At the Altar of the Bard Garrickís Idolization of Shakespeare Shown in Drawings, Letters, Artifacts by Gary Tischler Among the wealth of images, artifacts, letters, texts and bric-a-brac in the endlessly enthralling exhibition ìDavid Garrick (1717-1779), a Theatrical Lifeî at the Folger Shakespeare Library is a 22-inch terracotta model of a life-size marble sculpture depicting William Shakespeare. It shows the Bard leaning in deep thought as if ìto be or not to beî was just about to materialize in his imagination. If you look at the features, youíll notice that they bear something of a resemblance to the features of Garrick, the remarkable 18th-century theatrical colossus. That shouldnít come as a surpriseóGarrick commissioned the sculpture and posed for it himself. And if you think about it, heís entitled. What becomes clear in this exhibition is that among Garrickís many accomplishments as theater entrepreneur, pre-eminent actor, promoter, manager and theatrical genius of the century is that he cemented (and revived) Shakespeareís position as Englandís national poet-playwright and the worldís most prominent literary genius. He did thisónot always in ways the Bard might have app reciatedóby making certain parts such as Hamlet, Lear and most prominently Richard III his own, performing them often and creating spectacles and tributes of Shakespeareís genius that surpassed any other playwrightís efforts, including Garrickís own modest but entertaining farces. He hijacked Shakespeare into idolized status by revolutionizing the world of theater, kicking it into the modern age with a raging multitude of gifts acquired seemingly out of thin air. First, as a performer, he shocked and then delighted Drury Lane audiences in London with a flair for evocative, natural acting, and then as a manager and showman, he raised the practice, performance and management of staging plays into a business and a form of respectability that it had never quite had before, even in Shakespeareís time. His career and lifeóit spanned the biggest chunk of the 18th century from 1717 to 1779óseems from our vantage point to be very modern, wigs and candlelight aside. To our eyes and ears, he might seem like a combination of David Merrick and Laurence Olivier. Itís fair to say that his contemporaries got to experience something brand new when Garrick at last took on his first acting part (ìanonymouslyî), and itís probably not surprising that he was such a skilled actor, having had as a friend and tutor no less a personage than Samuel Johnson. When he debuted in London at the outlaw Goodmanís Fields as Richard III, Garrickís fortune, fame and future were forever established. His acting style was for that time very natural. Instead of declaiming flowery speeches and poems, he created characters that became recognizable as humans beings as opposed to symbols. The Folger exhibition, in fact, includes a parade of Garrick characters, with drawings depicting Garrickís gift for disappearing into a character. Itís likely that Garrickís acting was much more stylized and emotive than what contemporary audiences might be used to, but to audiences in mid-1700s London, it might have seemed as if somebody had gone on stage naked, sans costumes. But, as the exhibition makes clear time and again, Garrick was more than a mere player. He was also a writer, penning works such as ìThe Clandestine Marriage,î which was performed at the Folger and is perhaps the best example of his comedic work. Garrick was a popularizer, an adapter, a bowdlerizer and an innovator. For instance, he banished the practice of having aristocrats sit on the stage among the actors (surely a disconcerting presence for the actors). He made audience members pay full price, even if they didnít show up until the second half, a decision that caused riots. He raised money and established a fund for indigent actors. He introduced stage lighting and was a brilliant marketer, selling cards, crystal, pottery and commemorative images of himself and the plays. He was adored, despised, praised and reviledóall in all, he was a gaudy example of the theater person in action. After him, it became much more respectable to be a theater person and an actor. Garrick became honored and wealthy, marrying a dancer and actress who spent years after his death polishing the Garrick legend and reputation. His God was Shakespeare, whom he celebrated time and again. Come to think of it, Garrick was theaterís first superstar and major celebrity. Or as the great poet and contemporary Alexander Pope put it, ìThat young man never had his equal, and never will have a rival.î Garrick made actors and writers rethink their thoughts about the theater. As one of them said, ìIf he is right, the rest of us have it wrong.î When Garrick died just shy of his 62nd birthday, Samuel Johnson wrote that Garrickís death eclipsed ìthe gayety of nations.î He was buried in the Poetís Corner of Westminster Abbey near the monument of Shakespeare, close enough for a quiet conversation between the two. This exhibition, culled from the Folgerís vast collection of Garrick material, is also part of a monument to Shakespeare. The two men, more than anyone else, created modern theater and made sure that it would live well past our own selves. ìDavid Garrick (1717-1779), a Theatrical Lifeî runs through Aug. 28 at the Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St., SE. For more information, please call (202) 544-7077 or visit www.folger.edu. Gary Tischler is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.