Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-04-23

staSnation in plny-soing circles. Crom-
well and Puritanism ruled the day.
Ihe nation was torn by civil strife.
the theaters were closed. For seven
teen years, from 1912 TO 1859. no play
was seen. But. after the restoration.
there soon came about a revival OF the
histronic art. and so eager were the
people for the delights OF the stage
that they demanded something more
spectacular and exciting than Shake
| speare's plays as he wrote them They
had to be revised and amended lie
| had to be reformed to suit the popular
| taste. Music and spectacle were added
TO the performances. Women were In
PRODUCED into the female parts. which
had previously been played by boys
Mrs. Bcttcrton was the first to displace
the boy Ophelias. Tastes were so
| changed that new characters were in
| trodnced into some OF the plays with
| the added zest or lndecency. others
were tempered with by remorseless
| hands.
Just here II will be OF interest to
! known that Samuel Pepys In his famous
| diary dated September 90. 1862 says:
| ITO the Kings Theater. where we saw
| Midsummer Nights Dream which |
| had never seen before nor shall ever
| again for it is the most insihid. ridic-
ulous play that ever saw in my life"
| We are next indebted 20 Alexander
Pope for six quarto volume edition.
| Later critics say this WORK was done
| In scholarly rather than in sympathetic
| admiration.
In the latter half of the eighteenth
| century there came about an enthusi-
l astic revival of Shakespeare's drama
led by David Garrick az actor, and DR..
| Samuel Johnson as editor and com
! mentator. In 1869 a jubilee in honor
Of the immortal bard was held at STRAIT
fort-on-Avon under the patronage OF
these two great men. This awakened
| the most earnest attention TO the study
OF his plays. There had lived just pre-.
/ vious. Booth, Wilkes and Colley CHI
Der, who had presented to the public
| Othello. Hamlet and Richard Ill. but
| 1t was left TO Garrick TO bring about
what was called "the Garrick fever"
! HIS representations were great and
| so popular that young man has never
| had his equal and will never have a
! rival" said Pope. IT is interesting to
| note in Boswells Life of Johnson the
word pictures OF this man and his as
sociatcs. We see them seated around
the table at Turks Head Tavern. 1oho.
Johnson the leader, Oliver Goldsmith.
Joshua Reynolds and later David Gar
| rick. When Garricks name was pro-
! posed for membership. Johnson, the
autocrat said, He will disturb us by
| his buffoonery." and expressed the wish
! TO be "unelbowed by Eamester. pimp
or player" Afterward he admit.
. ted, and became much esteemed by the
/ formidable DR.. Johnson. who said of
I him. HE was the only actor l ever
! saw whom ] could call master both
in tragedy and comedy. a true
| ception Of character and the natural
! expression of 1t were his distinguish
| ed eXcellencies."
Belonging to this period we must
! place the name of Sarah Siddons. and
! John Phillip Kemble. her brother.
TrNI- Ill
Lane. Portia was played by an actress
announced simply as "a young lady"
| This young lady was the greatest OF
| English tragediennes. Sarah Siddors.
who, with her brothers, John and
, Charles kemble, sustained the glory OF
/ the Shakespeare drama upon the Eng
lish stage until after 1910 Great and
/ passionate parts were nobly rendered
! by Mrs. Siddons. John Kcmble ex-
/ celled chiefly In characters that were
[ lofty and dignifed. The Roman plays
| especially suited him. but his Wolsey
I his Hamlet his Macbeth and his Lear
were great and admirable impersona-
! tons.
! In 1914. three years before Kemble's
( retirement Edmund Kean played to n
! small attendance. the part of Shylock.
The applause was ovcrwhelming /.
s wan nearly twenty years later. when
! struggling to get through the part
OF Othello. his head sank upon the
shouloer OF his son. who played .Iago."
and he was borne away to his death
ned. kean was the great tragedy actor
or our century. He was truly inspired
at times passionate, and even in his
faults there was something of genius
Next we come to the critical ESSAYS
OF Samuel Taylor Colcridge: "a work of
genius, reverence and love" saws Dow
uen Next came the works of Lamb
Hazlett Knight. Collier and others
| ton. eui-
America has also contributed b.r
snare OF Shakespeareap Scholarships
the me works of Richard Grant White
hudson. Turner and Ferness being CON
sihered the best. But some viii .sL
what from France and Germany
france always little jealous of I.m.
i'sh supremacy in any line. has AT tines
given our poet scant praise. Voltnire
spoke OF him as IAN intoxicated bar.
harlan; but Victor Hugo, the greatest
or all French writer's. has given hin,
honor in volume of most pronouncen
euiogy. In Germany. it is claimed That
me Germans first discovered him IN
the English. This, Of course. IS ,ho
surd. but 1t must be acknowledged tho.