Ask the Scholar

{
    "localId": "518258336",
    "label": "Newspaper Clippings",
    "core": "doc",
    "dtoType": "document",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/518258336"
}

{
    "id": "518258336",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/518258336",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Newspaper Clippings",
    "description": "This file contains newspaper clippings and programs for various concerts, plays, and lectures.",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/518258336",
    "collections": [
        "Rear Admiral Robert E. Peary Family Collection",
        "Memorabilia"
    ],
    "iiifBase": "https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/dc-metro/coll-xp/4499090/518258336/4499090-008-002-0001.tif",
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/dc-metro/coll-xp/4499090/518258336/4499090-008-002-0001.tif",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/dc-metro/coll-xp/4499090/518258336/4499090-008-002-0001.tif",
    "imageCount": 187,
    "hasImages": true,
    "source": "import",
    "hasTranscription": false
}

{
    "url": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/518258336",
    "naId": 518258336,
    "coverageEndDate": {
        "logicalDate": "1882-12-31",
        "year": 1882
    },
    "coverageStartDate": {
        "logicalDate": "1880-01-01",
        "year": 1880
    },
    "levelOfDescription": "fileUnit",
    "recordType": "description",
    "ocrSource": "nara-archive"
}

{
    "seq": 98,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "photo",
    "url": "https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/dc-metro/coll-xp/4499090/518258336/4499090-008-002-0098.tif",
    "mediaId": "3c5c4f9373ec5aab",
    "ocrText": "ture, another comedy, equally sparkling with life\noutline. boldness of color, and admirable harmony of\neffect.\nwholesome in spirit, delightful in color, and merry\nand gentle in influence, in which a single, and\nTHE CHARM OF HIS ACTING IN THE RIVALS.\"\nthat a comic, character-one of a group,\nTo the general public Mr. Jefferson as Bob Acres\nand drawn and kept in perfect harmony with\nwill be an absolute novelty. He was, however, as\nits surronndings-could thus be made tributary to\nhas been said, long ago distinguished in it; and he\nthe idiosyncrasies of an actor, and thus elevated\nhas played this part, and also Pangloss, or Ollapod,\ninto brilliant prominence, without injury to its own\nseason after season-a few times each-at Ford's\nintegrity, and without the least violence to the sym-\nTheatre, in Baltimore. Nine years ago (1871), on\nmetry of the play. After seeing The Rivals\" as\nthe occasion of the Holland Benefit, in this city, he\nMr. Jefferson and his company present it, the spec-\nharmed an immense audience with his representa-\ntator retires with a positive love of the old play, and ion of Mr. Golightly and this exquisite work he\nwith the conviction that, in Mr. Jefferson's perform-\nrave, a few years later (1877), in London, on the\nance of Bob Acres, he has seen a slight character\nccasion of the benefit to the impoverished and\nmade fascinating by drollery of spirit, deep sincerity\nlying veteran, Henry Compton, when his success\nof feeling, amplitude of treatment, and perfect\nvas SO great that John S. Clarke immediately pro-\ngrace of expression.\nosed to him a season of force at the Haymarket-a\nTHE PLAY AND THE CAST.\neason devoted to Mr. Golightly and Hugh De Brass,\nWhen\nThe Rivals\" was first produced, over a\nwhich, while the treasury neither largely gained\ncentury ago, it had to be cut, in a ruthless manner,\nor lost at all, the connoisseurs of the British cap-\nbefore it could be made to succeed. The author,\nal enjoyed a kind of acting which they con-\nthen but twenty-three years old, had written it\nded to be equal with the best upon the Parisian\nwith exuberant spirits, and it contained substance\nage. To those, accordingly, who keep the track\nenough for two plays rather than one. Mr. Jefferson\nsuch affairs, it is not unknown that Mr. Jeffer -\nhas not hesitated to cut it still further, and slightly\nn's extraordinary and really great felicity in light\nto change its sequence of action, and here and\nrts, whether of comedy, burlesque or farce, re-\nthere, in his own character of Bob Acres, to fill in\nles in his application to them of an intense\ntraits that the author has only outlined, to add new\nrnestness of spirit and a poetic treatment-by\nbusiness-always, however, in harmony with the\nhich is meant a treatment that interprets, illus-\noriginal conception-and to give, by occasional new\nates and elevates the character. In this way he\nlines, an added emphasis and prolongation to the\nS now embodied Bob Acres ; and as the most\nhumorous strokes of Sheridan. The brightness of\nupulous attention has been given to every detail\nthe effect denotes a decided improvement. The\nven the slightest-in the revival of the comedy,\ncomedy is given in three acts. The first curtain\nimpersonation of that amusing character can\nfalls upon the exit of Sir Anthony Absolute,\nW be seen in greater fulness and freedom, and\nafter his choleric scene with his son. The\nh the advantage of better surroundings, than\nsecond falls upon the exit of Acres, at\nr before.