The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-01-21
DAVID WAKEFIELD IN $50
"THE AUCTIONEER'

There is probably no player on the
contemporary stage who has won a
more secure place in the affections OF
theatergoers than David Warfield
who has this season revived his
famous success. THE Auctioneer," in
which he comes to the Academy to-
night and tomorrow night. BY con-
tributing to the theater such lovable
and appealing character portraits as
Simon Levi in 1.-The Auctioneer,'
Herr Anton Won Barwig in The Music
Master" IVES Bixelow in "A Grand
Army Man" and Peter Grimm in
The Return Of Peter Grimm Mr..
WarfeId has not only come to be re-
garded as one Of the leading character
actors on the American stage today
but he also revives memories of the
great character actors of the past
The theater-going public OF today
still hears from the older generation
how John e. Owens played Scion
Single: how the elder Southern en-
tranced them with his Lord Dun
dreary; how John T. Raymond made
the playhouse ring with laughter as
Colonel Sellers; how Billy Florence
evoked roars as the Hon. Bardwell
Slote, and how lovabie was his Cap
tain Cutie in "Dombey & Son." And
every playgoer remembers Jefferson as
Rip or Bob Acres, and Stuart Robson
as BERTHE. the lamb. While some OF
these players appeared In Shakes
pearean and other classical roles from
time to time, the public really appre-
ciated and loved them best in the
field which Ia not grandiose, but real
istic--the field OF character acting.
When speaking of actors" said
Mr.. Warfield recently, how often dc
we hear the remark that after all
he is a character actor Not that
1t is said disparagingly SO much, as
meaning to imply that there Is divis-
ion between character acting and
some other kinds. Now this is not
true, because all acting is character
acting whether the impersonation be
Macbeth. Hamlet. Richard III. or some
figure in the modern drama. Then
why should anyone. conclude that
players and popular idols like the
late James A. Herne. Sol Smith Rus
sell and Joseph Jefferson, whose
whole professional life practically was
bound up with gentle characterize
tions, figures of humble life and sur
roundings. performed a less admirable
service or gave less pleasure to the
theater-going public than did those
who made Shakespearean and CLASH
CAl FOieS tnei particular IpTte!
Take. for instance. an illustration
from the art of painting. 1t has been
the misfortune of some painters OF
splendid genius, that circumstances
pretsnted them from covering vast
walls and ceilings with pictures fifty
feet long and twenty feet high. Yet
in the final crucible of history. is not
the name Of Frasonard just as dur
able as that OF Tintoretto or Michael
Angelo? Was there ever a greater
painter than Vatican? Does not the
genius of Delacroix shine as conspicu-
a,.siy 1t, hiA small AZ In hts haT.ss sssir-
lures. And as to Raphael. who
painted works of every size, the few
square inches of canvas which contain
his depletion Of THE Three Graces,'
cannot be bought for money any more
than can the sublimities of his larges
! fiascos.
ut is the same with acting For
the deep, human emotion and quain
personalities OF the roles which Ray
mond, Florence. Herne and Jefferson
made famous, as deeply touched tht
eternal verities of art as could any
rendition Of Shylock or Macbeth"
/ "MARY'S ANKLE"
A Wbap efnfya cfrcr Ia able n play