[19th century actor] autobiography(十九世纪男演员自...

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1、AUTOBIOGRAPHYAUTOBIOGRAPHYEditedbyGEORGEILES1AUTOBIOGRAPHYPREFACEAgoodplaygivesusinminiatureacross-sectionoflife,heightenedbyplotandcharacterisation,bywittyandcompactdialogue.Ofcourseweshouldhonourfirsttheplaywright,whohasgivenformtoeachwellknitactandtellingscene.B

2、utthatworthyman,perhapsatthismomentsippinghiscoffeeattheAuthors'Club,gavehisdramaitsformonly;itssubstanceiscreatedbythemenandwomenwho,withsympathy,intelligenceandgrace,embodywithconvincingpowertheheroandheroine,assassinandaccomplice,loverandjilt.Forthesuccessofmany

3、aplaytheirwriterswouldbequicktoacknowledgeafurtherandinitialdebt,bothinsuggestionandcriticism,totheartistswhoknowfromexperienceontheboardsthatdeedsshouldhedone,nottalkedabout,thatactioniscardinal,withnootherwordsthannaturallyspringfromaction.Players,too,notseldomre

4、mindauthorsthateveryincidentshouldnotonlybeinterestinginitself,buttaketheplayastrideforwardthroughtheentanglementandunravellingofitsplot.ItisaltogetherprobablethattheheightstowhichShakespeareroseasadramatistweredueinameasuretohisknowledgeofhowacomedy,oratragedy,app

5、earsbehindaswellasinfrontofthefootlights,allinanatmospherequiteotherthanthatsurroundingapoetathisdesk.ThislittlevolumebeginswithpartofthelifestoryofJosephJefferson,chiefofAmericancomedians.ThenweareprivilegedtoreadafewpersonallettersfromEdwinBooth,theacknowledgedki

6、ngofthetragicstage.Heisfollowedbythequeeninthesamedramaticrealm,CharlotteCushman.NextaretwochaptersbythefirstemotionalactressofherdayinAmerica,ClaraMorris.Whenshebowsheradieu,SirHenryIrvingcomesupontheplatforminsteadofthestage,andinthecourseofhisthoughtfuldiscourse

7、makesitplainhowhewonrenownbothasanactorandamanager.Heisfollowedbyhisson,Mr.HenryBrodribbIrving,clearlyanheirtohisfather'stalentsinartandinobservation.MissEllenTerry,longSirHenryIrving'sleadinglady,nowtellsushowshecametojoinhiscompany,andwhatshethinksofSirHenryIrvin

8、ginhisprincipal2AUTOBIOGRAPHYroles.ThesucceedingwordcomesfromRichardMansfield,whoseuntimelydeathismournedbyeveryloverofthedrama.Thenextpagesarefr