS of varying tlc,trc,, and OF constant
change from character 10 character.
Nevertheless he has given IT, .l adni
raDe NarictN-a variety such - cuiY the
theatre Of Mr.. Irving has Afforded lnI
one winch has luclltGcd The best rcprtscll-
tations that we have seen upou our own
stage, the most profitable TO it rtpUtatlon
and the fullest OF Promise for its lut urc
1t Is only needtul IA support ut thi~ he
lief to point to Mr. ". d. HuWciI's Iorick.
to Mr.. Iuung's PendraGUn. TO Mr.. BuEcr' :
Francesca dH ItlnlnI, IL lne " undrr, to
The Kings Pleasure, 70 lac Blpt IN the
Scutcheon, and nuN, latest and most tri-
umphant of all MS Successes, to Hermann
All of these are distinctlvely produc-
tons ny Mr., Barrett according to his own
lights. and TO he considered as such and
as apart from his impersonations OF the
standard characters in which he has won
his well deserved fame, and which COM
prise all there are from Hamlet down to
l.agardere. That all this wonderful in
dustry has been hand in hand with II large
and liberal cultivation of his art, and a
growing aversion to all merely perfume
tory representation of the drama, is What
makes Mr. Barrett so Interesting and i'm
partant d figure of his time in his prof, $
sion in this country. He has broati capa-
DlltleS and IA line ambition, and he if any
one, can make II theatre. 1t Is IA present
necessity of New York that it should have
a house of the drama where the best that
Is or can be written shall be presented in
complete aud artistic detail, and with such
assurance Of its worth and Importance
that the place where it is done shall attain
To the dignity of permanent institutions
/ TRUSTEES OF THE GRANT FUND.