The Washington herald., 1907-08-31
Richard Mansfield.

The untimely death OF Richard Mans
field yesterday removes from the Ameri-
can stage one Of It's most commanding
figures. His death may be said. in fact.
TO mark the closing OF an epoch in the
growth OF the American drama. From
the beginning there has always been one
dominant figure-Forrest, Mccullough,
Haekett, Booth, Jefferson; and in GER
tain degree Richard Mansfield was the
/ legitimate successor of these. II is doubt
/ full. perhaps, whether even his most en-
thusiastic admirers would claim for him
that he was as talented an actor, as
moving a figure. or possessed to that
| eminent degree the superabundant genius
which distinguished his predecessors
But it is undoubted that he won the po-
sition of the foremost American actor
of his time, and that his passing leaves
a void which an outlook among his con-
temporaries shows no prospect Of being
adequately filed.
The career Of Richard Mansfield ex-
/ emplified in a marked degree the Op-
/ portunity offered by the stage for a man
to rise by his own genius. He came
/ rightfully by his liking for the stage, for
/ his mother was the celebrated opera
/ singer, Emma RudersdoTff. Educated in
J Germany and Switzerland, he came to
this country TO take a position in a dry
! goods store IN Boston, and he eked out
/ his wage there by painting water colors
which did not command a ready sale. He
played and sang 10 audiences at amateur
/ entertainments, and in London, IN 1879, he
/ attracted the attention of w s. Gilbert,
who gave him his first professional en-
! gagenent in the opera III NJ. S. Pima
! fore" He returned TO this country in
/ 1852 as a singer in an opera company,
and shortly afterward became a member
/ of A NJ. Palmer's famous company at
the Union Square Theater. It was here
that he was intrusted with the role of
Baron Chevrial in "a Partisan Romance"
a part which the other actors in the
/ company had scorned, but which Mans
field by the sheer force of his genius
made the triumph of the piece.
Although famous, he did not become
star until some time later, 1886, when he
gave up the part OF Koko in "The
Mikado" to play Prince Karl Later
he added DIR. Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde" to
his repertoire, and soon after, receiving
an invitation from Henry Irving to
/ occupy the Lyceum Theater in London,
he made his first essay in Shakespearean
roles in a fine production of Richard
III"
From that time on his career as a star
and as the leading American actor was
irnrr rod FefH
sion the productions of Beau Brum-
mel" Don Juan" Nero" "Ten Thou
sand Year" "The Scarlet Letter"
Merchant OF Venice" Arms and the
Man" Napoleon" king of Peru. -
"Rodion. the Student Castle Sombras, 8"
The Devils Disciple" "The First Vio-
lin, "Cyrano de Bergerac" Henry v"
'BeaUcaire," and Julius Caesar" His
later essays in high-elass drama were
less successful, His Don Carlos. -
though a fine production. was unsatIs-
factory either from an acting or popu-
lar point Of view. and his Peer Gynt'
of last year, a worthy effort to accom-
plish an almost impossible task, was so
unsatisfactory it was withdrawn.
1t is probable that Mansfeld's fame
will rest on his daring and genius as a
manager rather than as an actor. He
was not endowed as were most OF his
predecessors. with the advantages of ply
sique or voice. and if he succeeded at all
it was IN spite Of obvious disadvantages.
But he had the very highest ideals. and
he strOve for them manfully through a
long and uphill career. He said once.
+ "A high devotion to my profession is
bound eventually to be appreciated and
honored- Careless genius may prosper for
a day, but 1t is steady and untiring talent
which molds the stage and evolves the
= dramatic ideals of the race
These ideals he kept steadily in view:
adverse criticism halted him not. He spent
; fortunes TO carry out his ideas of what
was fitting; he surrounded himself with
! the best players of his time. and he called
: 10 his aid the best genius of the scents
artist and invited the aid of poets His
influence on the American stage has been