Evening star., 1897-03-20

p
One of the most interesting men. as well
as the oldest actor now on the English
Ipeaking stage, is Mr.. c. W. Couldock, vino
will be seen here next week as a membe :
% Mr.. Wilton Lackaye's company Mr..
CouIdock Is now eighty-three years old and
fas been before the public since he was
of age After winning q good reputation in
England he came to this country i'll 1919
and supported Charlotte Cushman. Miss
Cush an must have regarded i'm highly as
an actor. for the writer saw MIN support
ing her in Boston in lstD He remembers
having attended two performances OF Hen
ry VIII" in the first of wrich Couldock
played Cardir al Wolsey and Miss Cushman
Queen Katharine, and TIE following even
ing Miss Cushman played the Cardina, to
the Queen Katharine of Mrs. Barry. Mr..
Couldock was the original Abel Murcott in
Our American Cousin when 1t was
brought out In New York by Miss Laura
Keere, that lady playing May Meredith.
ice Jefferson being the Asa Trenchard and
E H. Sothern the Lord Dundreary. This
play had tremendous run both in New
York and Boston In the latter city it was
presented at the Howard AthaEaeum by E.
l. Davenport. who was managing that
theater then. with cast that included Mr.
Frank Chanfrau Asa Trenchard, Mrs
Chanfrau May Meredith, Mrs. E l..
Davenport. Florence Trenchard: Josis. Or
ton. Georgina: F. L. Davenport as Lord
DundreaTy. Edwin Adams as Abel Mar
CCtt, Dan Setchell. Binney the Butler and
Frank Hardenburgh as Mr.. Coyle. Mr.
Couidock is best emembered by oId-timers
for his mastery Interpretation of Luke
Fielding in The Willow Copse.' though in
more recent years his D3nstan Kirk, in
Hazel Kirke' gained for him a great repu-
tetiOn.
In my time said Mr.. Couldock Il
nave played everything among the great
parts In classic drama | have been Rich
ard, Richelieu. Hamlet. Iago Shylock
Othelo and ali the rest, save Romeo
never played that part. because | was
Eever built for those sweet. lover parts.
Nature did not put me in that sort of a
mold / did Mercutio when Cushman
played Juliet. but l never breathed d line
OF Romeo. In the old days. before the
5OS. and even after used TO start in on
week with ''RIchelieu" and play "Rich-
ard on Saturday night. / recall per
formance of the Duke of Gloster in Co
lcmbus. Ohio. one night in 1851. The coun-
Try was in the midst of a panic, and that
night in Columbus the people were Walking
The streets at the hour for the curtain 10
so up | could see only six people in the
house i had begun TO put on my clothes
for Richard. but when / saw that house /
got out of them. and throwing the whole
iA6ht-up on iHe HOOr, trdmped upon IL
ViciOusly- The stage manager came in and
announced my intention of going home
The fellow vanished. Pretty soon he came
back with John EIlsler's partner. Vincent.
Look here said he You'll have to 90
through with Richard
You don't suppose | returned, that /
Will play before half a dozen peopley
Yes. | do said Vincent; and then he
went on and explained to ME something
about contract and honor and disappoinr-
ment until IL was not long before | was
down on the floor gathering up my Richard
suit: In half an hour 1 went Oh. shouting;
Now IS the winter of our discontent-'
Ten or a dozen people saw me through
and when | offered to barter my kingdom
for a horse the roar they set up made me
think that the populace of the town was
in front l was afterward told that the
elder Booth never did a better Rich ard
than / presented that night: but 1 believe
ne must have been giving me what you
boys In these days call jolly. l never
liked Richard Whenever it happened that
COULD skip 1t | always did"
Mr.. Athur c. Cunningham. who plays the
part of the priest in ''Shamus O'Brien' at
tended musicale in Harlem, and after a
particularly trying afternoon, worn and
weary. he mounted the Broadway cable car
and dropped into a seat Presently a large.
particularly richly dressed and bCjeweied
woman entered the car. and fixing her eyes
upon the actor. seemed 10 demand his seat.
lie couldn't stand the pressure and meekiy
surrendered. but his heart swelled in re-
bellion The woman sank into the seat.
rather with an air of one who had been in
jured. and in TO way gave evidence of the
appreciation of the courtesy Just across
the aisle. on her mothers lap. sat a pretty
little child of about three years. gazing in
tently into the big woman's eyes. and
membering her home training. the little
tot Hsped. What do you say TO the zen
tleman?' Receiving no reply she repeated
the question. suppressed giggie went
down the side of the car. but never sign
q h- hi ,h1
child said. What do you say to the gen
usman2 This was too much. and the
woman bowed out OF the amid shouts
Of laughter.
II Is generally accepted impression. and
in the main true. thai the peculiar qualities
OF a play, or of a character in a play.
rarely impress themselves the actor
when he is off the stage. To him or her
the assumption OF the role never extends
beyond the theater. In acting their parts
they simply subiugate their own person
ality for a brief time TO the requirements
Of the particular role, the spirit and
vlronment o. the play in which they take
arr W Whatever peculiar atmosphere IL
may possess is left behind them the mo-
mcRt they leave the stage door. Ii is said
however, that the peculiar quality of
SpiritiSme. dealing, as il does with spirit
and mediunistic phenomena has impressed
ttseE strongly on various members OF the
company. Come TO think OF il, il is quite
iitufdI tilat play OF thiS kind would be
the very one 10 impress itself on the plastic
and emotional temperament of actor and
actress. There is spirit rapp:ng, and also
IN TIE course of the play. an interesting
argument between a French doctor of
medicine and Scotch doctor who is a
famous medium, as to the reasonableness
OF spiritualSm. and the Scotchman gets
the best Of the argument. These matters
have been the subject of much discussion
with IN" actors outside of the theater. Re
cently-shOrtly after the first production of
the play at the knickerbocker Theater
New 1Ork-the most frequent topic of con-
Fersation among actors at various resorts
on broadway was that of spiritual!sm and
II was astonishing TO discover how many
OF them believed in spirit manifesto ton.
IL was not the modes of conducting seances
that impressed them much as the pos
sibiliiy OF forms of the departed appearing
To them In spirit. Such belief would natu-
rally appeal to the mental sensitiveness of
most good actors. Conspicuous among the
figures %no take part in such discussions
- mat OF John H Glmour. who plays a
leading role in Sardous drama. While not
declaring himself actual believer in the
splri; Ialistic creed. he argues eloquently
ia favor of II by quoting the splendid lines
furnished by SardOu in the play which