New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-20

To-Day Sir Henry Irving Will ne presented WITH
an address by the citizens of Sunderland to when
place he has returned 70 play an engagemen1t after
years ago, when youth of eighteen Henry Irving
Of the S ola fs as an ac'H On con2 and
last visit is made this week. and his coming is
does he come, but as one who won distinction
not only for himself. but for his chosen art and
IN Its own way, for his nation.
In his time Of choice the stage was very diff
it was not unaccompaned by grave rigOrs. Ma
cready the towering stage figure OF the immediate
brought up his own children without having seen
generation had elapsed since the name of player
had been omitted. rather than erased from the
ments or rewards which are now offered to stage
dscomforts Of lie followed 'e an almost Inadequate
living wage Social life. as the young actor OF to-
If ever an actor was born to the stage Henry
has ever been and is now. his world Not only did
he become a distinguished actor. but he founded
with the sti!ted styles Of the Setting forth Of
the light Of nature into e the darkest corners OF
both tragedy and comedy and in doing so in
round his characterization Of Wacbeth and Hamlet
change he wrought. He believed that the highest
to end he used ali his He back
IIrt ana h h ana f4owed the @
whence he drew his characters, The long gallery
medium more than six hundred Many of
these were, of course, small parts played in his
mark not only an enormous energy but seemingly
irSings work. find What fault we may With com
ception representation-and. for my part
| do not admit such cause of quarTel-we shall
always find his characters interesting, sef-centred
US we shall find that he has thought over more
deeply than we have every point which allows of
So long as he was an individual player he eSuId I'D
shown-with all parts complete and in harmony
and proportion each with and to the other II was
for this reason rather than from ambition or desire
No SsvS who is without the circle Of 3b the
agement of theatre entails. The ceaseless labor;
ending struggle after completeness 1t is not sum
Gent to do the days work, no matter a what Its
the day after and the year after. And II the work
multiplied many times over Periods Of history have
to be studied at times literature and the records
be found who can undertake. various branches OF
quiers armorers and the producers of that com
prehensive list Of items; otherwise unclassifed,
and aransed With Ad9 to these troubles
the cares or the eXche9uer and II can be msgined
twenty years Irving did at the Lyceum Theatre
the municipality the court. And his single handed
rou am mage Gems ms IN e as b wei as himself o nus
the services Of the stage he first sought Tor and
Of his plays A quarter Of a century Since such
as afe GAO d q no haven P5o tS Join b
opportunities which he gave and TO which he in
ylted them. the experience in a certain phase of
their craft. the bringing home Of their ideas
to circle of admirers-always grateful TO
followed their labGrs have assured the continuance
devoted themselves to the stage could alone be
counted on by ambitious managements But then
Tadema Sir Edward BurneJones Seymour Lucas.
Kelley Halswele and Charles Cattermoe were will
ing to give their their their experience and
the matter Of stage lighting every scenic artist
a debt of gratitude to Henry Irving. He first
taught them how to produce soft effects with
other; to use together gaslight and limeght, both
open. and concentrated lights 10 produce snhou-
of the footlights. and so leaving the edges Of the
things are nowadays matters Of general knowiedge
and general use. But in the survey OF an artistic
whom they are duo, such musicians Sir Arthur
snder e sr julius and pr
German willing 10 subordinate their own art
ideals, 1t IS not too much to say that for twenty
years the "productons"-to use the name applied
to the ensemble plays-at the Lyceum were every
where in other countries as we'll as our own. re-
Sieteness and taste Certainly the public showed
their appreciation OF it; The records Of Sir Henry
| ronage which has no parallel The money test
accurate, and II is thus valuable Since 1878. when
Henry Irving began management on his own &C
Ged d ns n han 81 to se hm paS oa
vouch for the fgures. for the money has passed
other Instances Of public appreciation Of what he
the recognition Of the great position which he made
and won for himself Queen Victoria conferred o
time t that SUCH an honor had been Conferred on
the FIRST TINE ns that b,v any s bs9
the French government gave NJ Got the Legion OF
| Honor it was expressly stated that 1t was con
ferred on him as professor. 1t remained for
Britain to lead the way Thres great universities
given him degrees-Dublin and Cambridge as Doc
devsd addresses from as and f
caskets and scrolls without number He has been
vorsties Of oxford Cambridge (where he gave the
Reid lecture) Dublin Manchester, Columbia New
York; Harvard. Chicago and Princeton. at the
places He was the nrst actor asked to speak at
the Royal Academy banquet On the occasion OF
Of the procession TO which he belongs and 70 which
he has brought much honor-an event unique in
the history OF the stage. He originated organized
and mainly supported in it's earlier years the
esmab b c f2 many an poor r. m
firing. has had an important place IN the ne Of
been illustrious visitor who was not his guest at
the Old Beefsteak room of the Lyceum Theatre:
prime social Importance and the informal supper
parties the stage which followed these perform
was best in the life of the nation At the diamond
jubilee of Queen Victoria and agan at the tine
sanction the nations guests On both those occa-
sons the Indian princes and colonial nOtabilities
attended IN STATE ts and the theGrs prePaaed FOR
sort OF Aladdn's lamp process was scene Of mag
nifcent splendor. The last indeed the final
glory Of the old Lyceum. For within month its
doors closed forever.
This is the outline OF the record OF the young
actor who began his artistic life In Sunderland and
whose return thither is celebrated to-day The
cries are long enough-of good work great work.
done; in his art an actor; in his productions
others; IN his loyalty to King and country; and in
his noble example Of selfsuppression and righteous
iast ny Stae or pp pr neP' ne maze ms theirT
uyorI ~ hnEx fbaaf ha and Nap no C0r