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Chapter LVII.
The sason of 1818-19 at the Chestnut street theatre—Notices and anecdotes of Mr. Herbert—Mr. J. Wheatley—Mr. Hughs—Mr. Blissett–Mrs. Darley—Mr. John Darley.
The Chestnut street theatre opened for the season of 1818-19 on the 5th of November, 1818, with the sterling comedy of the "School for Schandal." We insert the playbill, as it may afford an accurage idea of the respective lines of business of the various members of the corps:
Philadelphia Theatre. The Managers respectfully inform the Public, that the Theatre will be opened for the Season, On Thursday Evening, November 5, 1818, WITH THE COMEDY OF THE School for Scandal.
With new Scenergy by Messrs. Warrent, Reinagle and Assistants.
Sir Peter Teagle................................................Mr. Warren. Sir Oliver Surace...............................................Mr. Francis. Joseph Surface.................................................Mr. Barrett. Charles Surface................................................Mr. Wood. Sir Benjamin Backbite.............................Mr. T. Jefferson. Grabtree.......................................................Mr. Jefferson. Rowley....................................................Mr. Abercrombie. Moses, Mr. Darley, (from the New York Theatre, his last appearance these 6 years.) Careless...................................................Mr. McFarland. Trip.......................................................Mr. John Durang. Snake...........................................................Mr. Hathwell. Servant to Joseph..........................................Mr. Scrivener. Servants to Sir Peter.........Messrs. King, Carter and Martin. Lady Teazle............................................. Mrs. Wood. Lady Sneerwell.........................................[Mrs. Lefolie?] Mrs. Candour............................................Mrs. Francis. Maria....................................................Mrs. Jefferson. Maid.........................................................Mrs. Carter. To Which will be added the Comic Opera of Lock & Key. Old Brummagem.........................................Mr. Francis. Captain Yain......................................Mr. Abercrombie. Captain Cheerly............................................Mr. Darley. Ralph.......................................................Mr. Jefferson. Laura.......................................................Mrs. Bloxton. Fanny..........................................................Mrs. Burke. Selina..........................................................Mrs. Carter. Dolly.........................................................Mrs. Jackson.
The Managers respectfully announce the engagement for the season, of Mr. and Mrs. Darley, from the New York Theatre—Mr. Herbert from the Theatre Royal, Brighton—Mr. and Mrs. Wallack from the Theatres, Hull and Drury Lane—Mr Hughs from the Theatre, Boston—and Mr. Wheatley from the Theatre Royal, Dublin.
On Friday the New Grand Drama of the Conquest of Taranto; or St. Carla's Eve—the part of Valentino, by Mr. Hughst, from the Boston Theatre, his first appearance here.
On Saturday, the HONEY MOON—Juliana, Mrs. Darley, being her first appearance here those six years—Jacques, Mr. Bilssett, his first appearance here these three years.
In preparation the new celebrated Tragedy of Bella
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122. ford nor heed for one moment the sensitive feelings which they lacerate by their follies. There were other victims to Mr. Tom Reinagle's imitating pleasantries. Mr. Harry Williams orthoepy was not the most accurate that might be. For instance the words "window" and "wind" he would sound or finish with a kind of a slur altering the termination of the former one and adding a kind of syllable to the latter making the end of the two words very emphatic running a cadenza as a singer would treat a word so marked. This manner of pronouncing was seized upon by the facetious Tom with all the exaggeration and burlesque of imitation. One imitation of Williams was excessively ludicrous--Tom represented him as announcing the play of the next night from the stage :--"Lad-ies an gentle-men on Monday evening will be presented the admired play of 'Bella-mi-ra with the laughable afterpiece ah of 'Rai-sing the Wind-ur.' " This and other peculiarities pertaining to the actors (and most actors have them nay even those deemed the most faultless) he would repeat with racy amendments to his boon companions and others. The effect is to be well imagined. If any of Tom's friends or listeners attended the theatre the appearance of the object at once excited their risibles and its consequences.
