The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-01-27
MEMPHIS DAILY APPEALS FRIDAY, JANUARY 81 1885,

fell, then the pentup feelings found vent,
and Old Drury shook again with the tumult
OF applause" Pope saw this Sbylock on the
third night Of Its performance and he pro-
nounced II the Jew that Shakespeare drew
Taken altogether" says Doran, excepting
Edmund Keane, 10 whom he was always
partial, Macklin "excelled every actor who
has ever played sbylock," aud Sin parts re-
sembling 1t in their earnest malignity he
was paramount" The close OF Mack
Inns career is tinged with pathetic
sadness in connection with Shylock.
which he played for the last time on the 9TH
OF May 1889. A year before, when playing
the same character, the venerable actor tot
| tered TO the footlghts and claimed the indul-
gence Of the audience as an aged servant,
land then he went on, now brilliantly, now
all uncertain and confused" He was still
moro uncertain in 49, and the manager, to
make certain, employed Ryder, luckless
manager from Ireland, as an under study, to
be ready for an emergency of failure. 1.-THE
| old performer" Doran tell us, "seeing good
Miss Pope in the green room, asked her If
she was TO play that night" She answered
| yes, and called his attention TO the fact that
she was dressed for Portia. "Macklin looked
vaoantly at her, and in an imbecile tone Of
voice remarked; Il had forgotten; who plays
| Shylockr 'Who2 Why, you, sir; you Are
dressed for it, The aged representative Of
the Jew was affected; he put his hand TO his
| forehead, and In pathetic tone deplored his
waning memory; and then went on the
stage, spoke-or tried TO speak-two or three
speeches, struggled with himself, made one
or two fruitless efforts TO got clear, and then
paused; collected his thoughts, and, in few
mourniul words, acknowledged his inability,
asked their pardon, and, under the farewell
| applause Of the house, was led Off the stage
forever. And 30 passed away one Of the
| first great actors who looked between the
lines Of Shakespeare TO find his hidden mean
| ing, the man who made many parts and was
skillful, strong and sure of himself in them
all. He stamped himself ineiilcably upon
tbc English drama, and gave 10 all the actors
who followed after him the body and form
Of some of the greatest creations OF Shakes
peare. lie was the first and one Of the great
est of Shylocks, and It was fitting he should
leave off in II, and, rs the jew dis
missed from court, take his farewell
of Il forever. Sam Reddish, another
lrishman 17Gi TO l777-s) succeeded to
Marklin's honors rs shylock. Henderson
(l777l succeeding Reddish made his debut In
Shylock. marking some differences Of his
own conception which Macklin, who went 10
see him, praised. In l775, II may be noted,
Mrs. siddons made her first appearance In
London. on the 10Th OF December. as
Porlia to the Shylock Of a Mr.. King
Of whom nothing more Is said. al
though he must have been man
Of parts 10 stand so high In Garrick's favor
as 20 have been commissioned 10 20 down
10 Worcester 10 see her, and upon his war
rant TO engage her at f5 per week for Drury
Lane. But she failed TO make a hit, and
Mrs King significantly enough took her
place. There was fayoritism on the stage then
rs there Is now. But she lived TO reap fine
revenge. and in 1875 played Portia again TO
| Kings Shylock. her brother, John Kemble
| playing Bassanio. A contemporary wrote Of
Kemble that "IIe Is not a Garrick in Rich
ard n Macklin In Shylock, n Barry In
Othcllo, or a Mossop In Zanm. There Is
more art than nature in his performance. Z"
And yet there was Komblc school that
was perpotuaicd by Macready. George
| Frederick Cooke was also noted Shylock,
and played IA part in opposition to KEN
bic. making "Iilack Jack trembe in his
pumps" And yet years after Cooke said Of
Kemblc, Gle Is an actor. lie Is my
superior. though they did not think
10 II In London. ] acknowledge H."
Edmund Kcanc now comes upon the
scene. Tho season Of 1918 had opened
badly at Drury Lane. Stephen Kemble had
attempted Shylook aud failed. and Mr..
Huddcrd, from Dublin, tried Il "and was
never more heard Of" Kcane, who had had
the rough experience Of the road. made APP.
plication 10 appear, and was assigned TO
Richard Ill, but he declined that iarnctcr
aud said ShylOck or nothing. lie was we'll
received and made a great hit from the first
but absolute triumph was his In the third
act between Shylock. Solario and Salarino-
marvellous Ia his hands. ''Shylook's an
guish at his daughters flight his wrath nj
the two Christians who made sport Of his
anguish. his hatred of all Christians gcncT.
ally. and Of Antonio In particular; and then
his alterations Of rage, grief and ccsiacy a.
Tubil relates the losses incurred in the
search Tor the naughty Jcssica, her
cxtmyagnnccs, and then the IT.
luck that had fallen upon Antonio;
In all this there was much originality. such
terrible ioruc, such assurance Of n new and
mighty masicr-that the house bunt forth
into a very whirlwind Of APPRECIATION" lie
was pronounced at once the equal Of Cooke
aud Henderson and Macklin. Then came tho
fourth aud last net. In which he rose tosuper-
latiyc nights Of passion. ''Shylock's trembling
anxiety 10 recover what before he had re-
fused: his soriid abicctncss, rs he finds him
self foicd NJ every turn: his snbducd fury.
and nj the lat land Il was always the crown
Ing glory Of his acting In this paril the
whitening snOcr. hardly conccaling the
crushed heart. with which he replied 10 the
gibcs 81 Gaiiano. a, be- loft the court--all
raised new sensation In an audience who
acknowledged u IN a perfect tumult Of APP
plnu.e" Kcanc had NJ lat realized his dream
aud had conquered destiny. lie had risen
above the slums of the road and into aerial
nights Of triumph, bat as he once told his
mother would be the case Il made him mad.
he mover after was well balanced, never had
much control 81 himself save when upon the
stage he was transformed into another being.
Shylcck remained one 81 Kcanc's great
characters 10 tho end. Kcmblc. who saw
him the irst night, said ''Thc little man
Is terribly In earnest" but John Taylor,