Identifier: playersplaysofla01strauoft (find matches)
Title: 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
Year: 1903 (1900s)
Authors: Strang, Lewis Clinton, 1869-1935
Subjects: Theater -- History Theater -- United States Acting and actors
Publisher: Boston, L.C. Page
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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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
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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 no one elses.Joseph Jeffersons ability to impersonate isperfect within the determined range into whichhe drags all his characters. His pathos is pos-itive and his sincerity complete, his humou

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