New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-02-24
Music AND THE DRAMA.
MISS LAURA KEENE'S THEArER


MISS LAURA KEENE'S THEArER.
Last light we had at this establishment the produc-
ton Of What is styled in the bill the great d,matc
Poem, by Goethe, translated by Jonathan Birch,
"esq. srd produced for the frut time" Who the
deuce Jor atban Birch, esq., may be we do not, with
our limited knowledge of American autt ors venture to
say; but think that we must make bold to assert
that be has produced a very fiat and feeble drama.
To see Goethe upon our stage (if we could but see
him in presentable form) might be acceptable to
ost Of u.s. but to see him eeby utterDg feeble
with feeble ihymesths might deter the boldest Of
from his tran spantaton Mr.. Birch fear, has done
nothing for that geat poet. The intensely dramatic
scents from the druma have been picked out. Thus
we have. all borrowed or paroded from the originsl
drama, the garden ard the prison scene. We have
also turlesques of notwithstanding thst wonderful
ore which has thrilled many Of our heaa, in which
poor Margaret hears tbrobbiDg and thrilling over
her the tremendous denunciatons OF the choir. But
in the yersion Of Mr. Jonathan Birch all that is great
in lie Faust ia made mean, and all that is sublime is
made lite. Mephi.iopheles is walking gentleman
waning TO borrow money, ard Faust is all CID dota5d
who is led Into evil ways.
We have very little to gay fr this Reproduction OF
Goethe uron the American stage. To one who has
loved and studied the master piece Of the al-sded
it will give pain ard modification. We DO not see
rby Mephi,tcph,le. should be played with huge, TO-
ye,ted Iaoish upon his heso do not see why poor
Margore, should tumble i'm this version ea,il- mo
her eror We cannot comprehend the author rendering
of the geat scene in Aue bschs cess we do protest
ss amt the stupid reproduction of the church
Once in great while, Miss Keere gave Us faint
eliu psss of Margaret. Nothing, we hope, in this n-
NJ Vol If,tb ting
this production Of jonathan Birch esq from utter aud
even in the frat act from total damnsien. The music
e ad, in the bile, TO have been written oy cponf
We slculd Lot have thought.
Tur A.yPrc,y THEATHR-This establishment is
The Cbsmbersstreet house Ie-christened and some
ubs, renovated 1t was opened last night 10 good
ious@. BY NJ T.. L. Davenport and Mr.. h. Watkins
The oouraiy is On excellent working one, and the
Performance went of smoothly and mo-t satsfactony
The epteita1me nis CONNIE iced with the recitation OF
The American Flag By Mr.. Davenport, and the
singing If the Star SpsDgled Banner" by the whole
company. Then followed the coned;etta OF FAINT
Heart, which was captaly performed by hrs. tro-t,
Mis- Kate Saxon, Mrs.. Marcus Elmore and Mr. H. l.
Davenport. Tie main feature of The evening, how
ever. YVES rev national drama by Mr.. Watkins,
entitled " Our Countrys SDews' IL is manufactured
of tie material Of which most national dramas are
constructed and received with the applause with
which such plays generally greeted. The bold
m,chspic rescues the r,h Merchants wife from
drowning ard when she desires to see him, he goes
TO her house without a coat sud without having the
decercy to put on c'ean 'hirt. The bold mechanic
has a great deal TO say about " hard but honest
hands, "ihe honest and viituous poor man" "the
"velyet hands ard empty heads of the rch,"
and the bold mechanic talks great deal about the
universal rsscsy Of the rich and the inevitable virtue
Of the poor; the bod mechanic also makes divers
original remarks about the flag Of our country
"our toIefaihsrs' toIs and ,tuggles, 1.-THE pro OF
"Gtedom add "the American esg'e." ia WHICH i'pu