The autobiography of Joseph Jefferson . ragic acting. In the quality of queenlydignity I think she even surpassed CharlotteCushman, though she lacked perhaps the spiritand fire of the latter. War usually increases thenightly receipts of the theater, but the strugglewith Mexico seemed to have a contrary effect. SoI remember that, though the bill would have beenconsidered an attractive one under the usual con-dition of public affairs, the audience was American Theater, then under the manage-ment of James Place, was not open, but the com-pany was still in town, and there were as manyact
The autobiography of Joseph Jefferson . ragic acting. In the quality of queenlydignity I think she even surpassed CharlotteCushman, though she lacked perhaps the spiritand fire of the latter. War usually increases thenightly receipts of the theater, but the strugglewith Mexico seemed to have a contrary effect. SoI remember that, though the bill would have beenconsidered an attractive one under the usual con-dition of public affairs, the audience was American Theater, then under the manage-ment of James Place, was not open, but the com-pany was still in town, and there were as manyactors as citizens in front. The play was finely acted but indifferentlymounted, the armies of York and Lancasterbeing wretchedly equipped and quite limited asto quality and quantity. The faint and unmilitaryefforts that they made to march with time andprecision gave them anything but a warlike keeping step there was a glaring difference ofopinion, the pursuing army treading more upontheir own heels than upon those of the enemy,. JOHN E. OWENS. OF JOSEPH JEFFERSON 81 and in the final collision there was a friendlytapping of tin spears on pasteboard helmets thattold too plainly of a bloodless battle. But the really furious fight between Richard andRichmond made amends for the docility of the rankand file. Wallack was a superb swordsman, and Ido not remember to have seen a stage combat foughtwith finer effect. I had for the last year at least been buffetingabout in barns and tents, so that anything like alegitimate production was a great treat. But mychief interest on this occasion was centered inthe farce, and my thoughts were dwelling on theapproaching efforts of the rising young comedian— and why not? Was I not a rising young com-edian myself? I certainly had reached that heightin my own estimation, at least, and I felt a burningdesire that a time should come when some news-paper would proclaim it for me as the New OrleansPicayune had that day announced it for Owens.
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectjeffers, bookyear1890
