File:William Gillette - Players and plays of the last quarter century (1903) (14744946736).jpg

Identifier: playersplaysofla02strauoft (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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red the fullvigour of Mr. Gillettes dramatic talent. Itwas a wonderfully vivid, intense, and compel-ling melodrama, in which the theatrical ele-ments of suspense and sustained interest, ofcontrast and sympathetic appeal, were utilisedin a thoroughly masterly manner. When Mr.Gillette himself appeared in the play, the causeof the dramas wonderful effectiveness and act-ing perfection seemed to lie in the strength andthe intensity of Mr. Gillettes acting. Later,however, I saw a young actor, entirely differ-ent from Mr. Gillette in his methods, in Mr.Gillettes part. He was also surrounded bya distinctly inferior company. Yet he, too,secured in the play the tribute of eager atten-tion and complete absorption that were alwaysin evidence when Mr. Gillette played CaptainThorn. There is but one explanation of theseparallel instances, — the play itself is compel-ling, wholly apart from the manner in which itis acted. In both Secret Service and SherlockHolmes (1899), action is the thing of main
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WILLIAM GILLETTE Four American Dramatists 163 importance. I doubt if in either one of themthere is dialogue enough to furnish three actsof an average four-act play. The plots are de-veloped with a directness and a certainty thatcannot be escaped. There are no explana-tions, and there are no diversions. Every-thing is placed before one through themediumship of action, always vivid, interesting,and straight to the point. Minutes sometimespass without a word being spoken on the stage,yet every move claims the undivided attention.The suspense engendered is carried almost tothe unbearable point at the instant that it isadroitly broken by an intervening episode. Secret Service was distinctly an honestplay; Sherlock Holmes was frank andshameless buncombe. However, by openlyacknowledging the utter impossibility of hisdramatic incidents, and by cheerfully pro-claiming that he was deliberately ladling outrank sensationalism, Mr. Gillette scored hismost masterly point. He thereby disarmedall cri

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