New-York tribune., 1909-08-08

been written and published by the present historian
The traditions OF the stage especially those that
appertan to the acting OF the plays OF Shakespeare
some OF them are useless many OF them are valu-
able and ought not to he lost Only few actors
now possess them-such Mr. ManteN. Mr.. Hand
ford, Mr. Warae. Mr.. James and Mr.. Clarke
1856 1861.
Representative actors o. that period. on tho
American stage included James w. Wallack'
James W. Warack jr, Lester Wallack. Barney
Williams Edwin Booth. Edwin Forrest. George W.
Jameson. William Whestley, John T. Owens.
Charles Fisher, N. B. Clarke John Collins. John
Broushan. Humphrey Bland f. B. Conway. VIII
lam Rufus Blake. Henry Placids. William Pleater
pavidge. William Warren John Gilbert George
Holland. Charles W. CouIdock, Mrs. Barrow. Mrs
Bowers. Mrs John Drew. Mrs. c. H. Gilbert, Mrs.
Mary Gadstane, Mrs. Jean Davenport Lander.
Charlotte Cu-hman, Emma Waller. Nine. Ponisi,
William Evans Burton. James F.. Murdoch. George
Vandenhon Charles Waicot, John Dyott. Mrs.
Farren. Eliza Logan and Julia Dean.
1861 1871
Edwin Forrest. Edwin Booth. Harry Beckett
Dan Bryant, Frederick B Conway. Edwin Adams
Joseph Proctor. Dion Boucicault John Mccullough
J. IL. Stoddart, John f. Owens. Henry Placide
Charles Fisher, w. j. Florence James Lewis. John
T. Raymond John Gilbert. George Holland
Charles W. Couldock Emma Waller. Mime. Ponis
Mrs. G. III. Gilbert. James w Wallsck. jr.. George
". Jameson, John Brousham John Sleeper Clarke
FRANKIE Chanfrau Charles Kean, Ellen Tree
Charles Wheatlegh. e. L. Davenport. Laura
Keene. William Holston, James III. Hackett. VIII
lam f.. Sheridan, Mr.. and Mrs. Barney Will
Jams. A w. Young, Mrs. Lander. Nine AIDE
laide Ristori Ben De Bar Kate aBtemen. Charles
Dillon, Daniel &. Bandman. Mrs. ID. r. Bowers,
George Fawcett Rowe. Charles Barras. j. C..
Cowper. C. w. Clarke, Bogunlil Dawson. Fanny
Morant Frederick C. p Robinson, J. X. Mortimer.
TnEy .t,
Lucille Western. Madeline Henrlgues Mr. and
Mrs. Charles Walcot. jr., Charles Pope, j. B.
Studley. w. r. Floyd. A H. Davenport, Joseph
jefferson. Fanny Herring. Mary Cannon. Mira.
Sloan. Mrs Floyd. Mrs. Florence. Jane Coombs,
Mary Wells. and Ada Cavendssh
1s71-1es1
Charles Mathews. William Creswlck. Charlotte
Cushrnan. John E. Owens, Frank Chanfrau. Lester
Wallsck. Edwin Booth, Lawrence Barrett. John
Gilbert, E. L. Davenport, Mr.. and Mrs. W. j..
Florence. Laura Keene, Marie Seebach, Joseph
Jefferson. Mrs. Clara Jennings, Charles Fechter,
Mark Smith, z. A. sothern. Clara Morris Frank
Mayo, Dion Boucicault, Fanny Janaushek. ]. S.
Carlotta Leclerq. Edwin Adams. Agnes Ethel, j. B.
Booth, jr.. George Clarke. Fanny Davenport. Sara
Jewett, Matilda Heron, Chayles Fisher. Mrs John
Wood. John Brougham, Adelaide Nelson, Steele
Mackaye, Helen Temple. Charles III. Vandenhor
Walter Montgomery. Eftis Gernon, J. c. William
son. j. b. Polk. Mrs. Bowers. John Jack, III A.
Weaver, James ". Wallack, jr.. Lucille Western,
James Lewis. Mrs. Oates. James E. Murdoch,
Parry Sullivan, William ]. LeMoyne. Owen Faw-
cett. George Risnold, Charles Calvert John L.
