American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-06-30
For the American Republican. ]
THE STAGE.

For the American Republican,
THE STAGE.
tlEs, BURKE, Nh. BURKE AND w. Z. Burton.
.MeSsrs Edtoys,-This actress is fast assum-
no prominent. place in the public eye. The
morning Of her career has scarcsly dawned, ere
The seal Of universal favor is set. We waver
IN our contemplation of her character; unset
lied, whether to wonder and admire most the
model which Nature presents, in the bold, &C.
centric and grasPng structure Of her mind, OF
the unerring indicia of mental cultivation and
accomplishments, earned by severe application.
We do not mean to claim for her that she is a
prodigy-that she bursts upon the world like
meteor, to astonsh and bewlder, by her cratic
course; but that she is gifted by nature with an
lntutive perception of human character grasps
It's striking features, Incorporates and gives
them expression suited &c the various states Of
the soul. Joined to an unaffected, feminine
modesty and an undertaking propriety of de-
neanor, she shares largely in the popularity OF
bold and startling conceptions. Obstacles which
sometimes swerve the purpose of stout hearts,
only serve in her to give zest to exertiop.
The proud current of the aspirations of such
mind, ence set, overeaps all confines nterposed
10 change its direction or fetter its progress
they ars but mote-hills, to be wasted away by
is resistless course-for she knows well, that
whoever accomplishes great results
"sheuld have her SOULS affections all absorbed
In one majestic pprpose;';
and .hen, as a matter Of course, she will
To It's fulfilment, mountain borne
And mighty stream, with all its vassal Iills,
Sweeps proudly to the ocean, pausing not
To daily with the flowers"
The strong points in her scenic representa-
lions, are no sooner presented than they are
81 49, ha, ind Of tha,r nifr,.-
table conformity to nature. The high and COM
,nanding excellence in Mrs. Burke's acting con-
,sists in the perfect conception she has of the
character she imPersonates, and the extraordi-
nary power she possesses to collect and throw
ntc il the peculiar feeling, tone, manner and
energy, necessary 10 ensure its assumption; the
qividness and sublime effect of reality. The
poet has embodied the secret in three lines:
"She puts much of her heart into her act
That her example has magnets force.
And all are swift TO follow, whom all love-"
There is school of philosophers, justly de-
nominated lerele.s, who, by some metaphysical
process, account for the possession and pre-em-
nent exercise of this power, as the natural re-
sal; and need Of strenuous toll. But, to be
able to read human character, to give utter
ance to the thoughts, aspirations and emotions,
as they existed and swayed the breasts OF 9TH
ers, is the sublime gift and endowment OF
Heaven. This power is pre-emlnently Mrs.
Burke's. So numerous, bright and imperisha-
BILE are the evidences of the eminent rank she
occupies among the Stars of the Stage, spring.
ing from the natural bestowment OF this rare
faculty, that we need not summon up the spirit
of destiny to know the place which will be as
signed her. The true test of merit, In this par
ticular, is observation. With this criterion
if we take the effect produced upon an audi
L.. A. ,oPo oha ootn
as their sense and estimate of the approxima-
ton to real scenes and existences--we shall ar
rive at safe conclusions. BY this rule, what
judgement will be formed of Mrs. Burke's re-
cent impersonatlen in our city of the character
of Queen Elizabeth, in Richard Ill? where the
well Of every soul is stirred and troubled in its
lowest depths-where the free, warm, lively
cusA Of sympathy breaks loose from the bosoms
of hundreds, and is struggling with the dis
lracted and frantic Elizabeth for the deliver
ance of her doomed children. Who, present
on that occasion, will, while glimmerng ray
of reason lights up the soul, forget her mimi
table action in that deeply thrilling scene, in
which the Queen is torn away from her two
sons?-her fond and death-llke embrace OF the
one and the ether-.her burning kisses, imprint
ed for the last time--the painful violence OF her
grief and anguish, painting for vent-but which,
at length, becomes :nsupportable, and she re-
lapses into swoon and is borne OH the stage.
Ii was mastery stroke of conception, such as
we have never seen eGualled and, we believe,
cannot be excelled. Indeed, were the pleasing
duty assigned us of awarding laurels, as the
signet of merit, to form a brilliant coronet a
round the brow of her who most deserved il,
for her true and faithful delneaton OF this
character, we should place it upon the head OF
Mrs Burke In the character of Pauline, IN
the Lady of Lyons; of Cphelia, in Hamlet; OF
Clara, in Money; of Mrs. Haller, in the Strang-
eg; of Miami in Buckstone's Green Bushes; OF
Therese, in the Orphan of Geneva-the high
est epcorniums are due her--but emphatlcally
30, in the character of SuEan, in Biack-Eyed
Susan. Every scene becomes touchingiy In
teresting and impressive, up 10 the moment she
is informed of the doom that awaits her nus
band, whose protection Of he. from the shane-
less violence of the dissolute Captain, becomes
his death warrant. At this instant, nearing
his sentence, she rushes into her HUSBAND
arms, uttering wild shrek. The scene stfs
every chord OF the sou--it throbs intensely ano
painfully, subduing and melting to tears, WITH
out respect to sex or age. The demonstrations
of approximation are said to proceed uniformly
from the weak and senstive-such was not the
fact during Mis-. Burke's late engagement here
for, on the occasion of her benefit, and also
Mr.. Anderson's, the audiences were unusually
large, and embraced the elite of the cty--and
the signs of a signal and universal appreciation
Of superior abilities were never snofs palpable
and marked.
IN taking leave Of this actress--for we have