New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-22

ferent in kind also from the help supplied by
reading and reflection. Mr.. Irvines rendering of
tho character was good example of what called
the ilIuminative power of the actor He made
Hamlet more conceivable TO the nineteenth
century modcrnized him as Goethe modcrnzed
the Devil ne became of the period. IL may be
admitted that an actor far inferior to Mr. Irving
might have something TO contribute; might have
good moments amid his hours Of badness. II does
not follow that on the whole one would gain by
seeing him; it is perhaps question OF degree
or Of proportion; you would have to do sum
in arithmetic
But Hamlet is not the only character in the
play of that name and the further question arises
whether, for the sake of seeing the Prince OF
Denmark himself in new light. you care TO hear
the rest of the play murdered, or much of 1t
murdered. Elocution is upon the English stage
an art little known and the art Of recitins blank
is of all branches of elocution that which is
known least Is IL then instructive TO sit for hours
in theatre and LISTEN to Of the noblest poetry
in the world turned into prose Some Of the
finest passageS, whole scenes il not whole plays
Of Shakespeare, may be spoiled for you for lie.
When YOU read them afterward you hear again
the barbarous intcnatons of some third-rate actor
who had good intentions, and his living to get
Nay even when the acting is good in it's kind
il may not always render You service IL may
disturb your conception Of the hero the heroine,
and il is quite possible that an actor whose con-
ception is essentially erroneous may have power
enough to impress his view upon an audience, and
10 impress IL upon your memory so that you cannot
forget it, much as you wish to. Individuality
counts for great deal On the stage. Until you
have seen Miss Ada Rehan play Rosalind, you
have never guessed that every atom OF poetry
and so much life be still left in her. Until you
have seen Miss Ellen Terry play Beatrice and
play Portia You have little thought that two
characters so extremely unlike could become so
nearly identical, and so extremely similar to so
many others. 1t Is possible for an actress TO be
too much herself; to possess real genius which
yet may be lacking in nexibility; possible that her
personality may overpower those of the
character she impersonates. To be always Ellen
Terry is to be always charming, but the stage
requires discrimination, rsnge, and sharp outlines
There are in Mr.. Irving's address many eX-
cellent passages the ripe fruit of intelligence
and long practice. He does at times give US
the benefit of his personal experience, as on the
vexed question whether an actor should feel the
woes he depicts 1t is Mr.. Irving's opinion, in
contradiction to that of one of the most acute
critics who ever wrote on the drama Diderot, that
he does and must. lie cannot even imagine that
the actor who follows in mnutest detail the
history Of an emotion should be the only one
not stirred by it: "more especially when his own
individuality must perforce be merged in that OF
the archetypal sufferer" The clause / have put
in quotation marks assumes the point to be proved
but what is valuable is the testimony to Mr.
lrving's own emotions. He, at any rate, feels
what he is acting. 1t is equally certain that
other great actors do not feel it. Kean did not.
and Madame Sarah Bernhardt sometimes does
and sometimes does not. The point is one TO
which temperament has much to say.
On other points Of stage life the reader of
Mr.. Irving will find much that is probably new
to him. What he has to say he says with
cearness and force and authority; and it is his
high merit never 10 forget the claim of his own
art to rank with other arts. If the theatre no
longer needs defending in England, it is in great
measure because of what Mr.. Irving has done
for it. Never, suppose, during any equal period
of time in its history has it so much advanced in
public esteem as since Mr. Irving became manager
of the Lyceum. lie has had colleagues whose
aims like his own high. They, l think,
would be the first to say that Mr.. Irving their
true leader. O.. W. 5.