The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-27
NOTES AMONG THE ACTORS.
FIVE DRAMATIC COMPANIES I'M.
PORTED FROM LONDON.

FIVE DhA VIZ I'M
PORTED FROM LONDON.
-
some OF Our Own Players Feel DiaEruntied
and Talk About Appsaiiae 60 Congress-
n Mnnsneid's Own performnnse and
Hts StaEscrnrt In "Riohard III"
A complete company was imported from Lon
don to enact Tho Sign OF the Cross" H.. Beer
bohm Tree and Arthur Bourchler have brought
along all the actors for "Th Seats of the
Mighty" and Tho Chill Widow" John Hare
and Z. s. Willard will soon DO here. each with
his own stage party complete. What with these
full organizations. and the largo number Of
English actors engaged separately in our plays
and vaudeville. Broadway will look like the
Strand 30 far as theatrical strollers are con-
cerned. Some Of our native actors, especially
those out of employment grumblo at this, and
talk of q movement for protection by Congress.
1t was said that the subject would be aRitated
at the recent meeting of the American Society
of Actors. but II was not. Our audiences are
not prone to consider the nationality Of per-
formers, and, In spite of loyalty to old favoritcs.
there is no doubt that talented strangers are
doubly welcome for the sake of a change.
A mau In the employ Of Henry Irving spoke
yesterday of that actor managor's treatment Of
the people who come to America with him.
Mr.. Irving's devotion to the charities of his
profession" said this enthusiast. are thor
oughly published. but there was one plan during
his last tour In this country which deserves to
be known. Bran Stoker. his manager, arranged
a transferrAl OF money from this country to
London for tho working force Of the company.
agreed TO place TO the account Of any OF the
humber Nom bers such as the chorus. ballet,
Stoker, with no cost for exchange. The aggre-
gate of these savings amounted to hundreds of
orably advanced for the American tour. and II
Is safe to say that In large majority, Of cases
Richard Mansheld's use of theatrical DEVICE
to color some of the scenes In "Richard ILL.," is
melodranatio. but the result ls good enough TO
Justify the means, particularly AS these eXpe-
dients are Employed to make climaxes where
the text does not provide them. When Richard
fees from the throne room in terror At q flash
of lightning and n roar of thunder. the incl
dent closes tho act with n striking situation.
Mr.. Mansfield provided no other. The char
acter OF Richard had not grown before the au-
dience until his final triumph in reaching tho
throne not in itself Overwhelming enough 70
leave tho spectators absorbed in the play. A
field seven years ago. The light failing
on his hands. and tho sight Of it set him
to shuddering with terror. In this scene. as In
murderer, Cdtesby, the r~eyalsion of emotion TO
one OF remoree and fright was n note that
s sses1ss s ss t 1Ss . to t h clay Mr. as Mansfield Il sss H's u + To-
mS4s pG,n.' r srs Ss:s R RlsSi1S the .so S]1i,9% ns sis re;
so the force Of his climax is gone when suddeniy
the King begins to tremblo with fear and suffer
gain III. end. Tho whole impersopation seema
* lack chiefly in the eject Of climax.
The character of the DUKE q Glostsr
figure in the tragedy as the King Is ia the later
Mr., Mansaeid's hands. 1t tates no larger place
In the audiences interest as the play progresses:
his hands. and the liked features sosm to Rave
become a part of his acting from which there is
no relief. Unfortunate as It lie, these Qualities
ticity and freedom his playing ever possessed
i MS. Ma nom ID m S.1s ai'A rtSi.,s s snI'rs e1, an N
actor. his movomen.s would be- explained on on
The ground that he was muscle bound.
for some unrestrained, free gesture. and
is ultimately disheArtened a. the ririd!ty which
The wooing of the Lady Anne, the recep-
tion OF the two princes. and the conference with
performance, until the tent scene, when he plays
the wretched sleeper with fno naturalness and
s sSsst u this nss eo SstSst IS ID n ! shs rIs Il p shS sonf fSo
spectators on Monday night were prepared for
on at c ihe . a,me sb 90 ID. s0t Sraaw w1ih f Tn,sh ,l no , snl
dience the first enthusiastic applause OF tho
evening: In what contrast y was. too. to the
reception to the premature and incongruous in
play as the throne scene!
His production of Richard III" was not elab-
crate, but It was intelligent. Ono scene which
Mr.. Mansfield said In a speech before the cur
tain had been omitted owing to tho length Of
the performance. The wooing episode APP
peared TO be rather clumsIly handled, although
1t was done in tho conventional way. Its worst
effect was that Richard and Lady .Anne carried
on their conversation within three or four feet
- 81 49,
word they said. The procession enters from the
left side OF the stage, crosses to the right, and
then, turning toward the footllghts. starts
down the stage. Then Il proceeds, after the
first appeared, Tho arrangement is entirely
theatrical. The procession moving directly
would have the advantage of keeping out OF
View many Of he figures who At present stand
stand every word OF tho wooiLg: Generally the
groupings In the play are graceful and artistic,
sFs ' eon sfi@si IN Win TG'eP pa ,4S sTe p sTsssirs sSSss
Bianen Weaver: as the Duchess Of York. was
she ~G spDsar eHuFs and Of B snS t scenes c.n is wA's q.
actors with Mr., Mansfield arc ali suSordi-
authority and power that are remarkable. she
the youth, and she does it with the utmost in.
tsliigence and appreciation. Her propuneia-
tluu IL unfortunately CTuu0 BILL, DuL hho - AT
least one child actress likely soon to DO heard of
again: Mr.. Red mond was q Buckingham more
familiar with tho methods OF Shakespearean
actors than any of his associates. His declama.
ton was OF a kind very different from Mr..
MaHsheld's, and on the whole IL was Of a kind
rather more Admirable. Mr.. Mansheld's sud
den and affected drops into \ colioquiRl. even
ShAtty, tom were not the only chsrac!sristics Of
either knew or cared nothing about the music
OF blank verse.
Young IIubsrman,a Recital
The first recital, given yesterday afternoon in
Carnegie Hall, by the talented Young artist