The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-03-10
Copyright. 1901. by the S. S. Mcclure
Coz

u !: :: :: :: =: :: !: !: :: ::
erty; and it is sunlight that
makes the world smile into flower and
fruit and laugh aloud through the
threats of birds. But now, standing
humbly at the knee OF Shakespeare,
began to learn something of another
Wor1d-fairy-lilSe in fascination, mar
vicious in reality. A world Of sunny
days and jeweled nights, of splendid
palaces. caves of horror, forests of mys-
terry and meadows Of smiling candOr.
All peopied, too, with such soldiers,
statesmen, lovers, clowns-such women
or splendid chill chastity. fierce ambi-
ton. thistle down and HghtnesS and
burning tragic love as made the heart
beat fast to think of.
At that time Forrest, crowned and
wrapped in royal robes, was yet tot
tering on his throne. Charlotte Cush-
man was the tragic queen Of the stage.
= Mr.. James Murdoch, fTail and aging,
= but s.ill acting. was highly esteemed.
Joseph jefferson, E /. Davenport, J.
\. Iiackett. Edwin Adams, John r.
Owens. Dan Setcheli. Peter Richings
and his daughter Caroline, Mrs. y. p.
Bowers. Miss Lucille Western, Iyiss
Maggie Mitchell, Mr.. and Mrs. CO \
way. Matilda Heron. Charles Coul-
dOcE, Joseph Proctor. Mr.. and Mrs. AL
baugh, Mr.. and Mrs. Barney Williams.
the Webb sisters, Kate Reynolds, were
all great favorites, not pausing to men
ton many more. while Edwin Booth,
the greatest light of them all. was ris-
ing ia golden glory in the east
or the above mentioned twenty-eight
stars. eighteen acted IN Shakespeare
TlaVs All stars rfax-ed a weeks
gagsment-many played two weeks,
therefore, at least twenty-fOur OF our
forty weeks season was given over
to Shakespearean productions, and
every actor and actress had the bard
at their tongues tip.
Looking back TO the actors of '65,
cant help noticing the difference be
tween their altitude Of mind towards
their profession and that of the actor
of tod = Salaries We're much smaller
then. work was harder, but life was
simpler. The actor had no social stand
ing-he was no longer rocked down
upon-but he was an unknown quail
ity. ne was, in short. an actor, pure and
simple. He had enthusiasm for his
professionals lived 20 act. not merely
living by acting. lie had more super
stitiOr than religion, and no politics at
all. but he was as patriotic and shout
dered mis- gun and marched away in the
ranks as cheerfully as any other citi-
zen soldier.
Eut above all and beyond all else.
the men and women respected their
chosen profession Their constant as
soctatiOn of mind with shakespeare
seemed to have given them a certain
dignity Of bearing as well as of speech.
To-Day our actors have. in many cases,
won some social recognition, and they
must. therefore. give a portion of their
time to social duties. They are chio-
men, and another portion of their time
goes in CLUB lOunging. They draw
large salaries and too frequently they
have TO act in lOng-running plays, that
are made UP of smartish Wit and cheap
est cyniCisms-mere frOth and frivOl-
ity. while the effective smashing of
the seventh commandment had been
for so tOng a time the principal mOCr
Of both drama and farce, that one can
not wonder much at the general tone OF
fiippancy prevailing among the tne-
atrical people of today. They guy
everything and everybody, and would
ieer at their profession as readily as
they would at an old man on the street
wearing a last years hat.
They are sober, they are honest, they
are generous, but they seem to have
grown utterly fiippant and 1 can't help
wondering if this alteration can have
come about through the change in their
mental pabUlum.
At all events. as I watched and list
ene5 in the old days, it seemed to me
as if they were never weary Of dis /
cussing readings, expressions, empha- I
sis and action. One would remark !
say at a rehearsal of Hamlet" that /
Macready gave 4 certain line IN this !
manner and another would instantly /
express a preference for a Forrest or I;
Davenport rendering. and then the ar |
Eument would be on and only call |
TO the stage would end the weighing |
OF words, the placing Of commas, etc.
A Sharp Snub.
One night I had been one of the /
crowd of "witches'-I had also had /
my place at that shameless PAPER 1
-siache banquet given by Macbeth TO /
his tantalized guests, and then being /
of duty, was as usual planted in the /
entrance. watching the acting of the
grown-up and the grown great. Lady
Macbeth was giving the sleep-walking
scene. Her method was of the old, old
school. She spoke at almost the full
power Of her lungs throughout that
awe-inspiring, sIeep-walk-
ing scene. 1t Jared upon my feelings
Il could not have told why but it
cid. believed myself alone, and when
the memory-haunted woman rOared !
out. yet, who would have thought the |
old man TO have had so much blood
In him. I remarked, soto voice: Did
you expect to find ink in him? %
A sharp ''ahemi" right at my shOuI-
der told me I had been overheard and
turned TO face-Oh, hOrrorI the stage