Toole. Stuart Robson Mrs John sefton D. H.
Harkins George BeIrnore. John Parseile Ernest
Ross. Ada Dyas. George Honey, John McCui-
Tough. Mrs. Drew. Milnes Levick. Sarah Bern
hardt. Ada Cavendish. Rose Coghlan, Sol Smith
Russell, Helena Modjeskas Alice Harrison Tornnna
Salvini and w. H. Crane
1881 1891
Perhaps other period in the history Of our
stage has eQualed this one. in the richness and
variety OF excellence in Acting then visible. Dur
ing it were seen, many Of them in the prime of
their careers, Edwin Booth. Henry Irving. Helena
Modjeska. F. +. Mackay. Mary Anderson, Dion
Boucicault, George Clarke, Lester WaIlack Gene
We've Ward. Osmond Tearle. Joseph Wheelocl sr
Wilson Barrett Rose Coghlan. Robson and Crane.
Fanny Davenport. Henry Edwards. Lawrence Bar
rett. j H. Barnes. John Gilbert, William Warren.
n. c. Goodwin Edward j. Henley. ". j. LsMoyne
Adelaide RistOri, L. a. Sothern, j. II. Stoddart.
Ada Rshan. Mr.. and Mrs. Whiffen, Louis James.
Ellen Terry. Mrs. Langtry. w J. Florence.
Charles W. Couldock, Charles Pitt, Clara Morris,
Frank Chanfrau, Ernest Rossi. Charles Cogh-
Ian. George Edgar. J. e. Murdoch, Charles
Wyndham, Charles Leclerq, Mr. and Mrs. w. II.
Kendall, Constant Coquelin. Jane Hading. William
Warren, Joseph jefferson. Ludwig Barney, Pos
sart. Frederick Warde. r. c. Bangs. TomInaso
Salvini, Richard Mansfield. Lewis Morrison. Et.e
Ellsler. Marie Wainwright. Charles Barron
Charles B. Handfogd, Ian Robertson Viola Allen
Otis Skinner. John Drew. j. III. Gilmour. Robert b.
Mantell. E. III. Sothern, Eben Piympton KvrIe Bel
lew and Joseph Haworth.
1t will be noticed that. In a number OF cases. the
same actor appears in two and sometimes even
three different periods. A career, the STAGE or
elsewhere, commonly embraces about thirty years
and IL Is worthy Of note that many of the best
contemporary actors were the rank and file of
their profession, ten twenty years aKo and IN
many instances then in the visor of youth and
thusasm.-acting in great plays and under great
leaders and exemplars; and they were. least. as
good actors then as they
1ss1-1ao1.
While much survived that was extraordinarily
fine. it was in this period that the old order gave
way. rapidly. TO change which had been for some
time faintly fOreshadowed and new and inferior
standards were gradually accepted. Booth Barrett
ana many others passed away near the beginning
of it, Most of the excellence in it that of the
period previous. still potent Richard Mansfield
became infuentally operative in il. Some superb
things were done at Dsly's. Distinguished visitors
from abroad were here But. with the death OF
Augustin Daily in 1899. the last important original
independent manager of the finer and elder school
disappeared from the American Theatre. Some Jew
things of great note extended Over into the next
period, number of the greatest of actors dying
I'm the first few years Of the centUry-CharIes Cosh-
Ian, Joseph Jefferson. Henry Irving and Richard
Mansfield.
The intelligent observer who can study and con-
slider the comparative tables above given and can
then declare that the present equals or as we are
sometimes told, stSpasses. earlier periods in the
matter of acting, i'll display Judgment at least
eccentric. One OF the best of contemporary mana
gers expressed the truth last week. when he re-
marked that scarcely any is doing anything
of any Importance: they put up nobodies in star
parts advertise them all the place and the
puOlic rushes them
The contrasts thus afforded testify eIoouently To
the condition OF the contemporary theatre as COM
pared to that of the theatre i'm the Past The lamp
OF eAlatisnce that b.. taA.,