Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1892-05-06

With a play like "Trip" he would
20 around the country at ar exceed
ingly light expense, at the same time
doing a very big business. This is at
least probable. 1t is true that the
public shows a good deal OF WEAKNESS
over the revival OF dramatic ''chest-
nuts" but it may be different with a
nsn Of the celebrity OF Jefferson.
trhc singularity ofthe matter is the
nopc a good actor is versatile the less
he is apt to impress himself upon the
public and make money. The late
E. L. Davenport was n Of the most
versatile actors that ver lived. He
could play tragedy, high comedy, farce
Or %burlesque at will, and was equally
good in all OF them. He was recog-
nized as a great actor, but he new
succeeded very well pecuniarily. The
same was true of the late J. w. Wal
lack, and, in fact, of Lester Wallack
himself, for though that actor was
best known through ''Rosedale,"
there was hardly an artist on the
American stage who had appeared in
so many different pieces. His roles
numbered between 400 and 500.
Boucicault, who made an enormous
amount Of money, frittered him
self away during the latter part
Of his life in a lot of different parts.
and he died leaving very little to his
widow, or rather widows
The part men have generally
neen the gamers. The late Mr..
Sothern was closely identified with
'Our American Cousin" and it
seemed to pail upon the public. Oc-
:asionally he would take a fling at
something else. but the change was
only Of slight duration; he would al
ways return to the best known part
because the public insisted upon it.
Mr.. Booth has played Hamlet four
times as often as any other part in his
repcrtory, and yet to the very end OF
his active career he could always
lraw twice as ,-uch money in that
part as in anything else. In fact the
public had ceased going to see him in
Anything else, when he suddenly
stopped acting through increased
~feeblcnesS
Frank Mayo, after smashing around
In the legitimate drama and then in
sensational plays, found a part to suit
him In ''Dayy Crockett" He sud-
denly began to make money: he stuck
to "Davy Crockett" year after year.
At last his receipts went down to
hardly a paying standpoint and Mr..
Mayo took to the legitimate. He de-
sired to be appreciated in .sMacbeth,"
and plays or that sort. He was a
1readfui failure. He had played the
one part SO long that he could not
play anything else well, and although
he tried ..Nordcck" and other things,
his case seemed to be hopeless.
So, therefore. while the compensa-
ton may be large in keeping at one
thing long, 1t is always q great dan
ger. Louis Harrison played Ty Foo
for five years. He PLAYED it too long.
He found 1t difficult to get back to
anything else and even nov the man.
ner Of Ty Foo often ONE to him.
James +. Mat1itt has completely
sunk out OF sight, from the fact that
he has stuck TO the part Of the Lone
Fisherman year after year, and even
he followed another man, Harry Hun
ter, who had been doing nothing else
for eight or nine years, when he died
ut 1t. And George Fortescue In the
same way played Catherine In that
burlesque season after season until II
got 50 that people would have him In
nothing else, and will not hare
'sEvaDgcline. without him. In fact,
since he went to Australia with Ed
ward f. Rice, .sEvangeline' has been
gradually going to the dogs.
Ada Gray is another old-timer.
The dear creature has been playing
EAST Lynnc"evcr since the war, end