Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-10-13
FAMOUS MACBETHS.
Anecdotes Of Interest Now During the
Shakespsarean Revival.
ATTR ACTIONS At OUR THEATRES.
Corinne TO- Morrow Night-Corn VAN
TasscI in Scot Marbles Master
tive Repertory-Stngr Notes.


as Macbeth in this country at Boston
recently. Since this well-known actor
IS TO appear here In this play next month
II may not seem superfiuous 10 glance
at some OF the great actors. who have
preceded him in the role. and the IA.
nous actresses who have played Lady
Macbeth before Ellen Terry's day.
Many an entertaining anecdote exists
OF those players OF old There. for In
stance. is the story OF Mrs. PriiChard. one
Of the greatest OF Lady Macbeth's
who was totally ignorant OF the play
except from her hearing 1t acted under
the glare OF the footlights. never hay
ing read n line of II except the text OF
her own part on the leaves given her by
The prompter. And yet, when Pritchard
played Lady Macbeth. the uttcrance Ct
OF the wordst give me the daggers'" IS
said TO have sent a thrill through the
audience that no one else could produce.
while in the sleep walking scene the
horror OF her sigh was such as 10 make
the young remember il with trembling.
In this character she played her farewell
the 18th OF April. I76s 10 Garricks last
Macbeth.
David Garrcks Macbeth must have
been wonderful when in drawing
room. without any stage illusion. the
actor In his ordinary dress. could ie-
cite The dagger-scene SO grandiy. ioi-
lowing with his eyes in such intense
"arnestnsss the air-drawn drasSer Wa'
the whole gathering broke forth INTO a
general cry OF admiration.
For the matter Of costume. however,
IL does not seem az II the presence OF
II could have heightened the Illusion.
when W recall that Garrick. WIN al
his enthusiasm for the great bard
dressed his Macbeth in the scarlet coat.
uuid-laced waistcoat. and powdered WIG
nj an officer OF the actors own day, ara.
moreover. gave the Thane. after ne BE-
came King. an immense flowing Wig as
large as that worn by the barons OF cN-
chequers.
Mrs. Pritchard. in her character. woe
long says and hoopeu peuicodts' ana
dressed her powdered hair hieh upon
her head. costuming Lady Macbeth IN
The same way that Cleopatra and other
heroines were clothed. Ii was Mrs I'D
dons. who. first OF all. had the sense ara
courage to wear flowing draperies win
a very short waist and To hrali her
hair close 10 her head.
An amusing story OF Mrs. SiddOns's re-
alism is told in "ShakespeaTtS Hero
ines" Mr.. Wingate's new book:
The author is describing the asionish-
men, she created in the mind of her
dresser when preparing for Lady Mac
beth. Without thinking OF her assist
ant. Mrs. Slddons. running over hsr
mart In her mind. suddenly uttered aloud.
with full force of iutonatton ana with
appropriate gesture. the words: Here
the smell of blood still" whereat the
startled dresser cried j protest ana
VOW. ma'am. you're hysterical. II Is
not blood. but rose-pink ana water. i
saw the property-mah nlN IL uP' VII"
my own eyes. $780,
Mecready and the beautiful Helen
Faucit came to the chief roles of Mac
beth" in the early part Of this cen
turv. Then came the rude. iTnpuisive
soldier of Samuel Phelps and the care
full Macbeth Of Charles kean
Kate Bateman CNlrs. Crowel one Q.
the child prodisies 81 ls5l, played the par,
in 1915 to Henry Irving's Macbeth. ana
then came Ellen Terry TO later Mac
Ieth' OF Irvins-later in cate. but not in
conception-for Irving. In spite OF mol
criticism, has chung TO his humahi"s1
character
Ellen Terry attempted TO revolutonizt
the remorseless terrible woman OF preNr
ous impersonators
Che believed Shakespeare's Lady Mac
beth was essentially feminine. ana paseo
one argument. to clinch that plea upo'
the womans fainting after the nuIuer
when triumph Is apparently az hahd' Mi ;
SIldons. with others. omitted that erect
their
the character With Terry. SOFT snh''
preceded and followed terrible utterahces
i'm Macbe,h's arms she rested IN Beh'ies
womanhood; in the manner OF doNe ni
described the murderOus act OF ceHoii.
Human even to charming, modern. Hn'
wonanIy. Terry's Lady Macbeth was re
parded as more of curious noNei'y 'ha'
an accurate impersonatioh.
While This new Lady Macbeth. In plac
-, tho raven locks OF tradition, displayed
hair Of q reddish tint. with two long
braids reaching to the ground. and showe
a blithe. compa nionable woman. her Mac
beth. as pictured by Mr. Irving, was a.
jrresolute. craven. self-iover. BearuiesS
with a little fiamlng-red moustache, pro
tectlng only beyond the corners OF ~.
lips. Irving was pictured by one crl"
as "a Macbeth with restless eye
Macbeth with a spare. nervous frame
Macbeth with the face of Il hungry era
wolf' with rare consistency he acto
bas Kent his delneation Of the characte
unchanged i'm spite OF the criticism ina
had attacked his first presentation. som
wears before the latter grand revival.
But one natlve-bOrn American has eve
become famous in Lady Macbeth. Tn
world knows her nsme-Charlotte Cush
man. Mrs. Dun and Nine. JanauscheR
however. became go Identified with IN
American stage that their names shouio
IN Justice follow that OF the great Bcsto
actress
Mrs Douglass formerly Mrs. Iiallam
WAS the first actress in the role on on
stage. playing the part in Philadelphia De
cember |. 1859, with her son. the younge
Lewis Uallam, as the first Macbeth o
America. tust as he had also been, te
weeks before. the first Hamlet.
The oldest surviving Lady Macbeths q
America to-day are Nine. Ponisi and Mrs
u. i. Bowers. OF whom entertainin
stories are eN.ant.
Madame Ponisi acted 10 the Thane o
Edwin Forrest shortly after the grea
Asior Place riot. when Macready wa
practically stoned from New York Ivy IN
assault OF the mob on the piay-hous
while the Englishman was trying to &C
Macbeth.
And here It may BE- mentioned that tn
English born Lady Macbeth Of that ur
fortunate, night Of MAY 10. 1919. was Mrs
Coieman-Pope. beautiful ana queeniy
looking woman. who. when the stone
crashed through the windows and IN
rattle OF musketry without showed tina
blood was being shed. stood witho,
flnching by the side OF Macbeth. display
Ing undaunted mettle.
Few people know that Chariot
CHAMPION, the famous Mazeppa OF pas