The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-05-21

or the American player, there Is no doubt
that as IA character actor Mr. Thompson
has no superior and probably no peer on
the stage Of this country. Even In Eng
land II would be difficult 10 find n man
who so thoroughly disguises his person
ality In variety of parts as this man,
who, still young, has reached the pinnacle
In his particular limo of.work
IL is his complete self effacement on the
stage which has won fame for Thompson.
There are performers who contend that it
Is to their advantage Co keep the audience
constantly reminded that they are looking
at the star. The argument il that IL is
thereby made easier 10 impress the aim Of
the characterization upon the observer.
With this view Thompson has no sympathy
or patience. His effort Is constantly TO
make the auditor forget that there is such
a man as he in existence and To let him
see only the charac-or sought TO be por-
trayed. IL must be said that he has sue
ceeded in this maryelously, with the re-
suit that Mr.. Thompson, during the last
few years, has enjoyed no rests of any
length, so eagerly are his services sought
by the prominent managers
Thompson will return next season to
the stock company of the Empire theater,
New York of which he was member
some years ago and I'm which his greatest
triumphs were achieved. As the Empire
Is the best organization Of the kind i'm this
country and as Mr.. 1hompson's parts are
usually short ones il will be seen that
Manager Charles Frohman must value
him very highly to pay him an Ghormous
salary for so little work. When Thomp-
son played Svengali, after Wilton Lackaye
had created the role, the beauty and fnesse
of his work were conspicuously discernible.
HackHye got very much more out of the
part and pleased the masses better, but
Thompson played the character with tho
subtlety which Du Maurier evidently in
tended should attach 10 ii. He knew full
well that his Interpretation would not
evoke the rlaudits of the unthinking,
which he also realized might be won by a
little rougher work, but he persisted in
the thoughtful conception of the role
which be had mapped out for himself
without any reference TO the effect, and all
because he felt that he was right. This
evidenced degree OF conscientiousness
under trying circumstances which was
highly creditable TO Mr.. Thompson 5 artis-
tic sense.
Der of AuGustin Daly's company and
afterward had considerable experience in
various organizations until he joined
Charles Frohman's stock company, where
he played Major Burleigh in 1.-The Girl
Left Behind Me" and the villain in Da-
yid Belasco's fated and short lived com
edy drama "The Younger Son." In the
latter piece he had only ono short scene
as a despicable villain. and yet the ap-
plause which greeted his work was greater
than that accorded any other member Of
the really excellent cast. He was afterward
doing characters" with "The Great Dia-
mond Robbery, " Under the Polar Star"
and other dramas, or rather molodramas,
which were hardly worthy his magnificent
abilities. But in no one of the many rep
resentations in which he has participated
has he ever scored failure "A remarkable
record when one considers the hundreds
of characters of widely varying nature
which lie has essnyed.