Charles Dickens Live!
Buffalo Daily Courier Friday Morning March 13, 1868 p.2The First Reading Of Charles Dickens
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A more fashionable, intelligent and critical audience then that which gave greeting to Mr. Charles Dickens last evening, we have not assembled in St. James Hall on any occasion. The best minds of the city, the representative men of commerce, of trade, of the pulpit and of the bar; the leaders of the fashions, our most beautiful and intelligent ladies; and men and women who were discriminating without being representative; and a few men and women who never intended to comprehend such a man as Charles Dickens or anybody else born out of the little world in which they live--they were all there. Some of them were in attendance because it would not be the just thing to remain away; some to see the great novelist: still others to gratify some special craving of vanity or curiosity, or what not: but at least nine-tenths of those present were there simply from a desire to to know Dickens better, if possible than they had become aquainted with him through his works. But whatever prompted the attendance, certain it is that Mr. Dickens found his audience strongly en rapport with him before he read five minutes. A sensitive man like Mr. Dickens never mistakes his audience, and from the perfect ease and freedom of his manner.--- the spirit he infused into what may be termed his deliberations, it was evident that his powers were
asserted to the utmost, which could not have been the case before a less sympathetic assemblage.
Before 8 o'clock the people with very few exceptions were in their seats, and the audience so far composed that one and all could speculate as best they liked upon the appearance of the stage.
Our readers through or correspondents and from quotations made from eastern press,
have been made familiar with the stage accessories employed by Mr. Dickens. They had learned that the solitary light which generally illuminates the speaker's or reader's desk did not suffice; that the old desk itself or table was ignored by him; that the extra gas lights, the crimson plush-covered stand, the screen, the carpet and the general coziness of the stage-all had been written about until really nothing remained to be said on the subject; but the reason for introducing theses accessories, perhaps remains to be explained--at least if any explanation has been vouchsafed we have overlooked it. To us the stage suggested nothing of affection, but rather a compliance with well-known requirements. An excellent work of art can be exhibited to full advantage in a strong properly disposed light and with certain accessories. Now the screen which is employed is of a maroon color, as near as we can determine it-the same color as some of the walls of our Art Gallery are painted. It forms the best of backgrounds. The carpet is the same color, the crimson of the handsome plush covered stand, with it's miniature book desk on the left, and it's projecting shelf on the right, for a decanter of water and tumbler, reflects the light agreeably and adds much to the warmth of the whole. The lights are supplied by the light frame work which rises from the front part of the stage and consists of two gas pipes which at several feet apart rise to a height of seven or eight feet and are crossed on the top with a third pipe from which project numerous burners concealed from the audience by a thin covering of wood painted the same color as the screen. The side pipes supply supply
two or three burners each, the light from which is strengthened and directed by reflectors. The effect of the whole is warm, agreeable, eminently cheerful; the form and features of the reader stand out most clearly defined; so much so that the slightest change of feature need not escape observation; and the very atmosphere which envelopes the artist is congenial. There is everything to justify these surroundings even aside from practical considerations, for they gratify the tastes of the audience and make the reader altogether at home with his friends. So much about the stage, and now a word about--
CHARLES DICKENS AND HIS READINGS
At 8 o'clock Mr. Dickens made his appearance, walked with hurried step across the
stage to his desk, informed us by the motions of his hands and body by his general
appearance, that his temperament was a generous commingling of the sanguine and
nervous; and the projecting eyes told the story of his marvelous language,
--and the broad, clean cut forehead indicated where lay his humor, his constructiveness, his
wonderful insight, his grasp of thought, his imagination, his matchless imitativeness;
--the whole face indicating intensity of feeling and boundless activity. Glancing over the thinly covered baldness, we come upon the firmness which has expressed itself so unmistakenly in giving force to the peculiar emphasis which he has employed in projecting his characters, and stability to everything he has done; for if there is one thing any more readily discovered in the writings of Mr. Dickens than the another, it is emphasis. As for his alleged vanity, he evidently has enough of it, but the affectations which grow out of it are unobjectionable, and we should scarcely think that he ever allowed it to stand between him and his sense of duty. But we cannot deal with Mr. Dickens personal appearance at length however pleasant it may be. His photographs give some idea of him, but they are by no means satisfactory; indeed his face is rather difficult to describe, for there is not a muscle of it, under that flexible, radiant brow of his, that is not alive with expression. Mr. Dickens was dressed with the greatest care, the inevitable fresh rosebud blooming on the left lapel of his coat, the cable gold chain dangling over his unapproachable white vest and a brilliant cluster of diamonds sparkling on the third finger of the right hand. With the barest outline of how Charles Dickens appeared to us last night our readers must rest contented. The Readings of Mr. Dickens, contrary entirely to our expectations, proved to be artistic, When Mr. Dickens said "Marley was dead, to begin with" after announcing his readings for the evening, we could not suspect even, that a voice which seemed to lack in music, power and flexibility, could be made to do the brilliantly effective work which it afterwards performed. For a pedantic elocutionist no worse voice could be well conceived, and directed by a less skillful artist than Mr. Dickens it would fail to engage the interest of an audience in anything short of the broadest humor. But the soul whose mere servant the voice is, was in action and it's had to do it's bidding so far as it was required for expression; and how faithfully it performed it's task we need scarcely remind those who are cognizant of it's faithfulness. It answered for every character which the author portrayed and made no mistakes. It spoke for Scrooge and for Bob Crachit and for Tiny Tim,
and for Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig and for all the other characters of the "Christmas Carol", and never allowed one, accidentally to speak for the other, -a ventriloquial performance surpassing that of the most accomplished reader of Dickens we have ever heard. In the trial of "Bardell and Pickwick" it was used with wonderful felicity. Nothing could be finer than the gutteral mutterings of the sleepy, oleaginous Justice Starleigh and with it there could be no mistaking the identity of Sergeant Buzfuz Mr. Simpkin, Mrs. Cluppins,Mr. Winkle and the Wellers. But while Mr. Dickens was so successful with what, at first seemed an uncompromising voice, what shall we say,--what can be said of the co-operative aid afforded his characters, by his face, motion of the body and gesture? It must suffice to say that it seemed as if all of Mr. Dickens faculties were in full play in the representation of each character, and each character was as strongly as it was possible to have it, and in the brilliancy, naturalness and completeness of these individualizations, we had revealed
to us the consummate artist which Mr. Dickens is. For each portraiture he sacrificed his own personality, and when he was Scrooge, or Crachit, or any other, he for the time, ceased to be the creator or even the interpreter of these characters.
To indicate the particular points which pleased the audience most, which excited them to laughter, or won from them demonstrations of applause, would involve unnecessary labor, and at best only serve to indicate the correct taste of the audience, for to their credit be it said, they unanimously knew where the "laugh came in." To the readers of Dickens, the treat of last night was a golden one, for what an exhilaration did they not enjoy in the contact into which they were brought with the man who, above all others had contributed to their enjoyment. And how delightful it was to find their own interpretations of Dickens' creations tally exactly with his, or even differ with them in some respects! Certainly they will remember the entertainment of last night as one of the most delightful of their lives.
We might extend our hurried comments upon a subject which is really a delightful one to dwell upon did our time permit, but the reader will not have followed us so far in our remarks without learning that we regard Mr. Dickens as an artist--not a mere eloqutionist--whose portraitures are as nearly faultless as we ever expect to see them.
This evening Mr. Dickens reads "Dr. Marigold" and "Bob Sawyer's Party:" nor should we close this notice without congratulating Mr. Kelly, Mr. Dickens's advance agent, upon the manner in which the hall and stage have been arranged for the readings.