Mr. Wheatley was a well educated and accomplished man. He was a good linguist and was au fait in dancing and music. Some of the young ladies of the theatre were indebted to him for much valuable instruction in both of the above accomplishments viz.. the Misses C. and K. Durang both of whom are dead and the Misses Hathwell who are living and retired from the stage. On the dissolution of the old company at the Chesnut street theatre. Wheatley withdrew from the stage and took upon himself the duties of a music master and agent for the sale of piano fortes and located himself in a Western State. He subsequently returned to Philadelphia and from hence he emigrated to Porto Bello South America in Colombia at the invitation of Doctor Litchfield the American Consul for that port. There he established himself as a teacher of music residing in the Consul's house but soon after fell a victim to the climate. He died in 1839 aged 68.
On Friday November 6th the second night of the season Mr. Hughes from the Boston theatre made his first appearance in the Chesnut street theatre in the part of Velentio in "The Conquest of Taranto." This gentleman possessed a noble figure being full six feet in height and in just proportions. His features were of the Roman contour large and expressive. In armor cap-a-pic he was a Mars "to threaten and command ;" in regal robes a king ; in a court suit the dignified nobleman. His manner and appearance were impressive--nor can we ever forget his courtly bearing and appearance as the Duke of Argyle in "The Heart of Mid Lothian" when that gem of an actress Mrs. Ternan played Jenny Deans.
Mr. Hughes fame rested chiefly in the middle sphere of tragedy and comedy. His Pizarro was excellent ; so was his Henry IV. We do
not often see now-a-days these characters in hands so able. Actors like Hughes are not appreciated by the management of our theatres ; hence the plays suffer.
Mr. Hughes was an educated man ; his mind was well stored with extensive reading the intellectual evidences of which in his conversation superadded to great urbanity of manners made him a gentleman in the true sense of the term.
He died at the South leaving his wife that excellent actress Mrs. Hughes a relict to revere his memory.
On Saturday November 7th the "Honey Moon" was produced for the purpose of introducing Mrs. Darley in Juliana after an absence of six years.
On the same evening Frank Blissett as his old friends used to call him made his bow for three years as Jacques and Doctor Dablancour in the "Budget of Blunders." The three years of absence from his old friends he had passed in Kentucky with old Mr. Drake one of the fathers of the Western stage. And he told us that they were the most delightful three years of his life in America for they were unalloyed with either professional or private disagreeables. With the exception of these three years he was associated with the Philadelphia company of 1793 'till he bade them a final adieu in 1821 and returned to his native land.
By the death of his father he became heir to a comfortable income. His father had been for many years a very respectable actor in England and succeeded in London. He like his unique son was also of an eccentric disposition. He had some years before invited his son home to partake with him the solace of ease and peae in retirement. This our comedian rejected. His father at length died in 1821 leaving him independent. Blissett's disposition always sought the retirement of the domestic circle as his greatest happiness and on the receipt of intelligence of his parent's death and burial he at once resolved to quit the bustle of the stage in whose services he had long been an ardent and faithful laborer. He returned to England with his daughter arranged his affairs and selected the island of Guernsey on the coast of France as his future residence where he died in peace and perfect tranquility of mind in the 76th year of his age.
He corresponded with Mr. Hathwell a member of the Chesnut street theatre occasionally and ever kindly spoke of his old friends in Philadelphia. Wesaw the last that he ever wrote to this country wherein he desired to be remembered to his old manager Mr. Wood. We believe Mr. H. executed the request. The goodness of his heart never forgot the courtesies of life.
The following notice of Blissett we extract from the Saturday Courier in which it was published shortly after news of his death had reached this country.
DEATH OF BLISSETT THE COMEDIAN.
