Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-10-12
PERFORMANCES OF RACHEL-AN ADAi"A
BILE CRrTlQUE.
To The Editors Of he Enquirer: ,o,,

NEW YoRK. Oct. !, 1870.
R,cuy, ia pInying her nth week at inc hf'r"p" y.
a., rha.trc md. however unequal muy nave Deeh'c
n;rb,Iv receipts ut the Box Office. hr Per'or'nun.ee
in New York cannot be Spohen VI I'm )" Ina hos had
,r.nt triunlri. On several OCCASIONS shc d "
1911 Iuuses, and, with one or two excepllohs'
INV ,,", Inv. always been good and highly reinuneratlVe.
Wien il is taken in consideration that she Is playing In
n Theatre that will scat 2,SnO persons OF "pnnt uouo.SS
rho couacitv of the C0med.P Frnnrd'Sf IN larls, ana
that. with one exception, there has not been On au-
Iicnce that woald not have more than hiled tnHt cles-
sic t.mple, | think the European Correspondents VINO
predicted her failure i'll tins country, "i, have " :
knowledge that they under-rated the taste ana cult
yotion of Americans. \ glance mt the audiences, us
well as the number sold uf bo0ES Of ne Pqy winch,
by the wav, ae wrrtcled tralslailons,) shows each
night that she il mt dependent upon Foreigners Tor
support, but that Tile n"trrS die' here III 'eas'' III "
large minority.
Most ii the plays have been repeated once or twice.
| would not undertake. II criticism of each OF her great
characters; our lu:ne papers have exhausted the vo-
cabulnry, not in criticisms, but more properly eulo,
riuns, and there is nothing left Ia say. Fault To hnd
Tier, is none, and he would b. looked upon as II luna
tic who would venture To suggest an Improvement III
ANYTHING that Rachel says Or dues. on he stare. lou
NAV sometimes he ustonished nj certain rcadilSS tnn.
school. day rccollrctions had rendered tnlIlliar, o'
when you think it over, you find that you bad olay a
sclIoul-hny's lden, and that Rachel, inspired ny wv
author, has given his true Interpretation: ln'. L.,
peciaily noticeable in such m0rctGnr cho'S"S' .'
iIllTtcullpu Ol CuUlllC Ill INC lOllItH ~
Crs, commencing,
"Rorue, luniqus obict lie mon resentment
which, instead of the dcclanatory style that our pro,
fessors approved OF, is given by the Sreat ""g'H"H"e
with a low concentration of expression that harro"s
up the soul. ., ..;.
Ono would suppose that with the oeautliui SlussL"
elocutiun, for which Rachel il so justly i"'neu, sho
never runts; but this is l!ul the case. III some D. her
paris, and | would mention particularly that ol l1er-
mionr in Andrunnaque, there are passages > u ,mPas.
stoned that in their delivery, were II any o"is oW
Rachel, il would he called rmtinS-thc assertion Il
bold. but maintain it. Others have objected thht
her enuprintiun is sometimes sn rapid that the most
pracrise,l French eur cannot catch the words; but here
must defend ilrr-u fly helping Il whole Team you
will sav-ueyerihclcss, let me explain II IL mol Inc
juJistinctncss of her enuncintinn, but Tile acoustic coh-
structiun of the house that IL Ia blame; there ID q re-
vci bcra,iun that causes rapld spenkins to reach Inc
centre of the house in confused snunds-tlch'e lne
complaint from those WHO are hot seaIru una. n Wv
chel should, i'm Justice TO herself, or has been III Tile
habit OF playing in, her voice, Inelodious To a degree
ia powerful enough in ordinary passages 10 reach Tie
remOtest corner. 80
Ccm,ncuciup with the classic tragedies of Corncille
and Racine, which are undoubtedly her greatest roles,
IN. rcp.tition of cuch OF these characters lus shown
that the masses appreciate the modern drama more;
for in such plays us Angelo, Adrienne, Leoouvreur,
and Marie Stuart, she never tulls 10 have n crowded
audience. This is not astonishing, for il requires
moro than the study Of the language 10 appreciate the
stately, musical, rythinicul, hrxaInctnrs of The French
classic drama; and then the nccrssnriCs of the act are
wanting i'll change of scene ard in action; IL is indeed
bat words, words, words. The strict rule which IL
miis the time Of II play ro2i hours, requiresthal every
thing should be related; consequently. there IS hu'
que scene, generally n hall in u palace and the curtain
does not even drop IL mark tho cHtr'0r,c. But these
very difficulties make RnclclIs triumph. Nothing
can surpass her representation Of the gentle Gamble
reused III teSpcratiun-tlIe naughty, crrinS but NOT re-
morsrlcss Pledre--tli" lnpcrlous Ro1aiie-or inc
| l,,.. n1,.,.k. anal .tr.tN,r. nj III r,pIlt, 1 u Cn1
rarters have been too much dwclt upon by other
s%crithl.rs Ia be- discussed here.
On Wednesday, Correillc's Polyeuctc was played
for the first time. The part OF Pauline, beautifully
drawn as it is by tho poet, had not inspired me win
any greut expectations, even from Rachel. Unlike
her other parts, there ii no strong display oil hu'han
passions-there is no .jcaluusy--n" revenge elmo
tions thar Rachel seems more particularly to de!lSht
in pnurtrnyins, aud the only ones her rrliIcs way sie
is capable Of rendering. And, thea, the idea al n he
ruiuc who loves one man, mHrrIcs another, ana men
loves both husband and lover, wns hardly agreeable.
But, II the anticipation WAS less the surprise was
Greater. for | now thiuk it one of her greatest char-
artcrs. She invests the part uf Pauline, throughout,
with an interest that | had not conceived possible
Duty and virtue are her prominent traits, and, when
after the execution Of her martyrcd husband, She her
self becomes u christian, aud acknowledges her talth,
her confession,
"Jc vols, ju sais, jc crois,"
was given with Il bcatitudc and radiancy Of expression,
Il voice trcinulous with emotion, and s0uEfclt raptu-
ruus sincerity, that surpassed any previous effort, and
drew down the house. Herself Il daughter of Israel,
one cannot rcnizc that Rachel belongs Ia any other
persuasion, when in the mimic scene she exclaims:
"Je suis cllreticnne."
| am sorry | cannot say that tho other parts of this
beautiful play were even mcN sustained. Mons.
Cheri atnt, who sometimes plays very decciItly, las in
Pyrrhus,) madr II poor part Ut Severe, the finest clar.
acter in the play. Pnlycncte was better rendered than
Mons. Randoux usually does hi. part-hc raAted less.
This gentleman, engaged us tho leading Juvenile, isn
heavy, believing, athlete, aud in such parts u Oreste,
thar Talma has imnortalized, he Is almost ridiculous.
Any company with Rachel, mast sn.lor by compare
son. bnt it was certainly possible 10 have found bet
ter actors III France, where mcdi"cri,y on the stage
is not tolerated, thnn those they have brought hore.
Au revoir, JACQUES.