How Lord Dundreary Was Made.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 233, 17 December 1887, Page 3

How Lord Dundreary Was Made.

Edward Askew Sotiierf came .of good family,' and vyas born in Liverpool' in the year 1830, on " April fool day," to which h& used humorously to attribute that love of practical jokes to, which he was so. much addicted. Ift 1851, when' one-and twenty years old, an opportunity -offered of trying his foit'inj-- in Ainovica, of which he at once availed himself, and 'made * hid U&bltF &b the National- Tho;iM( , Boston. Sothorn's position way a mediocre one,' his lino of busines- seldom rising: above that of " walking gentleman ;" l.c had a good appearance, dressed well, and acted with ease and refinement as the juvenile lover of comedy or farco, and that was all. The true story of Sothorn's extraordidary rise has never been fully told in print ; at 'least we have never seen it. He himself related it partially, bub • omitted what are perhaps the most striking particulars, which wegiveon tho authority of those who were in the theatre at the time. In 1858 Tom Taylor wrote to order a comedy for Joseph Jofier&on, of Rip Van Winklo memory, called " Our American Cousin," in which that famous comedian was to play Aga Trenchard. Among the characters wa3 a small part of .some forty-seven lines, a stupid old English aristocrat, named Lord Dundreary, which was to cast Edward Sothern. So insignificant was the part that he returned it to the prompter and refused to play it. Upon which ho received a, notification from tho management that he must either perform it or take his dismissal ; and as the latter alternative did not suit him ho had to cave in. Bub he made no secret among his brother actors of his intention " to guy " the part throughout, and render it so ridiculous that he would " queer the pitch " on everyonewho was on tho stage with him, a by no means uncommon trick with actors who do nob like their parts. The first night ha played it with a stutter and a lisp, and sofar from "queering" the scene this interpretation seemed to please the audience hugely. A morning or two afterwards a rehearsal, it being very cold, Sothern began to hop and .skip about at the back of the stage in a comical manner to get his blood into circulation. "Do you intend to introduce that into Lord Dundreary ? ' inquired Laura Keen© sarcastically. Although the idea had not&uggested itself before, Sothern answered promptly, " Yes, madam ; that is my idea of the part. " And on that night the famous hop and skip were added to tho lisp and stutter, and the audience roared. Every night Sothern added some new eccentricity, and as the public received each with mci cased relish, it was not fQF_ tho management to object Gradually this insignificant part began to over&hadow all tho rest, and to be the great attraction of the comedy ; it was no longer Asa Trenchard people went to sec, but Lord Dundreary, and all New York vas crowding to Laura Keene's to roar over this farcical representation of English ai"istocracy. Yet Sothern u«eJ to say that there was not ono thing he did or said in the character that he had not taken from life. And so in a short time, from beinsa%ery small personage in the company he ro&e to be iU constellation, and to be in a position to dictate his o\\ n term?.