Joseph Jefferson by Frederick Wedmore
Frederick Wedmore, writing in the Academy of 6th November 1875, reviews Joseph Jefferson's reappearance in Rip Van Winkle, credited on the playbill to Dion Boucicault but shaped, Wedmore believes, by three hands, including Jefferson himself. Jefferson does not act the part but lives in it, restrained and quiet, comparable only to Got in Balzac's Mercadet. His pathos recalls Hans Christian Andersen, his humour something of Charles Lamb. He has kindly eyes, gentle ways that win children and dumb creatures of his village, Falling Waters, and a voice of admirable compass and distinct, unmannered enunciation. As Rip, the amiable ne'er-do-well who ruins himself, his wife, and his children, he draws sympathy against his wife's reproaches. His delivery seems unstudied: sentences trail off or shift with a passing thought rather than finishing like a rehearsed actor's lines. When his wife banishes him and he points to the child, answering "You say I have no part in this house," the suggested pathos is likened to Andersen's Story of a Mother, unmatched on the stage as that tale is unmatched in literature.
By Frederick Wedmore · First published 1899 · Genre: Theater Criticism, Drama Criticism, Literary Criticism · 848 words
First lines
Joseph Jefferson has been seen again -- and with all the enthusiasm of many years ago -- in _Rip Van Winkle_. The playbill which announces his appearance makes no mention of Washington Irving, but claims the play as ‘written by Dion Boucicault. ' It needs, however, no very profound student to detect in that tender and graceful fancy of the story, a quality not to be numbered among the useful talents of the versatile dramatist who can give us anything that lies between _London Assurance_ and the _Shaughraun_. But I believe that, after all these years, the work of three hands is really to be found in the play; Mr. Jefferson himself having manipulated much of its action and business. He does not act the piece: he lives in it. And he is only to be compared with Got, in Balzac's _Mercadet_. Both performances are restrained and reserved, without the appearance of restraint and reserve. Both are quiet. There are no dramatic outbursts, and no surprises. But in each case a character, a career -- one might almost say a life itself -- is put before the spectator. Greater things have undoubtedly been done upon the stage -- greater things have been done on the stage of our day by Irving, and greater remain to be done by him -- but nothing quite so complete has been seen: nothing giving one the sense of so easy and unlaboured a mastery.
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Genres
- Theater Criticism — The work is a detailed critical review of Joseph Jefferson's performance in Rip Van Winkle, examining his acting technique, stage presence, and theatrical mastery with the analytical framework of a professional theater critic.
- Drama Criticism — Wedmore analyzes the dramatic work itself, discussing the play's construction, its attribution to Dion Boucicault, and its literary qualities as a dramatic composition with references to other dramatic works.
- Literary Criticism — The essay examines the play through literary analysis, comparing it to literary works and authors like Washington Irving, Balzac, Charles Lamb, and Hans Christian Andersen, treating the dramatic text as literature.
- Performance Analysis — Wedmore provides extensive analysis of Jefferson's acting methodology, his voice, enunciation, naturalness, spontaneity, and the techniques he employs to create his character on stage.
Tags
theater review · acting · Rip Van Winkle · performance · naturalism · restraint · pathos · character portrayal · spontaneity · authenticity · humor · dramatic criticism
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Joseph Jefferson is listed on Textopian as an essay by Frederick Wedmore, dated 1899 CE.
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- Work type: Essay
- Author: Frederick Wedmore
- Date: 1899 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Theater Criticism, Drama Criticism, Literary Criticism, Performance Analysis, Biographical Essay
- Length: 848 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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