The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-02-22
|R|(|H HARD NAN6F FIELD, !
/ AMERICAS .:..:..::..:. ;
GREATEST ACTOR ;
AMERICAS
yHo is the greatest actor in Amer


:. !. ne s ,.., .s's, :, : :, 1s ...
sons and 80 of them will reply without
moments hesitation, Richard Mans
field
When such practical unanimity pre-
walls, it is idle to attempt to emulate
the example of the juror who said his IL
associates were hopeless idiots because
they failed to agree with him. AS
fact, am with the ninety and nine who
are unwilling to admit that there can
be question as TO Mansfield's suprem-
acy. In this estimate it is not neces-
sary to include Joseph Jefferson, who
can scarcely be regarded as an active
member of the profession, despite his
few annual appearances in the same
old plays with which he has been re-
calling US for the past few decades.
However, it is never a good plan for
critic to dodge an issue, and even II Jo-
seph Jefferson Were to be included
should still name Richard Mansfield as
the greatest actor in America.
In attempting to hit upon the player
who is worthy of this distinction sever
al points must be weighed. The main
consideration, however, is to find the
man who is able to play in better
manner than any other man given
number of roles of widely varying char
acter 1t is precisely for that reason
that the palm must be awarded to
Richard Mansfield His is no circum
scribed field of effort. He is alike good
in the ightest form of comedy, like
Prince Karl" in more serious comedy,
like Beau Brummel;' in melodrama,
like DIR. Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde" in po-
etc comedy, like "Cyrano de Bergerac,
and in Shakespearean drama, to which
his energies are at present devoted
through the medium of Henry ""
True, Henry W. is really nothing more
than spectacular costume melodrama,
but Mansfield has also appeared as
Shylock in Merchant of Venice"
which Shakespeare designated come
dy for no other reason than that it
does not end with a death: and in
Richard ILL., which the Bard of
Avon" was gracious enough to classify
as tragedy. Hamlet" and."Othello"
have not yet come. but in the natural
order of things they may be expected
in due course While many persons
may, question in advance Mansdeld's
fitness for the roles of Hamlet and Iago,
it would seem that aside from his lack
of stature he should make an ideal
Othello.
When the supremacy of the women of
the American stage is considered, there
is room for doubt and honest variance
of opinion. / am convinced that we
have no actress who in all the phases
of her art is the equal of Minnie Mad
H.. >s,,l--. -
would dispute this claim in favor OF
Julia Marlowe. There would at least
be the semblance of reason in their CON
tention just as there would be no sign
of it in the claim that Maude Adams is
the premiere American actress Miss
Marlowe and Mrs. Fiske are what. for
want of better designation, might be
called "all around" players. Miss
Maude Adams is an ingenue, pure and
simple. In proof of this it is only nee
essarv to recall that in The Little
Minister" she was Incompatible. in
.L'Aiglon' tolerable and i'll Romeo
and Juliet laughable. With Julia Ar
thur, who by few prejudiced admir-
ers might be regarded as our best wo-
man player, out of the way these are
the only ladies of the stage who can be
considered in this connection, for, with
+
out wishing to cast any reflection upon
Mrs Leslie Carter and Miss Blanche
Bates, the former, While great, is so
only in melodramatic way. and the
latter is yet to win the laurels which
will entitle her to classification with the
elect of the stage.
But with the men there is no such
perplexity Richard Mansfield stands
alone in the broadcast significance of
the term. He is better in almost every
one of the many lines he has essayed
than any actor who makes a speciality
of one field of effort. Starting with
nothing save innate ability and the
confidence in self which is the ineyita-
BILE accompaniment of true genius, he
has, unaided, worked his way by logical
steps to his present pre-eminent posi-
ton on the American stage. Not SO
very many years ago Richard Mansfield
was a clerk at the linen counter of a