New-York tribune., 1902-03-18
THE DRAMA.
HENRY IRVING AND ELLEN TERRY
FAREWELL WEEK AT HARLEM,

t--e-t,--raur Of the principal cities Of America.
Henry Irving. Ellen Terry. and their associates
o. tha London Ivceum Company appeared last
rirrt a- the Harlem opera House presenting The
Merchant of Venice" and with that beautiful
oor7eEr on Friday right. thc- win say Farewell
Tr-err1ediato performances including one on Thurs
dav afternoon wil present king Charles the
First" waterloo" The Rells" Nance OldfeId,"
and King Louis NI' These plays and Henry
Iryin-s professional treatment If them have often
been described and discussed f. this 0iace. and
minute comment uTou each Of these several Per
formarcrs would not at this time. either assist
public Judgment promote artistic fanl" 'he
sufficient word for the hour Is an ntmation that
an nlustr,0us leader In the world Of art iS a'o't
20 leave US. and hat the opportunity ~ S'H'nS
him ~ the Iart ou-ht he improved w mere
MaoC-cror sits Is the heed Of the table.
Thourht and feeling lave long since n'd' up fhN>r
verdict as 20 tho acting of Horny Irving ard Ellen
Terry and conscientious criticism has lorE since
raoor5o5 IT These eminent actors stand IN the
forefront or the 6ro17atc profession and they have
gained and held their rank a1i leadership by me
magical charm genius operative. through many
years of ambitious and splendid endeavo- through
artistic achievements Of the highest and noheSt
kind. They have touched nothing base. Their
names are identified with The best plays IN our
language. Just Edwin Booth. on the American
stage ALWAYS followed the right and never
the expedient So Henry Irving the English
stace has walked steadily in the straiG htforward
path Of intellectual duty. holding fast by simplicity
and truth maintaining the dignity Of his art. ana
rnnIster!ng 70 the welfare Of The social world by
ever stimulating its better propensties and never
once Welding to It's ignOblc caprice. All differences
Of taste excluded, there is no doubt that Henry
Irving has before the community, throughout
HIS career TIE finest things that exist In dramatic
literature giving 10 them.-without regard to eX-
uerse and without selfish motive in any degree
the most beautiful illustrative establishment that
art could furnish As Tennyson said,-referring TO
his own peculiar and lovely f I'm Of poetry,-'Most
ca-r raj q
seed: but Henry Irving who opened the
way and set the example. Plays had never been
mounted on any stage,--nether by Garrick, KEN
be Macready. Charles Kean, Phelps, Forrest, nor
Booths they were mounted by him for not until
III great DAYS in the London LyCeum did wealth
SO prodigay nourish the theatre or science furnish
such wonderful aids TO art. All has been genuine;
and under the influence Of Henry Irving the stage.
H. America as We'll in England, has been raised
10 an emiuence of power that it had not at any
time before possessed This result, no doubt, is
rartly due 10 social conditions Ghe swinging of the
pendulum. which already beginning move
Backward but chiefly il has been accomplished ny
genius. stability of character, high principle, sin
cericv Of purpose and tireess. devoted selfsacri-
fclrg labor. This honorable record. which should
--r be forgotten al any time is especially proper
TO be remembered now, when the farewell word is
imminent and the curtain soon to fall.
A certain regretful solictude Of feeling always
attends the hour Of parting between the public
and great actor who has become i-s favorite.
NCLaTlcs OF the stage enter deeply into sympathy
with those VINO please them. The actor. like the
poet wins friends TO whom personally he will
never be known for. in his expostions Of human
nature he sometimes touches chords that vibrate
n every human heart, and he peoples memory
with i-nperishabe images of majesty, beauty, and
pathns- sublime ideals Of exultant power and love
Z types Of patient grief: and these things per-
rneate individual experience and largely inhu-
sItiaI IN moulding OF character. Few players,
time IN the history or the stage,-as all its
SF7O ke-S
the heart of the people as Henry Irving and Ellen
Terry did when. fot example, they acted DR..
Primrose and Olivia, IN The Vicar of Wakefield"
No irnpersonation Of the modern theatre is more
distinctly lovable than Irving's noble and tender
embodiment Of King Charles the First, hts
sxquisIely sweet gentle, refined, sincere assump-
don OF Lesurques, in The Lyons Mall The stage
can never have shown a more radiant creature
than Ellen Terrys Beatrice IN Much Ado" or a
more enchanting woman than her Portia; and Ellen
Terry IS the only Of dine who has
eyer really acted Ophelia. and. with the single
exception Of Marie Seebach the only woman who
has truly embodied CiOethe's Margaret, in Faust"
Time viii give plenty Of stage beauties: there
Is but one Helen Terry. Even in hts performance
II the rnonstrous character Of Shylock.-crue VIM
5ictiye- malignant and terribe,-Henry Irving, by
just emphasis upon the human elements of the
part has gained q certain sympathy for Il. with
OUT the least degree extenuating its wickedness
EIocutionists, who seem to think that recitation
Is acting. may not always be satisfied with the de-
livery OF Shylock's freuzied speeches with which
-he old -'soap ap-cheweTs' were accustomed TO take
up al the carpet tacks IL their immediate neigh
horhoo5)- buc no observer Of competent judgment.
has failed 10 perceive that Iryings Shyock is
rounded and complete imperscnation OF character.
remarkable. among al the recorded presentments
q This part-from MackIin onwarl.-for unity Of
19e-ic ideal and felicity OF. natural expression
As 70 the attribute Of tremendous vocal and phys-
cel power. no actor Of recent years has equalled
J5dWin Booth in Shylock's street scene with Tubal