The native American., 1838-01-13
THEATRE AND THEATRICAL SCENES
nQUrTrAT

distinguished played grandy but generally to thin
houses We witnessed his performance with the most
fegned pleasure. Mr.. Vandenho is almost perfect in
his proesson--in its art and mechanism He calculates
the minute rays of light that shoot up from the front
lamps. and knows the full value of dark and light side
scenes. He is Martinez Of the boards, and keeps the
residue Of the players in complete drill and discipline
And his awing presence seemed to bore the poor
Supernumeares, and made them behave with less
than they might have done.
Mr. Vandenho deserves elaborate criticisms for his act
ing the combination Of genuine love of his art and
deep and intellectual understanding Of the masters who
rule the Drama-throngh the tones and volumes left be-
hind them. In the where Lucius breaks the
ofVirginas arrest to Virginus excited blythe murder Of
Dentatus, could have withheld their admiration
at the immense power displayed by vandenhoff. After
the antalizng manner Of the Messenger from Rcmeaf
ter the working upon the heart Of the anxious parent and
then telling him that the Decemyir had had his daughter
dragged before his tribunal how magnfcently did he
burst forth with, The claim Of Claudus-Appius' eli
ent. Ha! 4
4 see the master -cloud-this ragged one
That lowers before, moves only in subservence
To the ascendant of the other. Joye,
With its own mischief. break it, and disper.e II.
And that be all the ruin! Patience Prudence!
Nay, prudence. but no patience. Come! slave
Dragged through the streets in open day. My child!
My daughteE My fair daughter, in the eyes
OF Rome! O! I'll be patient Come! the essence
Ofmy best blood in the free common
Condemned as vile! o. I'll be patient. Come!
o they shall wonJer-I will be so patient"
The Forum scene, we have alluded 10 before but it
still fingers on memory. We left, for moment the
present. and travelled back to that epoch when before
Roman Forum. Roman Maid dragged, to be given
away before fathers eyes, to nsfnl tyrant There
stood with the great and wicked actors in that
The paid girl-the virtuous and sublime father-the
butchers stall with the sharpened knifehe fleeing peo
ple-the trembling pahler to despot-and the freezing
pause between virtue brutal love- and godke sacrifice
and then the CLEAN of the knifethe plunge into the un-
tainted hearthe fall Of the virgin, and the rush Of Vr
ginus with the bloody weapon brandshed in his hand
through the armed ranks. Mr.. Vandenhof triumphed
his art; he the very embodyment of the Roman
and drew breath freely when he eft the Stage
The Prison terrific; the appearance OF the
actor was that of poor, but revengefu maniac; and
when he discovered the dead body Of Appius
Caudins, the scene was intense 1t is the fashion Of
critics adays to find fault that they may counter
balance their praise, and give piquancy to their lucid
reviews We opposed to the spread of this practice
and Of opinion that if truth and Judgment cannot i'm.
person criticised should not be resored to- We do not
wish to find fault with this great Tragedan. We would
always rather praise. for it is more grateful.
On Saturday night Hamlet was announced for his be.
ne and the aer-piece, "The Hunter Of the Alps" We
would observe in warning TO all actors not to select Ham
let for those starry occasions The play is not generally
understood. and every performer should be perfect in the
parts, and up to "the trick" of the Stage This is i'm
possible for any caster Of parts accomplish and the
s that the Hero stands alone the target for
every shaft and exposed by great failures in the stock
actors to startling contrast Virgnius Corioa-
nus, and William Tell all noble plays and legitimate too
would the purpose better. But Mr.. Vandenhof
in Hamlet accomplished every hing he shone forth with
new attitudes emphasis, and higher coloring than
had before In the Ghost scene, however,
not equal to Forrest; except where. after following
the Ghost he stops for the final revealment of the deed
of murder. Then he stepped beyond the limits Of all
other actors and made the very heart ring again with
Whittier wilt thou lead mel Speak, I'll go farther"
His Soloqnes have referred to in last number.
We have heard others differ with in opinion in relation
to them. We maintain that we were highly struck by
them: but is sdduced that there is too much effect
thrown into them; that he pauses too often, &c. Wit
ness the noble solloquy in Hamlet To be not to be-
Sc in contradiction. He advanced and took chair:
his whole appearance wrapt and abstracted He com.
menced calmly and wonderingly, following with his in
innate genius the very spirit Of the immortal poet till he
came to the, so Sleep to dream, &c. Then he from
his chair agated with the terrible idea of suicide that
like serpent was slowly winding itself around his brain
and kissing at his soul. He was moved awfuly. Then
il is that first begins to fall and yet he goes on
with the beautiful conceptions; slowly atimes and again
hurredy and scornnlly The perfection of soliloques
is that they The master strokes Of the author inter-
spersed through the heated action of the plays and would
be ridiculous to make actor 60 through those fine
thoughts "tippngly like child repeating school les
son. We must imagine that the actor is composing the
very words he uers; it his object to make you forget
the author for while, and think him the parent of the
thought; and vandenhof has this power in eminent
degree.
His Don Felix in "The Hunter of the Alps" was
very spirited performance, and he evinced equal power
for high comedy. he unqnestonaby has for the lofty
The Stock actors good though they might be bet
ter.
Mr. Ward attempted frst-rate Stock Company when
he opened the Theatres but how could he pay high
lares from the income OF the Theatre? We think he
does wisely in not incurrng too heavy expense; the
people here would not repay him. Parties during the
winter eles &c., the stars that rule the
taste If Mr. Ward would give out that he would feed