New-York tribune., 1907-08-31
RTCH4RD M4NSFIELD.
From Players: Past and Present by WllIIan. lam
Winter philadelphia Saturday Evening fost
rie 1867

Series. August II. 1869
II was my good fortune he present on
the night when Mansfield made his first CTeat sue
cess on the American stage. II was th' night VI
January 10 1888. at the Union Square Theatre, Ne"
York The play "A Partisan Romance one
the many literal. and therefore necessarily Vui
gar pictures OF semifast life in Paris :" common
IN our theatre within the last twenty-five wears
The part was that Of Baron Chevrial, a wealthy
banker who lives for sensual pleasure; VINO aNoE'S
the doctrines rnaterialism; WHO Is fa'i
caIiy selfish. rapacious. HCenuous, ep1curedil anu
cruel; whose employment, in the dramatic ncl'l'
is the crafty pursuit of dscontented wife. "hoih
he is the means Of driving to dishonor and death
and of ballet girl. by whom he is foitd anu w
whose presence, and the presence OF cther FacuouH
vuigariane he dies horribly-stricken with apo
plexy II would be difficult TO conceive OF ci'h
acter more hateful than that OF Baron Chevrlal' OF
Of circurnsta ces more loathsome than those III
which he is implicated. Nothing was eXpec'eo Vi
the actor. He took the Town completely bN sur
prise. His makeup for the rckety sinner W.
seen 10 be marvel of fdelity-suggestlng' III d
hundred careful details the premature decrepl'ude
of an almost senile profgate His horrld "ieeIi"i
cynical exultaton in sensuality and IN VICIOUS oi'
terprise seemed exert sort OF lnferhai ci'a AZ
attracting even while it repeled; and his defiah'
audacity and tremendous fortitude OF WILL al llle
crisis of the banquet and in the death scene MADE
the part splendid even in its odious lsnoTninS- me
audience was astonished; the theatre trempled Will
a tlmult OF applause; and from that hour the eli-
came known that this was one OF those lucky az
dents that have had so great influence in mould
ing dramatic fortunes and making stage history
The part of Baron Chevrial had, originally oeeh
cast to the distinguished veteran, James II 0'ou
dart who held leading position in Mr. A NJ
Paluers stock company at the Union square lle
arre of which Mansfield then subsidiary
member: but Mr.. Stoddart declined the part, aS
one out of his line and fortunately IL zen 10
the younger comedan-who indeed, was MUCH pe'
fitted 10 play it.
Opportunity. a precious thing and justly ceIe
brated alike in poem and proverb, is useless except
20 those persons who prepared TO improve IL
Richard Mansfield, actor by inheritance anu "F
training. admirably fitted TO seize the eoiue'I
chance From his boyhood he had been educateu
in the ar of expression His mother. distinguished
on the rncsical stage of her day as Nine Ruders-
dorf began. while he yet child TO 1hSI uc'
him il, the elements of music and the Drama ile
was quick to learn. and he never forgot nave
heard him say that IL was part OF MS iilol'1i'e
study every day TO practise with the voice, pro-
ducing series of tones and infections, 80 as 10
develop and acquire complete controi Oh H. a''N
also TO practise. before mirror the art OF snow
ing various emotions by means of facial play.
One Of his tasks to tell oy neXlpiIt! VI eA
prsssive feature the story of the experience OF a
child who has been promised the pleasure Oh h
drive park, summer morning III case 'ite
weather should prove fine. The child STANDS at !"
window, eagerly looking for the carriage, which
gather and the sky is darkened. Then the ram De
gins TO fall the carriage is dismissed and driven
away the scene becomes cherries; Ihefe cdil NC
M drive. disappointment has interviewed, and joy
Gus expectancy is changed to rueful grief ana re-
luctant submission. Then. slowly the clouds GRIT
apav sunshine floods air: the carriage returns
the world is bright again: and the child Is happE-
All this had to indicated in the face, by con
tinually changing expressions: other STORIES ol
course were invented TO be told in the same man
hat no
he devised of developing and guiding the dramatic
instinct
Mime R,Idersdorr. woman of exceptional COM
rnanding talents and eccentric character seems 10
have been desirous that her son, who had inner
tied her temperament and genius. should not adopt
the profession of the stage 1t is the common error
of fond parents so suppose that they can i've 'he
lives of their children well as their own The
elder Booth strongly objected to the adoption oi
the stage by his son. Edwin, who nevertheless
nersis,ed in his course and so became not only an
lustrious leader, but great public benefactor
If Nine Rudersdorfs will had prevailed the Amer
lean theatre to-day would lack its most hrlllaht
figure and its potential and righteous force
Mansfield made student or painting. ana
It was at first intended that he should nevote him
self TO that His birth occurred in Berlin
hut the home OF his youth was in the nelghpof-
hood Of Boston, and there he Joined dramatic
society called the Buskin Club, and thus early he
inbibed the desire of histriOn!c employment ana
distinction His first recorded appearance was
made at the Boylston Hall. in that city, where he
gave a miscellaneous en- q tainment and presented
Mr.. Crummles, in a scens from Nicholas NlckIepy-
There is record also of his having appeared as
Fariutosh in Robertson's comedy of School. IN a
performance of that piece given by the Euskin
Club at a local theatre-on which occasion his
mother. who auditor, said that her boy
was king a fool of himself
He subsequently went TO London where he en-
deavored. but without success. maintain HIM
nd
peared at one of the music halls. doing "a musical
turn under the OF the Ravishing Roach.
Later the place. temporarily, of the eccen-
tric Corney Grain (he OF the lank ngure, the Don
Ou;xoe countenance. the droll. kindly nature).
in one of the entertainments Of Mr.. and Mrs. Ger
man Reed priscilla HortonD. Those attempts were
failures. that period in his career Masfleld
had an experience of hardship and painful Vclssl-
tude-an experience afterward skilfully and e1-
fectivey utilized by him in his clever play called
Monsieur" the central figure of which is an
IMPOVERISHED. but elegant young musician, starv-
ing in London. BY fortunate chance Mansfield
obtained engagement IN a travelling company
to act and sing as Admiral Sir Joseph Porter in
C,jIbert's .'Pinafore," then to the stage IN
that position he displayed signal ability, and from
that time he was able obtain subsistence and
to advance himself in professional capacity and
public favor
One of the most auspicous incidents of Mans
fields career was his production of the play OF
.gear, F2r11nnrnel'' which occurred the Madison
Square Theatre New York, May 19. 1880. His
irapersonation of the carried the play 10 sue
cess and has enabled him to keep it in his reper-
tory ever since. That piece made in singular
manner About 1887 Mansfield applied to me for a
list of plays such l might consider expedient
for revival, and in reply to his request directed
his attention several old comedies. long disused
In particular | mentioned the comedy of Beau
Nash" by Douglas Jerroid-a copy of which sent
ID him to read That play contains the well-drawn
character of Richard Nash, "the Tiberius of a silk
stocking and by the grace Of impudence, King
of Bath"-in his day a remarkable man. of whom
the biography was written by no less an author