The morning times., 1897-01-24

dramatic writer's are given opportunity
to say as little or as much as fulsomely
or as modestly, as they choose. That is
doubtless why we know so little of the
personal side of thi sactor's life and
the early days OF his endeavor.
He does not come of theatrical stock.
His people had an old-fashioned horror
of the stage. and when, in his early youth.
the distinguished actor of today set his
heart on the career of historian, lie had no
knowledge OF his surroundings except
what he had gathered from the more or
less Surreptt!ous, but persistent wish, paid
TO the front Of the house during his stage
struck boyhood
1t is somewhat less than five and twenty
years ago when young Willard, who was
born in 1853, at Brighton, persuaded his
people to let him go on the stage, SO that
his career has beenjust long enough give
him an invaluable experience that is now
beyond the reach of a beginner. The stock
company days Were not yet ut an end when
he obtained his first engagement at Wey-
mouth. Indeed. he had time to serve an
orthodox apprenticeship of seven years as
stock actor. The second officer in The
Lady of Lyons'' was the first part that he
played. fht
1t would probably trouble even Mr VIII
lard himself to enumerate the characters
that constituted his repertOry between that
time and his first appearance in London.
How Useful and artistic such 81 training Isl!
What actors it has evolved! But the spirit
of the age is against the stock company.
The young endeavorer soon got an en-
gagement i'll Glasgow, where he met Mr..
Sothern, father of our L. II. Sothern. In
the farce ''Dundreary Married and Set
tied" MI Willard had the good fortune at
the rehearsalS TO be the only member of
the stock company conversant with the
words OF the author and with the stage
business.
This impressed Sothern, who was in
towering rage with the other members OF
the cast. "Thenceforth,' says Mr. Will
lard, "he was a forwarder of my inter
ests. He took me on tour with him, a s.
signed to me such parts as Captain De
Boots, in "Dundreary Married and Set
tied" Sir Edward Trenchard, in our
American Cousin" and Bir. Smith, in
David Garrick.'' Leaving Mr.. sothern,
Mr.. Willard played, as he recalls, John
Ferne, in Progress" Blenkinsop, in An
Unequal Match Leucippe, in 'Pygmalion
and Galatea;" Chrysal, in The Palace of
TRUTH" The C'Grady and Hardness Gre
gan, in "Arrah-na-Pogue" and "Calleen
Bawn;'' Edmund in King Lear William
in "Black-eyed Susan" Romeo, Iago, Mac
duff; Falconbridge, in King John" and
Wellborn, in "A New Way to Pay Debts. "
In England one OF the holidays is Boxing
Day. On this day, in 1875, Mr.. Willard
made his appearance before London au-
dience at Covent Garden, playing Alfred
Highflicr, in "A Ronald for an Oliver"
Subsequently he played Antonio TO the
Shylock OF Charles Rice, and young Court
leigh to the Dazzle of Charles Harcourt.
A long interval folio owed lin the country
during which time he fell in with Charles
Matthews, Phelps, Toole, Helen Faucit,
and Barry Sullivan.
He played all sorts OF characters in all
sorts OF plays, for instance, Macbeth, Sir
Peter Teazle, Eugene Aram, Claude Mel
nottc, Sir HaFcourr Courtleigh, Charles Sur
face, Benedict Dubosc and Lesurques. in
The Lyons Mall" Charles Middlewick,
| III ''Our Boys" and scores OF others. Then
| he came back to London in 1881, for a
series of matinecs with Helen Faucit.
For an entire fortnight he acted at
| Brighton in the evening and at London
| during the afternoon, covering daily dis
| tance OF one hundred and four miles to full
| fill 10th engagements III September oi
| that year the famous old Lights OF Lon
| dom was given, and Mr.. Willard began his
long series of gentlcmanly villains as Cliff
| ford ArFnitage. Such a success as ht
| achieved, for instance, as the Spider il
The Silver King" has settled the careel
! OF many clever actor.
| In the words OF Il clever lyric artist, they
| have never done anything since" but
this actor is brilliant Example OF "a man
who has refused TO let the inscription OF a
| single triumph become his epitaph. A.
| we have seen. who have seen Lights o
! London" Clifford Arinitage was a poor
part, andit may have beenthat the elaborate
elegance of the villains dress and nanne,
| were the rather desperate effort OF an actor
to give some sort of distinction to u dfsap
pointing character.