Part 3 (2/2)
Charlotte Cushreat woman She did not possess the dramatic faculty apart fro that faculty in alh its channel such resources of character, intellect, netisenius of the first order, while they made her an irresistible force in art When she cae she filled it with the brilliant vitality of her presence Every ly characteristic Her least gesture was eloquence, Her voice, which was soft or silvery, or deep oras emotion affected it, used now and then to tremble, and partly to break, with tones that were pathetic beyond description These were denoterave exterior, and gave iridescence to every for see than any action, as if her iination were suddenly inthralled by the tumult and awe of its own vast perceptions”
Her frlend, Emma Stebbins, the sculptor, edited a memorial volume, ”Charlotte Cushman: Her Letters and Memories of Her Life,” published in 1878 By perhton, Mifflin & Co, Boston, the pages that follow are offered--ED]
AS A CHILD A MIMIC AND SINGER
On one occasion [wrote Miss Cush House, was taking tea within his two hands, and his elbows on the table I was suddenly startled by , ”Charlotte, take your elbows off the table and your chin out of your hands; it is not a pretty position for a young lady!” I was sitting in exact i the expression of his face
Besides singing everything, I exercised my imitative powers in all directions, and often foundthe tones, movement, and expression of those about me I'm afraid I hat the French call _un enfant terrible_--in the vernacular, an awful child!
full of irresistible life and i neither before nor after; as ready to execute as to conceive; full of iination--a faculty too often thwarted and warped by the fears of parents and friends that it means insincerity and falsehood, when it is in reality but the spontaneous exercise of faculties as yet unknown even to the possessor, and misunderstood by those so-called trainers of infancy
This irandmother Babbit, born Mary Saunders, of Gloucester, Cape Ann Her faculty of i at her feet on a little stool and hearing her sing a song of the period, in which she delightedto the farustus Babbit, who led a seafaring life and was lost at sea, took great interest in me; he offered me prizes for proficiency inHe first took es, which was always a holiday time for me My first play was ”Coriolanus,” with Macready, and my second ”The Gamester,” with Cooper and Mrs Powell as Mr and Mrs Beverley
All the English actors and actresses of that time were of the Siddons and Kemble school, and I cannot but think these early impressions must have been powerful toward the forh the various stages of reat taste and love for the dramatic profession, and became acquainted with Mr and Mrs Williainal Tre one of the stockholders, through him my mother became acquainted with these people, and thus we hadof the fraternity
About this time I became noted in school as a reader, where before I had only been remarkable for my arithmetic, the medal for which could never be taken fro a scene froedy of ”Brutus,” in which Brutus speaks, and the immediate result was ust of ruoes to the theatre!” I had been before this very shy and reserved, not to say stupid, about reading in school, afraid of the sound of reater faue, and give birth as it were to a faculty which has been the ruling passion ever since
PLAYS LADY MACBETH, HER FIRST PART
With the Maeders I went [in 1836, when twenty years of age] to New Orleans, and sang until, owing perhaps to reat strain upon the upper register of my voice, which, as his wife's voice was a contralto, it was more to Mr
Maeder's interest to use, than the lower one, I foundme In my unhappiness I went to ask counsel and advice of Mr Caldwell, the er of the chief New Orleans theatre, He at once said to er”
He advised me to study soedian of the theatre, whom he asked to hear me, and to take an interest in me
He was very kind, as indeed they both were; and Mr Barton, after a short time, was sufficiently impressed with my powers to propose to Mr Caldwell that I should act Lady Macbeth to his Macbeth, on the occasion of his (Barton's) benefit Upon this is was decided that I should give up singing and take to acting My contract with Mr
Maeder was annulled, it being the end of the season So enraptured was I with the idea of acting this part, and so fearful of anything preventing er I had no dresses, until it was too late forit; and the day before the performance, after rehearsal, I told him He immediately sat down and wrote a note of introduction for edienne of the French Theatre, which then e French artists for its company This note was to ask her to help me to costuirl at that tiht The Frenchwoman, Madame Closel, was a short, fat person of not more than four feet ten inches, her waist full twice the size of e bust; but her shape did not prevent her being a very great actress The ludicrousness of her clothes being hter; but she was very good-natured, saw my distress, and set to work to see to how she could help it By dint of piecing out the skirt of one dress it was made to answer for an underskirt, and then another dress was taken in in every direction to do duty as an overdress, and so make up the costume And thus I essayed for the first time the part of Lady Macbeth, fortunately to the satisfaction of the audience, the er, and all the members of the company
TO A YOUNG ACTRESS [PART OF A LETTER]
I should advise you to get to work; all ideal study of acting, without the trial or opportunity of trying our efforts and conceivings upon others, is, in my mind, lost time Study while you act Your conception of character can be formed while you read your part, and only practice can tell you whether you are right You would, after a year of study in your own room, come out unbenefited, save in as far as self-coer; but this is not what you want just now Action is needed Your vitality must in some measure work itself off You rasp the true and the beautiful You dream of it now; the intensity of life that is in you, the spirit of poetry which e, needs work to relieve itself and beadvice to you, for you know your own nature better than any one else can, but I should say to you, get to work in the best way you can
All your country ill be wretched; you will faint by the way; but youpatiently your cross on the way to your crown! God bless you and prosper your undertakings I know the country theatres well enough to kno utterly alone you will be in such coood heart; we have only to do hat is given us to do, to find heaven
I think if you have to wait for a while it will do you no harm You seem to me quite frantic for immediate work; but teach yourself quiet and repose in the tith I could bear to wait and labour with reatest power in the world is shown in conquest over self More life will be worked out of you by fretting than all the stage-playing in the world God bless you, h; but you have a strong and earnest spirit, and you have the true religion of labour in your heart Therefore I have no fears for you, let ill come Let me hear from you at your leisure, and be sure you have no warly pleased to hear such an account of your first appearance You were quite right in all that was done, and I am rejoiced at your success Go on; persevere You will be sure to do what is right, for your heart is in the right place, your head is sound, your reading has been good Your er than any other person's whom I have known enter the profession, that your career is plain before you
But I will advise you to remain in your own native town for a season, or at least the winter You say you are afraid of re at all You will have to bethat you cannot be indifferent to your audience will make you take more pains
Beside this, you will be at home, which is much better for a tie hoe profession I could talk to you a volume upon this matter, but it is difficult to write At all events I hope you will take my counsel and reinable to go from home a novice into such a theatre as any of those in the principal towns