THE MARBLE HEART,
OR THE SCULPTOR'S DREAM, a drama in prologue and four acts adapted by Charles
Selby from MM. Barriere and Thebout's drama of "Les Filles de
Marbre," was produced at the Adelphi Theatre in London on May 22, 1854.
The cast was as follows:
Raphael Duchatlet, Leigh Murray.
Volage, Benjamin Webster.
Viscount Chateaumargaux, Paul Bedford.
Monsieur Veaudori, Charles Selby.
Marco, Madame Celeste.
Clementine, Miss Cuthbert.
Mariette, Emma Harding.
Marie, Sarah Woolgar.
Madame Duchatlet, Mrs. Leigh Murray.
A little over a month after Benjamin Webster assumed
management of the Adelphi Theatre, he brought out Selby's adaptation. The
original play had created considerable furor in Paris upon its performance in
May of the previous year, when it had been produced at the Vaudeville with
Charles Fechter as the hero.
"The Marble Heart" had a very successful career at
the Adelphi, and was praised moderately in the press, the chief exceptions
being taken to the manner in which the crucial scenes were prolonged beyond the
point of interest, and to the allegorical prologue, which was found to have little
or no relation to the drama itself. Mr. Murray achieved unexpected distinction
in the leading character, and Madame Celeste also came in for a good share of
praise. "While Mr. Murray's acting is the chief feature of the new
drama," said the "Times," "Madame Celeste makes the most of
a not very kindly part. Her quiet manner of acting the marble-hearted lady, who
sits in calm contemplation of her lover's distracted gestures, is as truthful
as it is unobtrusive; and the remorse she feels when at last she sees the dead
body of Raphael is depicted by a most terrific expression of
countenance."
The character of Raphael was a favorite one with
Edwin Adams and Lawrence Barrett in the old stock days of the American theatre,
and almost every actor of note was at some time or other seen in the drama, for
it contained several good parts besides that of the hero. The original American
performance of the play was at the Metropolitan Theatre in San Francisco in
January, 1855, with the parts thus distributed:
Raphael, Edwin Booth.
Viscount Chateaumargaux,Henry Coad.
Volage, Henry Sedley.
Marco, Mrs. C. N. Sinclair.
Clementine, Mrs. Burrill.
Mariette, Miss Lane.
Marie, Miss Mowbray.
On April 23 of the following year it was brought out in New
York at the Metropolitan Theatre, with George Jordan as Raphael, G. K.
Dickinson as Volage, T. B. Johnston as Chateaumargaux, Laura
Keene as Marco, Ada Clare as Fedora, Kate Reignolds as Marie, and
Mary Wells as Madame Duchatlet. Its first performance in Boston, in
September, 1856, was with Julia Bennett Barrow as Marco, Mrs. John Wood
as Marie, and John Gilbert as Volage. One of the most famous Raphaels
of his time was John Wilkes Booth, a character in which Charles R. Thorne,
Jr., was also successful, while F. B. Conway as the sculptor, and Mrs. Conway
as Marco, were noted in their respective parts. Madame Ponisi used to
play Marco, and John Brougham at one time acted Volage. Of late
years, Robert B. Mantell has been the only star who has essayed the character
of Raphael, although in many instances the local stock companies have
given the play with satisfactory results.
SOURCE: John Bouvé Clapp and Edwin Francis Edgett, Plays of the Present, p. 174-6
