The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-11-13
Broadway Theatre-.N1acbcth"-M Blu
Chanan.


There be doubt that the dramatic art is In lis
infancy in this country Al the present writing have
only two persons stage equal the proper
expression Of English tragedy. on COMEDIANS we have
. supernuity. The spirit of the age runs rather 70
laughing than to crying This induces very often 10
laugh and cry in the wrong places To follow out the
argument we should say that laughed at the tragedy
Of macbeth performed last night and the truth is
that the representation provocative Of mirth
funess than Of that subdued serenity which the reprcscn
tation of such play should produce.
In this play there really but two strongly marked
charscters-hose Of Macbeth and his wife. In Macbeth
tho poet has portrayed first the dawn Of ambition the
temptation TO crime induced by that passion; the hcsta
ton Of the bold soldier the thought the
platy and the duty Of the subject rne
the and reckessness which the crime
and the inevitable punishment which must overake such
traDsgresson Lady Macbeth urges her husband TO the
crme-is partner in his guit-but from the inherent
weakness Of her becomes the prey TO
The other characters are mere aduncts working out
We do not give this analysis because we think that
readers not informed upon the subject. On the
rary, Macbeth on account OF the excellence Of Its
strucon is the most popular of Shakspeare's dramas;
for, es,hecally speaking it is not tragedy. is this
dfnculty in the way Of the actor who at.
temps the principal part The Macbeth of last
night, Mr. Buchanan suffered from this and from
other lie lacks several physical aids generally
considered necessary for tragedan His voice harsh,
his el0cuon rugged and his facial uscles enheybe.
His repose il inexpressvehs action degenerates into
rant He made Macbeth thing Of posurcs and attitudes
The character is essentially tickle changeabe vacatng
Mr. Buchanan was painfully slow and deliberate. Save
times-when he had nothing to do-he quite natu-
raj, but generally too elaborate and artificial His
eocution is fashioned after the old models. Like Mr..
Macready he says, Never shakeser thy CORY locks"
&C. and in the grand speech, 'Wake Duncan with thy
knocking" he rants and laughs thus-"Wake-er, Dun
can, with thy knockng-a-ha ha ha or would thou
couds" Mr.. Buchanan acts continually at the audience
and is over anxious that he shall leave nothing TO their
imagination. 1t is Mr.. Buchanan whom they constant
ly; Macbeth they never think Of. Incidentally
have spoken Of Mr.. Buchanan's general qualiHca-
TONS want of qualifications for the stage. Particularly
forced TO the conclusion that he does not
play Macbeth. We obliged to believe that he is des
tue OF the first principles OF the art and that he hopes
to win fame tragedian he must begin his work
again. He is grand enough impe the admiration Of
the audience; his crudity and harshness precudes the
possibility Of awakening its sympahies. Altogether he IL
not much ut fault the school which he affects. That
he has talent clear but is almost crushed by the
load of conventionates which he has shoudered.
Lady Mucbeth (Mrs Conway was disagreeably spasmo
die Il FIRST and dsressiDgly tame at the end The other
characters the stage, said their say, and went
Of again, all OF which done after the old routine
fashion characteristic Of what they call the legitimate
dvar dar -fays ifiunaf hnra