\nthe words, \"Tell him I kill a man a week.\" And\nIr. Jefferson appears in three scenes-the first,\nthe third falls upon the close of the piece, with a\nt of the call which is made by Acres at the lodg-\nthat Mr. Jefferson has added. The character of\nof Captain Absolute, where he meets Falkland;\nJnlia is cut out altogether, and that of Falkland is\nsecond, that of his reception of Sir Lucius\nconsiderably reduced-which is a positive relief,\nrigger, at his own chambers, when he writes the\nsince these parts are only pleasant when acted by\nllenge to the mythical Beverley, is frightened by\nplayers of the first class, such as can no longer now\nterrors of his bumpkin servant, David, and, at\nbe got to undertake them. The loose lines, as well\nwith rueful reluctance, entrusts the warlike\nas what Moore called the false finery and second-\nsive to Captain Absolute; and the third, that of\nrate ornament,\" have been scored out. Two of the\nfrustrated meeting in King's Mead Meadows,\nscenes of Acres have been blended into one, so that the\nn, in the extremity of fear, his \"valor oozes out\nvain and timorous squire's trueulence, when writing\nhe tips of his fingers,\" and the snarl that young\nthe challenge, may be made the more comical by\nlute has woven is finally and happily disen-\nimmediate contrast with his dismay and gradually\nled. The variety that he evokes from these\ngrowing cowardice, as he begins to realize its possi-\nes is little less than wonderful. At first it\nble consequences. In other respects there is\nS as if he had overladen me character and mean-\nno change. Nine actors carry the piece, and\nand lifted it too far. But, when this creation is\nit moves with a smoothness and beauti-\ned, it immediately seen that the actor has only\nful celerity that is a positive refreshment. The\n1 the entirely justifiable and admirable license\ncast comprises Jefferson as Bob Acres, Frederick\nepening the lines and tints of the author, and of\nRobinson as Sir Anthony Absolute, Mrs. John Drew\naring the character by infusing into it an amia-\nas Mrs. Malaprop, Mr. Maurice Barrymore as Cap-\nnd lovable personality. That this was not\ntain Absolute, Mr. Charles Waverly as Sir Lucius\nly intended by Sheridan would not make\nTrigger, Miss Rosa Rand as Lydia Languish, Miss\nst its propriety. The part admits of it, and is\nAdine Stephens as Lucy, Mr. H. F. Taylor as Falk-\nfor and this certainly would have been\nland, Mr. Thomas Jefferson (second son of the come-\nded had it been thought of, for it renders the\ndian) as Faj, and Mr. J. Galloway as David. This\ndoubly interesting and potential. That Acres\nmay not be the best cast that could be conceived;\nues & striking figure in the group, and a stal-\nbut it is the best that could be obtained, after\nmotive in the action, is only because he is thus\nmonths of careful search and endeavor. The parts\nlidly vitalized. Were the other parts electri-\nare beautifully dressed, although with some inten-\nan equal genius in the performance of them,\ntional inaccuracy as to the matter of powdered hair\nuld instantly be seen that he has no undue\nand, as the rehearsals have been rigorously thor-\ndence.\nough, the representation is marked by clearness of\nTHE SPIRIT OF THE IMPERSONATION\nMr. Jefferson has considered that a country squire\nneed not necessarily reek of the ale-house and the\nstables; that Aores is neither the noisy and vulgar\nTony Lumpkin, nor the \"horsey\" Goldfinoh; that\nthere is, in a certain way, a little touch of the\nWildrake in his composition that he\nis not less kindly because vain and\nempty-headed : that he has tender ties\nof home, and a background of innocent domestic\nlife : that his head is completely turned by contact\nwith town fashions ; that there may be a kind of\nartlessness in his ridiculous assumption of rakish\nairs; that there is something a little pitiable in his\nbraggadocio; that he is a good fellow at heart; and\nthat his sufferings in the predicament of the duel\nare genuine, intense, and quite as doleful as they\nare comic. All this appears in the personation. You\nare struck at once by the elegance of the figure, the\ngrace of movement, the winning appearance\nand temperament; and Bob Aores gets your\nfriendship and is a very welcome presence-laugh\nat him as you may. Mr. Jefferson has introduced a\ncomic blunder with which to take him out of the\nfirst scene with Absolute, and also some indescribably\ncomic business for him, before a mirror, when Sir\nLucius, coming upon him unawares, finds him prac-\ntising bows and studying deportment. He does not\nseem contemptible in these situations ; he only\nseems, as he ought to seem, comical. He communi-\ncates to all of us his joy in the success of his curl-\npapers and we never think of his penning of his\nchallenge as otherwise than a proceeding of the\nmost serious importance, even amidst our uncon-\ntrollable laughter. He is made au actual living\nhuman being, with an experience of action and\nsufferings, and our sympathies with him, on his\nbattle-field, would be really painful but that we are\nin the secret, and know it will turn out"
}