The Washington times., 1905-10-14

tune. In this effort he made only a par
tiai success
Miss Isabel Bateman in ..Franchette''
proved pT,,S poor imitation OF Maggie
Innra1e ImincheiTs vso, Fanehon ttl a Even the new
Landry Barbeau. failed to keep the
piece long afioat. Produced on SeDtem-
De per ~; II was succeeded on October p
si WICK, IN which Mr.. Irving played AL
fred Jingle with great volubility and pic
turesQueness.
Then "The Bells"
Then came The Bells 1t was an
aoaptation of the French play founded
on Erchmann-Chartrian' novel 1T n
Juif PolCnais' Bateman had been ON
1he point OF rejecting it. but Irving was
convinced he could make sometime o,,+
of it. His counsel carried the dav Tine
play was produced. under irvinr's
supervision and according 70 his idsSS
on November %, 1871. Irving's Matthias
nai,so az once as the work OF
master or melodrama- Hitherto he had
only been leading man. on a salary
o1 80 week He was now a star with
ran.e secure and fortune in sight.
Olner lmpersonations. such as Charles
I. Eugene Aram and Richelieu, deep
sned his hold upon the public Expectt-
non non ana curiosity were raised TO the
rnsnest pitch when in 1874 it was an
piSy Hamlet. This was produced on Oc-
looer u, 1874. and held the stage for
~ ~ IN Mnlghts; the longest run in the history
OF this Shakespearean masterpiece. an
proached only by Booths performances
years before
Though the public was divided as to
tne general merits OF the representation
tncugh the critics mingled praise and
blame. full justice was done TO the ac-
tor abilities and scholarship. and it was
a tIt o.
had established his reputation as u
trasedian OF rare power and originality.
Shakespearean Parts.
Other Shakespearean performances
rapidly followed-"Othello," Macbeth" :"
Richard III" In 1876 the Lyceum be-
came the scene OF another interesting
experiment. Alfred Tennyson's play of
Queen Mary" the first he had ever
written FOR stage purposes. was produced
Ia April. with Henry Irving as King
Philip Of Spain and Miss Kate Bate
man in the title part
The play was only moderat tely praised
Dut irving undoubtedly added new leaf
20 his crown. In May OF next wear he
hrSt gave his sensational dual perform
ahce OF Lesurgues and Dubosc in THE
lyons Mail, and on March 8. 1878, pro-
onced one OF his greatest successes
Louis XII -
Bateman had continued to be the re-
sponsioie manager OF the Lyceum Thea
yer. though every play had been put
upon the stage under Mr.. Irying's i'm
mediate direction and superintendent
until September. 1878. She then retired.
and the lease OF the house passed TO Irv-
ing, who established il as the principal
theater CT the English speaking world
The entire house was renovated and
the stage rebuilt. under the supervision
OF the best architects. decorators and
upholsterers. 1t was said that the bank
ing house OF Burdett-Coutts was his
financial hacker, but this story Is denied
by his friends
The theater opened under his manage
ment on December %, 1878. with revival
of Hamlet" which ran for 10e nights
The Ophelia was Ellen Terry, whom Irv-
ing had engaged as his permanent lead
ing lady Thus began the long partner
ship between the foremost actor and the
foremost actress in England Other re-
yivals of his familiar roles followed, and
then came the great success OF both
Irving and Terry in THE Moor of
Venice"
A more intelligent and forceful Shyiock.