in April, 1871, at the end of his world-tour, and a year later, after he had played all over the United States and Canada, for a closing engagement at Wallack's. To the very end of his career he retained in his work all the lightness and brilliancy of a lad of twenty. E. A. Sothern declared him " the founder of the present school of light comedy."

CHAPTER X

EARLY NINETEENTH CENTURY AUDIENCES

TYRONE POWER,' who played over here during the years 1833, 1834, and 1835, in his delightful book, "Impressions of America," has given us several very illuminating glimpses of Americans as he saw them. At the outset of the book he distinctly disavows his intention of "boring his readers with a series of playbills, or a journal of his theatrical career." None the less, because he rightly feels that it would have been mere affectation to eschew the subject altogether, we do get bits of his adventures while touring the country, and particularly his impressions of the audiences he faced. He had been told that theatre-goers in New York had no taste whatever for Irish character, and as they had been accustomed to associate with representatives of the Emerald Isle a ruffian with a black eye and straw in his shoes, there

1 Tyrone Power was born in Ireland November 22, 1797. In July, 1815, he made his début at Newport in the Isle of Wight as Alonzo in "Pizarro." In 1817 he married, and a year later, coming into possession of his wife's fortune, left the stage. Two years later he went on an exploring expedition in the vicinity of the Cape of Good Hope, but as this proved disastrous he returned to London, once more took to the stage, and after ten years of success in England and Ireland came to America for the first time. His last appearance on any stage was March 9, 1841, at the Park Theatre, New York, as Gerald Pepper and Morgan Rattler. He was lost on the steamship President, which sailed from New York for Liverpool, March 21, 1841.

would be absolutely no appreciation for a quiet and natural portrait of the well-disposed Irishman. Exactly the same warning, it is interesting to note, with which the delightful Irish Players, who were so much enjoyed here not many years ago, were at first met. Power, unafraid, determined to see for himself, and with no other engagement than one for twelve nights in New York, bravely crossed the Atlantic to test our taste. Of course he was full of anxiety on the night of his début (August 28, 1833), the more so since the day had been the hottest of a very hot season. Yet he was very well received when he made his bow at the Park. The house was ex

roof rose tier on

ceedingly crowded" from pit to tier one dark unbroken mass "- and he made his first bow "amid greetings as hearty" as ever he had received in his life.

"I saw no coat off, no heels up, no legs over boxes," he records, evidently in allusion to the revolting description Mrs. Trollope 1 had given of the theatre manners encountered during her visit over here a few years earlier. These times had passed away; a more English

audience I would not desire to act before."

The Park Theatre, Power describes as "of the horseshoe form, with three tiers of boxes; is handsome, and in all respects as well appointed as any theatre out of London. The orchestra is at present excellent, and

This lady, in her very entertaining book, "Domestic Manners of the Americans," accuses us of many shocking lapses from good breeding and self-restraint while in public. In one New York theatre she even observed a mother administering natural nutrition to her child between the acts!

under the direction of a very clever man - Penson, formerly leader at Dublin. The company I found for my purpose a very fair one, my pieces requiring little save correctness from most of those concerned, except where old men occur and all such parts found an excellent representative in an American actor called Placide. Descended of a long line of talented players, he possesses a natural talent I have rarely seen surpassed, together with a chastity and simplicity of style that would do credit to the best school of comedy. There is a representative of old women here, too, a native, Mrs. Wheatley, an inartificial, charming actress, with a perfect conception of all she does."

In Philadelphia, Power appeared at both the Walnut Street and the Chestnut Street houses.

"The Walnut is a summer theatre and the least fashionable," he writes, "and here it was my fortune to make my début to the Philadelphians with good success: a French company occupied at the same time the Chestnut, where, after a seven nights' engagement at the other house, I succeeded them; the proprietors being the same at both. These houses are large, handsome buildings, marble-fronted, having ample and wellarranged vomitories; and are not stuck in some obscure alley, as most of our theatres are, but standing in the finest streets of the city, and every way easy of approach: within they are fitted up plainly but conveniently, and very cleanly and well kept. I prefer the Chestnut as smaller and having a pit as I think all pits should benearly on a level with the front of the stage, instead of being sunk deep below, looking, when filled, like a huge dark pool, covered with upturned faces.

"A crowded audience, Philadelphia, presents as large

a proportion of pretty, attractive women as are anywhere to be seen; and the male part is singularly respectable and attentive.i. . . The unreserved laughter in which they indulged I found abundant applause, and in well-fitted houses the best assurance that they were pleased. The company here was a very good one, and the pieces as well gotten up as anywhere in the States."

Concerning Boston, Power is similarly enthusiastic, though he finds it difficult to pause in his raptures over the Tremont Hotel long enough to give us even a brief description of the Tremont Theatre, just across the street.

"Immediately opposite the great hotel is the Tremont Theatre, certainly the most elegant exterior in the country, and with a very well-proportioned, but not wellarranged salle, or audience part. I commenced here on Monday the 30th of September, three days after the closing at Philadelphia, to a well-filled house, composed, however, chiefly of men. My welcome was cordial and kind in the extreme; but the audience, although attentive, appeared exceedingly cold. On a first night I did not heed this much, especially as report assured me they were very well pleased; but throughout the week this coldness appeared to me to increase rather than dimin

1 The testimony to be found in the "Diary " of Christopher Columbus Baldwin of Worcester concerning the manners of the Park Theatre audience during 1833 is, however, as follows: "There is small pleasure in attending the theatre compared with attending it in Boston, and the reason is found in the more perfect police regulations in the latter place. The Boston Theatre is as quiet and orderly between the acts and scenes as a company collected for religious worship. But in New York everything is in confusion. The boys are cracking nuts and throwing the shells as in Shakesperian time, while orange peels, apples and vulgar language are thrown from the gallery." Evidently the theatre conduct of the day was different at different times - depending on the kind of people attracted to the playhouse on each occasion.