New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-05-22
Mr.. DAVENPORT as o7HELLo.

port appears VIC are at once struck with his incspa
~ TO peIsonac the character. Otheo sScud 6S IL
interest Of tue audience the instant Of bis appear
once by Lis proud bearing and mpetuous manner.
Every movement should speak Of the fiery Arb, and
feeling Of sympathy seize and hold the heart. But
MI Davenport enters with q stealthy pace and
moro with the mir Of some Iugubrous Eastern derySh
There is not in bis look the slightest reflection Of thai
lava which is burning in his blood with which every
vein ia swolled and every sinew bursting. Othello
requires for personation noble mein and strong
physical power which Mr. Davenport does not pos
sess But the ease elasticity and gracefulness Of
ton which also belong to Otheo Mr.. Davenport docs
possess and with their assistance he endeavors to
put on Othelo and make US forget he does not look
the man. Mr.. Davenport partially succeeds, but only
partially The fact is, effort Of an picture
big child OF nature Ike the Moor if the natural power
Of the actor il too limited. character like Richard
H. which draws its power from cunning Of the brain,
may be grasped by power Of art; but character
Ike Olheo which gathers its life from the fountain OF
nature, can only be grasped by power of feeling.
Men without that divine fire Of genius so rarely given,
may personae fends like Richard and Iago, whose
power of evil lies in their moral weakness but they fail
when they venture TO pesonate noble though faulty
a child Of nature Othelo, whose weakness hes IN
his unconsciousness of evil We have already ex-
pressed our opinion Of Mr.. Dayenports Richard. We
conceive fpossible be would be still better in lago,
character which have always deemed the character
Of the play and which is specially suited to his par
cular powers But for OthellO he is not by any means
70 well qualified.
When before the senate the modesty of OtbeIlo de-
generates in Mr. D. conception into humility; bis man
ner wears no spirit and little bespeaks the brave, no
BE chief Of the sodery of Venice The romantic story
Of his life is told with much moDotony, and it is only
when he speaks Of his love that be enists interest
The pallantry Of the soldier fixes no admiration, the
DIGNITY of TIE man is not felt the wild cbvalry Of
his adventure makes no emotion; all this is lost and
the audience are left with only partial notion Of the
character His love alone makes appeal to the heart
This was told most touchingly and those ever-beau-
teous words,
She loved me for the dangers bad passed
Ard loved her that she did pity them,
were delivered by Mr.. Davenport with deep pathos,
and rewarded by the audience with genuine ap-
plause
In the second act, where the gates are thrown aside
and he breaks upon the drunken brawl of the Vene-
an scntines, Mr.. Davenport wears an air of terrible
ierooty, when it should be simply one of the stern
anger and authority of commanding officer But we
pass TO scene which Mr. ID. renders with inimitable
commences his hellish work of torture. You almost
see every cunning arrow cleave the air, steal through
the dark skin and rest and ranke in the rich, luxu
riant Arab heart. You see the shadow of the green
eyed monster glide across him, making him first doubt
then sbudder then shake with and despair.
All these varying shades of feeling were portrayed by
Mr.. Davenport with great skill lie came out, too, in
glorious burst when he oxclams
" had rather be toad
Than keep corner in the thing love
For others uses"
When Desdemona comes, and, touched by her heav-
eny genteness of look doubts fly, and GOODNESS before
her sunny presence gives ways
If she he fase. Oh then Heaven Knocks itself
Tho startling transition ofthe weak noble man from re-
cntless jealousy to tender confidence is surrounded in
Mr.. Dayenport's rendering with much of poesy, and
kindles the sympathy of the audience.
The celebrated passage in which Othello mourns
over his loneliness of lot and bids farewell TO the go
rious appliances of war; was rendered by Mr. Dayen
mort in new FORM 1t is usually spoken advancing
in more declamatory style, TO the audience, with
mounful dignity, but Mr. Davenport delivers it with
out moving from his position beside lago, as If the
melancholy had suddenly fallen on his heart. This
rendering is to us far beautiful and natural ana
would have been most effective were 1t not marred by
monotonv Toward The close of the passage the sor-
row assumed more manlness and a" Othellos occupa-
" lion g gone" was spoken in broken-hearted yet
sonorous Tone This rendering appeared to carry
away the appreciation of the audience, who bestowed
fber arproval in continued and reiterated pIauds.
In the subseouent scenes with Iago and in that with
Desdemopa in which he requires the stolen handker-
chief Mr.. Davenport depicted Othelos varying ieei-
ings with truth and passion. In scenes IKE ths MI.
Davenport exhibits his power OF dehnesung powerful
emotions by infsing spirit into every gesture ana soul
into every movement. Whether his occasional loss
of animation arises from weakness OF physique or
studous desire to restrain feeling aud not over-do
nature We cannot say; but Mr.. Davenport does IN
;nsteo TO himself the moment he extinguishes TINS
,pimus. His rendering of the last act was bad. Al
though Othello il determined to do the foul oeea Oh
murder there is that in the determination when docs
NOT ,tife sympathy for hint rather increases It.
His neexibiItv is that of murdered heart, not Oh
stubborn mind But for the moment Mr. Davenport
oo too sober for the feeling too stern for the Ieso
luton too feeble. Thus the audience looked co'u''
ON. II is only whom Emilia PUSHES to the onahiDei
and Dosdemonas dying words ore heard 'na' '"e
reality touches the heart in its full sadness.
ON the whole. although some OF the scenes "heie
love and jealousy reign and rage are depcted WIN
ooat pover, Mr. Dayenports Othello is not equal 10
| bis Richard But we have little doubt that his love
ofbs art and attention to every suggestion Tor lis I'M
movement will induce him to correct as Tar as posi-
HE tho blemishes, if he believes them to be such'
which partially soil this personaton.
1
] WITH M NOE