The Republican journal., 1896-09-24
"Glance at Lawrence Barrett"


FROM THE PEN OF THOMAS E. SHEA.
ga Glance at Lawrence Barrett is
the subject of an interesting article in the
September number of Donahoes Maya
zine from the pen of the we'll known
actor, Thomas E. Shea. The writer's adj
miration OF Barrett is shown in his intro
ductory sentences, where he says:
although more than five years have
elapsed since Lawrence Barrett passed
away, this stretch of time is not too long
to be traversed by an appreciative glance
at the artistic temple he reared; temple,
which though incomplete, stands out
beautiful and conspicuous, a shining
memorial, easily discernible through the
haze of distance.
During his career of 50 years he had
labored INCREASINGLY in the vineyard of the
drama. With him it was genuine labor,
for he had brought to his art none of the
accessories that have contributed to the
success of other actors. His ability did
not come to him by Inheritance. Wealth
did not smooth the road for his prelimi-
nary efforts. He was without education.
All he was, all he became, all he acquired,
whether in art, literature or general edu-
cation, were the results of persistent and
never firing endeavor."
How Barrett acquired the habit of
study is thus described by Mr.. Shea:
''BaTett's first active acquaintance
with the theatre was in the lowly position
OF call boy in a play house which one BIZ
ographer credits to Pittsburg, another to
Detroit. In this humble capacity the
seeds of his ambition We're sown. While
going from dressing room door to door
giving the actors their calls, he was him
self possessed with a longing Ito 60 on"
To further this object he began to devote
all his leisure moments to hard study.
Entire nights were spent in porting over
books and plays, the midnight oil being
in his case the gift of a kindly property
man in the shape of ends of candles,
which Barrett stuck on nails in the door
of the dingy garnet where he lodged.
Student habits were thus early formed,
and he never ceased the task of enriching
his mind throughout his notable career. -
Comparing Barrett with contemporary
actors, Mr.. Shea writes:
unlike his two great contemporaries,
Booth and Mccullough, Barrett was not
satisfied with the well-beaten path over
which so many of his distinguished pre-
decessors had trod. He was not satisfied
with oft repeated representations of Ham
let, Richelieu and Cassius, although in
these and other we'll known characters he
was seen to excellent advantage. He
strOve always for something new. His
ambition was to create. Time worn char
acterizations were to him simply stepping
stones to original creations. Fortunately
for himself and for the public he was able
to crafty this ambition, and his successes
in this line are matters Gf stage history.
''What Irving is to England, Barrett
was to America. The former has the ad-
vantage of a permanent theatre in which
to materiaize his productions, but the
latter, though lacking this important ad-
junct succeeded in giving to the stage
several elaborate presentations, possess
ing much Of the completeness and mag
niticence so noteworthy in the efforts of
the great English tragedian.
ut was this desire to be to the stage
something more than mere player of
parts that made him the most important
dramatic figure of his day i'll this country;
more important even than either Booth or
Mccullough, for they were content with
eminence in oft travelled directions.
Booth desired no greater glory than to be
known as the worlds greatest Hamlet.
McCull0ugh's Nirginius transcribed all
similar efforts, and his ambition went no
farther.
Barrett was something more than an
actor. He was producer, in the fullest
sense of the term. His aim was to give
to the world productions that would live
when he was no longer able to be the star
performer in them. He did not believe
that the stage limits should be confined to
the works of Shakespeare and other CLASH
cal dramatists. He believed there should
be room on the stage for the ambitious at
tempts of modern playwlitels even though
these authors had the temerity to couch
their language in the blank verse of the
immortal bard of Avon"