New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-05-15

Wesh person and the French doctor are both arrows
daried at well-known characters Of the day. and in
Nr Justice Shallow We have the portrait of no lees q
reryon than Sir Thomas Lucy himself We hardly
wonder that the play was kecnly reshed In his day
but the wonder which his genius worked was running
the delight in fresh and sparkling streams TO charm
and WITTY all time.
Tie Wives a. they wore at the Metropolitan las
night looked psssably pleasant, but Windsor looked
sad and sombcr indeed. The neglect of scenery was
shameful. Tie scene might as well be meant for
pourlkeepsie as for Windsor and the interior decora-
ton of the houses for furniture secured up for an up
holsery in some Bowcry store, as for the quaint
oinamo ntal style Of Elizabethsn architecture. Sur
rounded By such sad inconges the powers OF actors
get sorely tried, a. they have 10 make up by
excess in excellence as actors for Tie DEFICIENCIES OF
scenery. Ms. Sloan as Mrs. Page, Miss Cannon
as Ms. Ford, Ms. Vernon as Mrs Quickly,
entered with great guso into their parts aud the gen
temen who personated the Welsh parson the French
physicien. and Master Slender, made commendabeen-
6eavor to please But on the whole there was tame
ness in the performance which made many scenes
tediousv enough Much of the genuine spirit which
relvades play ike this depends the personation
Of Fastaf A thoroughly pictured Falstaff absorbs
ceIried away by him, they are lees touched by the
frai,ies Of the surrounding parts. But Mr.. Hacket'
although mquestionahly talented and cult
waited artist. lacks the exuberance of joviallty
ard usciousross Of spirits which essential re-
quisites in the fersonaton Mr. llackett Is gentle
manly but lot genuine Fastaf; and this Is tie
impression his entrance on the stage creates. lie
presents Fastaffs Obesity, bit he has the high
1fnNmt fal moi
In tie anxious effort TO preserve the gentleman,
lie ocsos sight Of tie coarse grossness which
marks Sir Johns every acts and when ". Hackeit
smiles VIC think more OF Mr.. Pickwick on pree than
OF tie dssolue, greasy old prohgste, FallsAf Ger
tainly if we had to se.eot between persone.on OF
Falsaff who drags his beastly nature along
tie stage mredcemed by single trait, OF
tie conten AMY Tearing which belongs to his birth,
and Falsai Ike that Of Mr. Hockett which gives
Us rl tie gcntcmanly bearing but little or nothing OF
the brute, we would giyethe pam 10 Mr. Hackett, and
would admire the good taste which makes HIM select
tie less ropulsve side OF the character. Yet If the
rersouaton be more unpalatable, it Is still more
in accordance with Shakspcres conception
when il combines both extremes. Another weak
ness in Nj. Hacketts personaiion Is his lack oil
physica power. which obfges him too often TO convey
by cCutOItOn OF CoulcnhnCc an luplconioh Ni'"' W
be effective should he conveyed by tremendous force
of lungs and hilariousncss of merrimont. But while
Mr. Hackett fall to cothe the character with that
huge eAhilaraton which should belong to 1t, he sur
rounds some of the scenes with great pleasantness
His wooing of Mrs. Page enacted with an oily
usciousness which conyulsed the house. His CONVEX
sation with Dame Quickly and Master Brooke in the
second act was also effectively rendered In the third
act where Mr.. Haokett, meeting Mrs. Ford, ex-
claims "Taye caught thee my heavenly jewell the
affected feryor In which he exclams he cannot
cog but must aver that he loves her, drew
down an unbounded and deserved applause.
In the basket scene Mr.. ackett is admirable IN rem
derng tie cowaIdiy fear of the Knight by hs anxiety
to get away and creep into the basket. Yet IN
this and the fourth act there is lack of hearty iden
fcaton with the spirit Of the scene, which even the
occasional truthful touches cannot redeem Not all
the intrinsic droery of the incident Is sufficient to
sustain the interest Of the audience, and to maintain
the popularity of the piece, requires far more spirit
ed and ioval delinea,on than that rendered by MIR.
Hackett last night