The Indianapolis journal., 1896-03-24


standpoint there Is world OF contrast be-
tween Henry irving and Ellen Terry, the
two foremost English-speaking players. who
appeared at English's Opera House last
night. While one has grown more lean and
angular during the rapid flight OF years since
these honored and fdolized actors visited this
city, rhe other has advanced in the graces
and beauty OF dramatic expression until her
personality is far more pleasing to an au-
dience than Is that of the famed protagonist
whose name has shed such glorious luster
on the history OF the stage during the past
score OF years. The large audience at Eng
lisfi's last night expressed undeniable delight
throughout the performance Of Nance Old
field" but when The Bells came on the
applause was more discriminating and
seemed more perfunctory. as if it were in
tended to show recognition OF the name of
Irving rather than Of the merit of his
acting. Perhaps more was expected
in the way Of spectacular melodrama,
but 1t should not have been so. as Irving's
Matthias is classic from stageland, and its
history Is presumed to be familiar to all
play-goers. The quantity of applause was
After the curtain fell on Nance Oldfield''
terinsIy. joyous. Mr.. irving in ''The Bells
was called for at the end OF every act, and ct
the close the audience remained until he
came forth and spoke few words of thanks.
II Henry Irving were TO be judged by the
displayed in this after-curtain speech he
would not be worth the sugar in his tea TO
ary firm OF theatrical agents. He stood be-
fore the smiling. friendly audience perhaps
three minutes. long enough to speak several
hundred words, yet. at guess, one would
OF these were repeated several times, so that
as far as the public knows his vocabulary
does not consist of above twenty-five words:
W a n M
MS profession, Mr.. Irving aspires TO
rob our American short takers of their
The great popularity Of General Harrison for
palace-car Platform speeches. The great
English actor has not missed a night since
his American season began last September
10 briefly address an audience His eo-
quence last night was most artfully dis
guised. It came m short breaths, punetuated
with theatre abs and .umphs'' and ran
my dear friendss 1 thank you-for this
this-generous and apprecia5ve
demonstration. Thank alSo-not alone-co-
adjutor-both thank-one and .all-remember
so well-nct forgotten-tvelve years-al-
S,ad NM 10 our meImopy-
your
OF course none believed that Mr.. Irving
II he never stood for Parliament The only
explanation is that he either intends to ap-
called out, or else he lost his tongue when
knighted by the Queen and has suffered
from iingual paralysis ever since. -,
Charles Reade's one-act comedy, in which
Ellen Terry appears as Mrs Anne Oldfsld.
that mingle In this brief play gave Miss
Terry an opportunity 10 display her viva
clio Isness and changaable moods TO the best
advantage. Her impersonation extended
from serious heart touches to gambol In
hoydenish suggestion She became Instant
ly popular with the audience by reason Of
har - hV-f faxr and loft xrfcr In
the minds OF all that will be treasured.
The little piece has only four characters,
1t 80 Interesting tnat Miss Terry's admir-
ers were loath to let her go when the comedy
ended. In this play Martin Harvey. a
young man who has the Irving features,
acquitted himself 50 excellently as to fire.
quently share in the applause of the fas-
The play whica had been looked forward
TO with the greatest anticipation OF a rare
dramatic treat was THE Bells" in which
of Matthias in this three-act rnelodrama can
be said truly. TO be the most distinctive
Irving creation among all the characters
which he has pFesented to the American pub
lie. None has been remembered so well
since MS first tour In the United States
This story of the murderer who is finally
driven to apopiectic death by his suffering
conscience Is one which rearly all theater-
goers know. Even those who have never
seen Irving's Matthias have heard about Ii
from others who have. The symbolism in
troduced In the off-stage jangle OF the sleigh
bells mas Deen crying 10 nlOdern pldyWrignts
for nearly twenty years as an. example of the
fascination OF Symbolism on an audierce
yet none heard the can until the
Scandinavian philosopher and Maeter-
iinck. the Dane. came forward with
boldly conceived methods for a new drama.
The dramatic trick of worrying the con-
science until the man Is driven TO some des-
perate extremity is old as the stage. II was
the trump card with Shakespeare. The
romanticists have rsveied In the OF this
subterfuge. Il appeals 10 the lingering love
OF mythology and mysticism in the human
breast. sThe Bells" is strange story Of
cination In II Is correctly conceived by Henry
Irving. who pictures the character of
Matthias so boldly that IL has made an impress
sion for the memory 10 feed on for years
During twenty minutes In the last act the
audience sees the haunted face OF Matthias
under bright light, while everything else
on the stage is but shadowy outline. It.is a
face Impossible 10 forget and one likely TO be
dreamed about The portrayal in this scene
Is the one In all OF Irvings repertory freest
from his affected mannerisms Of speech and
action.
When one beholds actor Irving writhing in
the pathogn0monic symptoms OF rhe crazy
drama that haunts Matthias one does not
pause TO question the truthfu.ness OF the
story IL Is made TO appear real and that Is
enough During this narrowing scene one
sees the realistic counterpart Of jusf such
wraifh-r1dden being that has been asso-
who held murder secret. The great force
of pantomime art Is here revealed.
Irving u p.cturesquely realistic in his
fdeaiism- He Is to-day chief OF the old
dramatic school and one should net lose
~~@ht % this fact AL his years OF stage ex-