The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-09-21
IRVING AND TERRY.
The Theater Packed From Pit
to Dome Greets Them.
sHlll,asT PLAY AND AUDIENCE
4 Nsrnfncsss rrodsrssen % ~Ths Msr-
~h.uf Of yenscs,, - MT. Irvfngss
speeeh-who We're There.

In this city the presentation OF TIE
Merchant of venies" at the Seattle t1ss-
Ter last evening viii ever be q memorable
occasion. II was fitting that the finest as
senabtscs Of men and women which
ever gathered under roof In this city
shouId greet the foremost actor and actress
of the English race. In thus honoring
these great artists Seattle has done herself
rroud. and the spectacle which was pre-
senfed from the stage was one 10 quicken
the soul. stir the heart aud call forth the
highest efforts of the most respiendent
genius. Every seat in the theater vas
flied. and the foyer was filed
with standing humanity. Fully one
half of the audience were ladies', and
this proportion held good In all parts
OF the house even 20 the highest tier OF
seats In the gallery. In the boxes. par
quet and dress circle, with scarcely
dezen exceptions. all Of the ladies and
gentlemen were in evening dress, while
the same vas trus Of fully one-half those
in the balcony. Many elegant costumes
were noticeable. and all that the wealth.
beauty and refinement OF the city could
contribute tent eclat 70 the occasion, and
made II grand social junction. The num-
her of handsome and elegantly attired
women present was very large. IL was
not only large and fashionable audience,
but IL vas an enthusiastic one. The spon-
tsneous greeting that met the great actors
upon their first entrance was a tribute to
their fame. aud showed that the people OF
Seattle were willing 20 accept them
II ths estimate OF London, New
York and other great cities.
But when 800 people voilcyed and thun-
dered thsir applause at the conclusion
OF the great fourth act-tlundered u
till the curtain bad risen four times to al
low Mr. Irving and Miss Terry TO bow their
appreciation, and thundered again until
Mr.. Irving came forward to express their
acknowledgment in words, that meant the
need OF genius. Mr.. Irving and Miss
Terry appreciated tho Applause. 1t Was
not boisterous: there were no cat-calls.
and canes ana sole leather contributed but
little 10 the tribute. But IL was hearty
aud generous. Mr. Irving neatly ex-
pressed the feelings Of himself and Miss
Terry when the insistent calls finally
brought him before the curtain. He said:
SCI cannot express the deep and heart
felt appreciation feel for the spontane-
tive welcome We have received from this
brilliant company. We have come q long
way 70 meet you, but IL was worth COM
ing q much longer way than we did to be
greeted BY such a brilliant and appreciatiye
audience as this one. Speaking especially
for myself and on behalf of Miss Terry and
each and oil of us. desire TO express our
heartfelt gratitude for the brilliant well
come you have given as. We are glad that
our methods have pleased you and hope
that We may have the honor and privilege
of visiting your wonderful aud beautiful
city at some future time"
The verdict Of all who saw Mr.. Irving as
shyiock last night must be that
he il the most remarkable actor of the
era on the English-speaking stage
Mr.. Irving, when first he played Shy
lock, undoubtedly created new stage
tradition. In early times shyiock had
been treated as comic character-some-
thing as the Devil or Judas in the old
miracle plays aud even the laudable
change which Mackiin made In rendering
him a serious aud even a passionate
character. did not complete the image or
simulacrum which filed Shakespeare
picturesque Imagination. Mr.. Irving went
20 the Mediterranean for his archetypal
the dignity as well as the passion of the
East. Shakespeare had put into the
players mouth the words of q devout
Hebrew TO whom the Pentateuch is what
the Koran is TO Mohammedan. His ac-
curate knowledge of Old Testament history
This Jacob from one holy Abraham wa.-
The third possessoF; are. he was the third:
and his devout belief in Divine interposi-
ton In favor of any OF the chosen race
such rs when in the tnids. OF his whirl-
wind OF passion he pauses 20 thank God
for the series OF disasters which have over.
whelEaei Antonio all show a man in
whom are great possibilities OF personal
dominance even in member of an out.
east race which had In the sixteenth cen.
fury it's own counterpart OF the Ghetto
and tho Pale of our own day in Rome
aud in Russia. ShyIock was a gentle.
man" in the midst of the Venetian tur.
MOL where merchants most did conrre.
gate" and TO those who last night saw the
greatest actor OF his century sgeep
on the stage with commanding presence
which neither the yellow badge OF his
ribe" over his forehead nor the Atfeeta.
ton of fswnlng manner could de-
stroy, is must have seemed as il one al
che greatest of all the great creation of the
master mind had stepped out OF the poet,
pages and become crystaiixed or material.
fxed into concrete shape. With the idea
ofsueh central dominant figure in hi,
mind. and with also the idea OF a female
counterpart of his own power a. an aeto,
and in role which Shakespeare placed
side by side with Shyloek. as the original
photographers wrote the Old and she New
Testament IN one volume. Mr.. Irving
must have found the horizon OF his artis
tic effort widen as be advanced In his
work OF producing the play. Thus !,
Was that the picturesque surround
ms of the dfamagis ressenx be-
came evolved, Venice IL one of ths
few cities Of old which today retains the
charaeseristls attributes of its mesiiAeval
beauty and splendor. Today the canals and
palaces, the lagoons and bridges are a,
they were when Machiaveli and shake
spearc may have exchanged ideas. with
only the newer cosors of slaeco and
marble mellowed and refined by the san.
shine and snneeai Of taree centuries. On
the stage OF The Seattle theater last nigh,
was shown for the iirst time the beauty OF
Venice and It's suburbs. And anv one 10
whom pictures OF the city on the sea arr
familiar or who have PASSED in their gon.
doias through the silent streets eouls.
have pointed cut such familiar objects a.
the poge's Palace or the l.ioa Of 81
Marx. Certainly the artists have worked
admirably. for more beautiful series o.
pictures has never been seen. Bot lei
there b ne mistake: the play Is not over
ridden or dominated by the soeaic beauty
al IL truly beautiful: hus 10 is beautiful