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A DRAMATIC CRITIC
of his work was told : he had given 13,345
performances, and had appeared in 577
characters ! What a record is this, and
how amazingly it contrasts with the expe-
rience of other noted modern players ! It
may be safely presumed, I think, that no
other American actor, even in the early part
of the nineteenth century, ever matched
Mr. Warren's figures. But compare them
with those of his eminent kinsman, Joseph
Jefferson, who within the latter half of his
life as an actor, say from 1875 to 1900,
has probably impersonated not more than
a dozen parts in all ; limiting himself, at
ninety-nine out of every hundred of his
performances, to exactly four characters.
Something is gained, something is lost,
of course, by the pursuit of either of the
professional courses which have been in-
dicated. But as I look back upon Mr.
Warren and his playing, the lives of all
his rivals seem narrow, monotonous, and
unfruitful. His art touched life, as life is
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