"Their Majesties' Servants." Annals of the English Stage (Volume 2 of 3)Doran, Dr. (John)
History
"Their Majesties' Servants." Annals of the English Stage (Volume 2 of 3)
Doran, Dr. (John)
Actors -- Great Britain; Theater -- Great Britain -- History
Managers, however, catered drolly for the public. Thus, on the 12th
of October 1758, when Mossop acted Richard III., Signor Grimaldi
relieved the tragedy, by dancing comic dances between the acts!
Garrick, nevertheless, was not idle. During Barry's absence, David
added to his original characters, Lovemore, in "The Way to Keep Him,"
Æmilius ("Siege of Aquileia"); Oakley ("Jealous Wife"), Sir John
Dorilant ("School for Lovers"), Farmer ("Farmer's Return"), Alonzo
("Elvira"), and Sir Anthony Branville ("Discovery"). In the last,
he exhibited a new style, in a new character. "He seemed utterly to
have extinguished his natural talents, assuming a dry, stiff manner,
with an immovable face, and thus extracted from his pedantic object
(who assumed every passion, without showing a spark of any in his
action or features) infinite entertainment." Barry, meanwhile in
Ireland, found that Sheridan had had a chequered time of it there.
At one period, a course of prosperity; at another, he was the victim
of gentlemen, from whose rude wooing he protected his actresses.
The wooers called him "scoundrel-player." Sheridan answered that
he was "as good a gentleman" as those who called him scoundrel;
and, consequently, his life was not safe from these ruffians, who
interrupted the performances, but against whom the collegians took
side with the player. It was not until some blood was spilt, and the
Lord Chief Justice, Ward, had condemned a young savage, named Kelly,
to pay £500 fine and suffer three months' imprisonment, that peace
was restored. At this trial, Kelly's counsel remarked, he had seen
a gentleman-soldier and a gentleman-tailor, but had never seen a
gentleman-player. "Sir," said Sheridan, with dignity, "I hope you see
one now!"
Sheridan lost money, year after year, by paying excessive salaries
to Woodward, the Macklins, and to operatic companies. Macklin and
Mossop, together, nearly drove Sheridan mad; he was glad to be
rid of both, and to find greater attraction in the beautiful Mrs.
Woffington, who used to petition for kisses, once a year, and must
have found little difficulty in procuring what she asked for, on her
benefit nights.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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