The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-10-05

hlJIliiN Oist likIt III Ills ONH IVY ~ 's>@
the next in that of Kean and each per-
formance was marked with individual
tr4I.s OF extraordinary genius.
Gustavus " Brooke was an actor OF rare
merit, but, likc I" Mr.. Orator Puff, had two
tones TO his voice, and this made his read
ings, TO say the least, partake Of the nature
of eccentricity, for one-half Of line would
be given In "a species of falsctto and tho
concluding half In sort of subbase. This
was attributed To some affection OF his
bronchial tubes which in its earlier stages
had been neglected and allowed TO become
chronic.
Charles Fechter had two distinct and in
dividual voices. One was his natural
voice that no used for the street and draw
ing room; the other was for the stage ex-
clusively When In parlor or on the
street, or in ordinary conversation with
friend, he spoke his mother tongue, tho
English language, as perfectly and as pure
ly as any one. He was by birth Briton,
having been born In Hanway courtyard,
Oxford street, London, his father being
German and his mother an English wom-
an, and his earliest education was obtained
Ia London 1t was only when on the stage
that he spoke with what might be termed
a dialect. Being asked one day why he
did this, he replied that IL not only drew
greater attention TO him personally, but he
considered that Ii added TO the effectiveness
of his performances and threw an air OF
romance about them which they would not
otherwise possess. Fechter's manner
isms" consisted Of tendency toward ex-
trayagant gesticulation. His hands were
never still for moment; there was never
any repose for them, but IL must be ad-
mitted that they were used most effective
ly and most expressively. Besides this,
there was certain swagger In his carriage
which gave him at times the air OF swash
buckler, and this was most apparent In
such performances as Ruy Bias, Legadiere
and Don Caesar do Bazan.
Even David Garrick consummate actor
though he was, had his mannerisms that
We're very conspicuous, and that were dl-
lated upon by his enemies TO depreciate his
worth. Macklin, the great Shylock OF the
English stage, who was immortalized by
Alexander Pope as "the jew that Shakes
peare drow," had little regard for Gar
rick, and thus wrote of him:
ellis art in acting consisted in inces-
sanity paving and hauling about the
characters with whom he was concerned
In the scene, and when he did not paw or
haul the characters about he stalked be-
tween them and the audience, squeezed his
hat, hung forward and stood almost on
one foot, with no part of tho other TO tho
ground but the toe of 1t. His whole ac-
ton when he made love, in tragedy or in
comedy, when he was familiar with his
friend, when he was in anger, sorrow, rage,
consisted III squeezing his hat, humping
his breast, strutting up and down the
stage and paving the characters that he
acted with.
That WILL however, hardly pass as "a
fair and unprejudiced Judgment OF one OF
the greatest actors that the English stage
has known.
William Charles Maoready had singu-
lar voice. which was made the more SO by
u popularity Of expression which was more
markedly singular than that of any other
actor on the stage, and yet few--if, indeed,
any--of his great contemporaries could read
the speeches Of Shakespeare with better
effect, and certainly none with greater in
telligence In his youth the future great
tragedian had a voice Of great clearness,
compass and beauty and was unaffected
in his style of speech. His defamation at
school was marked by poetic fervor and
exquisite taste, while his voice showed
good training and perfect obedience TO
command. Finally his voice lost its clear
ring and other attractive qualities of tone
and became harsh and even at times re-
pulsive This, in addition 10 the strongly
marked regularity of his speech, became
as much the nature of the actor as IL 10
had been born with him. Besides that he
was stilted in his gait and angular in his
attitudes Nevertheless he could act, and
il has becn said of him that he was Eng
lands most artistic and intellectual tfage-
dian, and that he finally became the
embodiment Of what was ultimately
termed the highest Development of genius"
At the same time one who knew him
well has written OF him, "He was unques-
tionably man of genius, and as unques-
tionably he inoculated his profession with
q style of eiocutiun which sets poetry, mu-
sic and nature alike at defiance" 1t Is
certainly not easy TO reconcile these opin-
ions so diverse.
That excellent comedian, John Baldwin
blackstone, who was long manager of the
Haymarkct thcater, London, and who was
heard In the United States generation or
more ago. had many mannerismis. One
most noticeable was that while comedian
he adopted the peculiarities of tragedian.
All his abrupt transitions, chuckles and
alterations from briskness to gravity, by
which the audience was kept in tempest
Of morriment, were among the strangesr
vocal effects imaginable, and yet they
were adroitly managed burlesque imita-
tions of Keap, Macready and Kemble. 1t
was said Of him after his death: He had
little variety In style, and, in truth, was
the same In almost everything. Ho had
an extraordinary quaintness of delivery,
compounded Of drawl and sudden volubil-
ity, commencing his sentences at n low
walk, so TO speak, and bringing them up
at q hard gallop that was extremely funny.
The hotse was In a tittor at the mere
sight, and three words of the we'll known
voice were enough to set the audience In n
roar. He was nothing II not himself, and
therefore Yas better out Of the Legitimate
or ShakSspcarcan drama than In IL.
William A. Conway, one OF tho best
English actors in the early part of the pres
ent century, was so very tall of stature
that such critics as Hazlitt and others fire.
quently scored his performances on the