. Players and plays of the last quarter century; an historical summary of causes and a critical review of conditions as existing in the American theatre at the close of the nineteenth century. rather than frominstinct, that Owens sometimes marred thebeauty of his art and left his hearers unmoved. -^At those times he thought it essential to bewhat is styled true to life, and in becomingliteral and photographic he became monoto-nous and dry. The excess, for example, towhich he sometimes carried the coarser traitsof Solon Shingle was one result of that criticalcaprice. No dramatic embodiment was
. Players and plays of the last quarter century; an historical summary of causes and a critical review of conditions as existing in the American theatre at the close of the nineteenth century. rather than frominstinct, that Owens sometimes marred thebeauty of his art and left his hearers unmoved. -^At those times he thought it essential to bewhat is styled true to life, and in becomingliteral and photographic he became monoto-nous and dry. The excess, for example, towhich he sometimes carried the coarser traitsof Solon Shingle was one result of that criticalcaprice. No dramatic embodiment was everfunnier; but it would have been just as funny,and it would have been more endearing, if ithad not been quite so true. John E. Owens was born in Liverpool, Eng-land, and his professional life covered theperiod between 1840 and 1882, His bestparts were, besides the two mentioned. DoctorPangloss in The Heir-at-Law, JoshuaButterby in Victims, Henry Dove in Married Life, Grimaldi in The Life ofan Actress, Doctor Ollapod in The PoorGentleman, Horatio Spruggins in FortyWinks, John Unit in Self^ Mr. Oilman in The Happiest Day of My Life, Graves in Money, Meddle, Toodle, Paul Pry, and Silky. JOHN E. OWENS Gilbert, Owens, Jefferson, Florence 261 in The Road to Ruin, of which he wascalled the best representative on the Americanstage. JOSEPH JEFFERSON Joseph Jefferson occupies a unique positionon the stage to-day. He is rarely beloved bya public, which has ceased entirely to botheritself about the actors artistic standing. Itdeclares Joseph Jefferson a great comedian, andof the truth of the declaration it is absolutelyconvinced, while with Jefferson himself it isthoroughly satisfied. Indeed, Joseph Jeffersonis a great comedian — great as Rip VanWinkle, great as Bob Acres (a character ofwhich Richard Brinsley Sheridan never heard),and great as Doctor Pangloss and Caleb Plum-mer, always remembering that he always playsMr. Jeffersons Doctor Pangloss and Mr. Jef-fersons Caleb Plummer and
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookidplayersplays, bookyear1903
