Identifier: lifeartofrichard01wint (find matches)
Title: Life and art of Richard Mansfield : with selections from his letters
Year: 1910 (1910s)
Authors: Winter, William, 1836-1917
Subjects: Mansfield, Richard, 1857-1907
Publisher: New York : Moffat, Yard and company
Contributing Library: Boston Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Public Library

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tion of the great char-acters in Shakespeare was the prerogative at whichhe aimed. He was not an imitator of anybody,but, like many other of the actors of his generation,he had observed the careers of Edwin Booth andHenry Irving, and, unlike the mere servile imitatorsof those chieftains, he had early determined notonly to emulate but, if possible, to surpass them,in breadth of policy, audacity of adventure, andscope, variety, and importance of achievement. Hehad noted Booths wisdom in a steadfast adherenceto Shakespeare, and he had considered the successattendant upon livings choice of weird charactersand great historic themes. In itself original andinclined to take new paths, his mind was muchstimulated, as well as instructed, by those examples,and his quest for untried subjects and for partsnot less novel than important was, accordingly,never pretermitted. Several characters, out of thebeaten track, have already been named, upon whichhis fancy looked with an approving eye, but which
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JULIUS C^SAR 269 he could not assume, for lack of plays in which topresent them. At one time he was eager to actMiles Standish. At another time he studied Con-rad, in an English version of the Italian play ofMorte Civile, by P. Giacometti,—made known onthe American stage by the famous Italian actor,Salvini, in 1873,—but, after putting that dramainto rehearsal, he found it unsatisfactory, anddropped it. At still another time his fancy turnedto Charles the Second. While performing in Beau-caire, which he viewed as little more than a pleasingbagatelle, he was conscious of the longing for higheremployment, and he determined to act Brutus, inShakespeares great play of Julius Csesar. Hisrevival of that tragedy was accomplished, at theGrand Opera House, Chicago, on October 13, 1902,and it was received with enthusiastic favor. Writ-ing to me about it, ten days later, he said: Ourbusiness is enormous. We have not had a seat tosell this entire week, and it is only a question, everyevening,

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