New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-02-04

A NEW AND SUCCESSFUL TRAGEDY.-The follow
ing extract concerning the new tragedy of Har-
ode, . from the pen of Mr. Nea6e is taken frsm the
Norfolk Herald. As this gentleman will most likely
produce this play during his forthcoming engagement
at the St. Charles Theater, our readers will derive
interest from its perusal, giving them insight,
in advance, of what they may expect. Mr.. Neafe
has since produced it at Charleston and Petersburg,
where the favorable opinion has been expressed
One of the papers says In language incident and
beauty of description it has few siaeriors,
equals except among the inimitabla productions of
the immortal Shakespeare" But to the extract:
The production of successful play 1--WE do not
mean the common stuff with which our modern stage
is too often deluged but Of legitimate blank verse
play,) is reckoned the highest test of an authors
genius 1t is for it not only calls to question his
taste and power as writer OF language, but brings
into requsition the incest discrimination as to the
grouping of his characters and also the clearest nge
| nuty in the mechanical making out of his plot and
succession of incidents In the grouping Of the char
acters it is necessary that the stage should present
tout ensemble which, transferred to canvas, would be
perfectly harmonious as a picture, while each sue
ceedng incident should seem and be natural and
inevitable consequence of that which has gone before
In this few authors succeed as few are practical the
atrcal men, To this last named fact is to be attribu-
ted the few successes and innumerabe failures while
the fact may be entirely unnotced in other branches
of literature. In romance, description and other
digressieas 60 to conceal any lack OF this harmony,
while upon the stage every lautt Is Slarlhgs ueset
oped aud exposed, by the action, which, instead Oh
concealing serves to display every imperecton An
actor however has every advantage If he one pos
sessed of practcabilty for by long experience ne mas
learned what causes to create in order to produce
certain proposed effects These facts are clearly and
powerfuy illustrated in the production OF Harolde,
The Merchant of Calais' by Mr. Neatie. With genius
to conceive and taste to write he combines the
rence of the practical actor who having ielt the ne
cessities and handled the engines IN so many sihas
, works. knows well what engines to supply himself
with to best accomplish his work 10 be very CRU
cal we should say that notwithstanding all TINS, the
! play has some minor Inconvenience but winch are
a entirely lost in the enjoyment OF the whole. ihe
language is chaste and beautiful, and the situations
are powerfully effective.
Another of our exchanges referring to Harolde,'
y says: ...,,,,,,,,.
ment and throughout the last scene the feelings OF
the audience are wrought up to a pitch of almost
painful interest. But the interest OF the con
cepton is almost lost in the requisite reading OF he
o authors imaginngs. Many OF the passages deserve
. TO be ranked among the highest gems or literature
Mr. Neafe has long enjoyed the reputation Of being
one of the finest tiagedians of America Emlnehtly
e selfuade he has bestowed upon his profession an
d amount of study and care which are essehtm 70
snccess in any profession. His efforts have met Their
s. dne reward Wherever he goes he Is greeted Win
e. the paudts of the most refined and ln'egent auq
10 ences Scarcely city has he visited in'which ht
has not been called upon TO repeat some oil us most
important pieces