Among the deaths abroad we find the name of this once favorite actor and eccentric man. His residence for the last twenty-two years has been the Island of Guernsey where he closed his career about six weeks since in the
seventy-sixth year of his age. As many of his admirers still survive we offer the following slight sketch of his character as a man an actorwhich we are sure will be acceptable to many of the elder readers of the American Courier :
Frances Blissett was born in London about the year 1773 but was soon removed to Bath by his father an eminent comic actor and great favorite in that city. The son was destined for the orchestra and received a careful musical education. At an early age young Blissett was placed in the band and gave promise of excellence as a volinist. On the occasion of his father's benefit he was permitted at the age of eighteen to make his appearance on the stage in the character of Doctor Last and succeeded so well as to induce the father to change his plans of his future profession. Blissett was a natural son : and to this circumstance those who knew him best attributed in a great degree the strange reserve of his character and his peculiar pursuits and habits as well as the eagerness he showed to remove to a distant country. He became a member of the admirable company with which Mr. Wignel opened the Chesnut street theatre in 1793 and continued a firm adherent to that corps until 1821 when by his father's death he came into the possession of an elegant competency. It was his father's earnest wish that he should return to England twelve years before and he wrote many pressing letters to that effect. adding large inducements but the son resolutely declined. The father was an admirable actor of the old school and appeared in London with good approbation as Shylock Falstaff Hardcastle and opp when upwards of seventy and died at the very advanced age of eighty-three years. Why Blissett selected Guernsey as his residence we have never been able to learn--it was probably chosen from the love of retirement and seclusion so peculiar to him from early youth. Altough the cause of so muchhhhhh mirth to thers he was himself (like many famous comedians) a confirmed hypochondriac and a melancholy man. Into gay society no temptation could draw him. His life was passed in occasional intercourse with a very limited knot of friends and all efforts to bring him out as a companion to amuse he resisted and resented. Like his fellow-comedian Jerferson he felt the utmost horror at the thought of being made a source of amusement to convivial parties. He seemed most happy when shut up in his room with his books and violin. He read much and was a close observer of manners. His acting which appeared so natural and unstudied was the result of most laborious application joined to great natural comic talents. It was a common saying in the theatre that he gave more study to his profession than any of the tragedians bestowed on theirs. The circle of parts in which he moved was more limited than that any favorite comedian we recollect except Weston ; yet in this range he had few equals and scarcely a superior as Peter in "The Stranger" Dr. Dablancour Dr. Caius Mons.le Medicin the Mock Duke Dumps Clown in "As You Like It" David in "The Rivals" Crabtree Cobbler in "Forty Thieves" Sheepface Cantan Gravedigger Molkus Gabriel Crack Label Verges Abel Day Francis in "Henry IV" Joey Launcelot and Dougal.
We may long look for his equal. He was scrupulously honest in giving all the words of his author--seldom indulging in liberties with the text or action of his part. His pride was to excel in little characters and he would frequently render a part of 20 or 30 lines only very formidable to the other actors. During his most comic efforts it was amusing to hear his doleful complaints of diseases which existed only in his imagination when he would sometimes work himself up to a frenzy of terror lest he should be wholly unable to finish the performance he was engaged in. Notwithstanding his unbounded favoritism he never received a good benefit--at least compared with the other comedians ; and realized the mortifying stage truth that the principal part will always receive the highest honors and largest profits--this he keenly felt and often complained of. This might be chiefly attributed to the very small number of his personal acquaintances who usually add their friendly exertions to the professional claims of a favorite player on the occasion of his benefit night. In the company he was a great favorite and his depression and distant manner were subjects of much regret. He had little powers of continuous conversing but would occasionally delight his friends by some out-of-the-way observation or touch of that dry humor which rendered his acting so attractive. He had always a ready hand for any benevolent purpose but seemed half ashamed of what he might have well been proud of ; he cherished a very few friends but professed himself to be "a cold-hearted man"--a character which his fellow-actors denied his claim to. His recollections of America were ever warm and grateful : the very last letter received from him contained an affectionate message of regard to his old manager and the warmest assurances of respect and esteem. For some time past he entertained a purpose to return to America and finish his days in his favorite city. He lived with few friends but died without an enemy ; and though his retirement could not be said like Garrick's to "eclipse the gaiety of nations" yet it certainly tended "to dimish the stock of harmless amusement."
We remember no actor so difficult to describe as Blissett. His style if one can so call it (being greatly varied according to the part assumed) was marked by a singular truthfulness and reality ; his French characters proved him no mannerist for each was a distinct portrait--no one reminding you of the other ; yet this variety was all within a very limited circle of parts. A lady artist once observed :--"There is no drawing a comparison between Blissett and Bernard or Jefferson ; he reminds one of an exquisite miniture while the others present highly finished full portraites. Yet each of these artists was nearly perfect in his department. Blissett from a diffidence in his own ability added to imaginary physical sufferings
