Life and art of Joseph Jefferson, together with some account of his ancestry and of the Jefferson family of actors . and of endearing the characterby infusing into it an amiable and lovable this was not clearly intended by Sheridan wouldnot invalidate its propriety. The part admits of it, andis better for it; and this certainly would have beenintended had it been thought of, —for it makes the playdoubly interesting and potential. That Acres becomesa striking figure in the group, and a vigorous motive inthe action, is only because he is thus vitalised. If theother parts were an
Life and art of Joseph Jefferson, together with some account of his ancestry and of the Jefferson family of actors . and of endearing the characterby infusing into it an amiable and lovable this was not clearly intended by Sheridan wouldnot invalidate its propriety. The part admits of it, andis better for it; and this certainly would have beenintended had it been thought of, —for it makes the playdoubly interesting and potential. That Acres becomesa striking figure in the group, and a vigorous motive inthe action, is only because he is thus vitalised. If theother parts were animated by an equal genius in theperformance of them, it would be seen that he has noundue prominence. Jefferson considered that a country squire need notnecessarily reek of the ale-house and the stables; thatAcres is neither the noisy and coarse Tony Lumpkinnor the horsey Goldfinch; that he is not less kindlybecause vain and vapid; that he has tender ties ofhome, and a background of innocent, domestic life;that his head is completely turned by contact withtown fashions; that there may be a kind of artlessness. JEFFERSON AMD FLORENCE IN THE RIVALSFrom a photograpli by Falk. LIFE OF JEFFERSON 219 in his ridiculous assumption of rakish airs ; that thereis something a little pitiable in his bombast; thathe is a good fellow, at heart; and that his sufferingsin the predicament of the duel are genuine, intense,and quite as doleful as they are comic. All this ap-peared in the personation. You were impressed atonce by the winning appearance and temperament, andAcres got your friendship, and was a welcome presence,laugh at him though you might. Jefferson introduceda comic blunder with which to take him out of thefirst scene with Absolute, and also some characteristiccomic business for him, before a mirror, when SirLucius, coming upon him unawares, finds him practis-ing bows and studying deportment. He did not seemcontemptible in those situations ; he only seemed ab-surdly comical. He c
Size: 1323px × 1890px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectjeffers, bookyear1894
