Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-14
Sir Henry Irving.

Sir Henry Irving.
none then present had the slightest idea
that the end would come SO soon. He pro-
ceeded in his reply eloquertly to advocate
qualities. He said:
II believe that by this means the stand
ard OF the true drama, as distinguished
from miscellaneous entertainments, would
be successfully unheld. Money is spent like
water for all kinds of philanthropic and
educational objects. but who among you
ever dreams of endowing the theater?
II am sure the time will come when you
will regard the theater as necessary to q
liberal education and he prepared to con-
slider any reasonable suggestions Tor the
extension of its legitimate influence. 1t
may be that in years to come our coun-
trymen will scarcely understand how in OR
times so potent an instrument of good or
Ill as the stage was left entirely outside the
sphere of public administration
Half Century on the Stage.
For more than thirty years Henry Irving
enjoyed the distinction Of being the fore
most figure on the English stage, a posi-
ton justified by his achievements in the
dual capacity of stage manager and actor.
His career was an example of strong pur-
pose nobly conceived. bravely maintained
and courageousiy battled for in the race OF
bitter encouragement.
He was regarded as the greatest English
counted him one of the signal landmarks
in the history of at least one Shakespearean
character that of Shylock, in which he was
unsurpassed on the modern stage. As the
delineator of Louis XII, of Matthias In THE
Bells" Corporal Gregory Brewster in
Waterloo" and the creator of some noted
characters In plays by Sardou, notably
Robespierre, Dante and others, he marked
an epoch in the annals of the English stage
like that of Betterton. Garrick and Kean.
The name of no other English actor of the
past fifty years, not even Macready. can
be as justly associated with those distin-
guished players. And yet his career began
as an apprentice to mercantile company.
First Appeared in 1856.
He made his first appearance on the stage
in 1856, appearing at the Lyceum Theater,
Sunderland, in the part of Orleans IN
"Richelieu." In several of his early de-
Iineations he was severely criticised by the
local press, in consequence of which he de-
voted himself seriously to the study OF
dramatic art. At Edinburgh he played with
Charlotte Cushman. Helen Faucit. Matthews
the Younger Webster and Wright In 1855,
ton Years after he had adopted the stage
as profession, he made his appearance as
an actor of recognized merit al 'ne 81
James Theater, in London.
He PLAYED character parts and COMEDY
for several years at various London inca
tiers. including Jingle in "Pickwlck. and ~
November 1871, appeared for the nrst tme
In ''The Bells at the Lyceum In which ne
added ma terially to his reputation by the
graphic vigor of his portrayal In April
1878 he exhibited another remarkable pieces
of acting in THE Fate of Eugene Aram,
and In September OF that year ne gave
"Richelieu."
HIS assumption of the role of Hamlet
aroused such interest In the autumn OF
1874 that the tragedy was kept on the
fad
nights He continued to perform the par,
from october 80, 1874. to June 20, 1875. II
was credited with being original through
out.
met with sharp criticism. Then came
"Othello." one of the least successful or Mr.
Irying's representations. He met with par
tial success as Philip of Spain In Tenny-
1870. In 1877 Shakespeare's Richard the
Third was placed on the Lyceum stage
and In May of the same year ne played ID
1.-THE Lyons Mail.
On March o, 1878, Mr. Irving appeared for
the first time as Louis XXI IN version by
Boucicault of Casimir Delavigne's play oil
that name, which proved one of his mos
enduring creations, except that OF Shylock
by all considered one of the most powerful
interpretations of that character ever seen
on any stage.
Sir Henry's service in the cause of stage
art was not. however. confined to his
work as an actor. To him the stage owes
an artistic debt He combined the decora-
tive art and untried mechanical effects with
the pure delineatiye art.
Idol of the English Stage.
Irvings life is summed up in one sentence
An actor at eighteen, an actor-manager n
forty. and at sixty-seyen, after twenty
seven years of unceasing labors-he was {
genius who had an infinite capacity fol
taking pains-he outranked all the English.
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