St. Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1845-1863, 1858-07-08
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CHARLES KEAN'S NEW DRAMATIC
SPECTACLE

On oatuEuay nigaI Dir. and Mrs. NIafi.
; Kean touk their annual benefit at tie Prsnces.
Theatre. and siez.aiizei tse evemt BY sssch /
! revival Of the Merchant 0f yenicr.v tn
enc Of tlsc eouamonest pieces la the dranati
. repert0ry Of IGss,ion, was converted. "A If b
magic, into sunlething that had usyer been see
before. DIR. Charles kean played his accsis
: toasei part, Shyiock, Mrs Charles Heat, ne
weil-knOwn character, PUrtia but ncyerihc
less, tie whole manner Of carving on the bust
ness of the stage was so entirely new. thar even
the familiar situations seemed 60 have beer
regarded fEcIn fresh point of view. No
. was the nnTcIty ubtainei by means Of depar.
.slre fnHa Shakespeare. On tire contrary
Shakespeare was approached more closely thar
usual, iuasnsnch a. the Princes Of MOrocco and
ArFagon, omitted from the ordinary acting
EveFshn Of the play. were restored ON Saturda,
! 20 their position competitors for the hand Vi
4 r0rtia. Indprsl. whereas shis story of Portia
and her Baskets has hitherto seemed Only SUI.
bordnate 70 that part at the action in which
Shylock and Antonio are the chief figures. full
justice is now done to the whole of the plot a.
designed by the author, and thus q play that
has hitherto been attractive sicily On account
Of certain insulated scenes, is now interesting
from beginning TO end. In elaborate decOra-
ton the Merchant Of Venice is surpassed by
none Of the famous ''revivals" at the Princess
but il has this advantage, that the story is
rather ciucidated than entangled by the orna-
mental accessories that are 50 liberaly intro
duced. ~ -. .st r..
In the first place, by employing every pos
sable accessory Of scenery and costume, Mr..
kean has rendered the work thoroughly Veni-
tian In its aspect. Pictures OF wundrous bean-
ty, executed by Mcssrs Grieve and Telbin,
groups and dresses. the result Of archaeological
research, perPetualiy keep the pecuiiiritcs 0:
Venice exhibited I'm the place of st. Mark
on the Canals, ON the Ria ta,, aud in the Hail
of Justice, before the eye of the spectator. SUI
peraddet to tine interest Of the drama is that
| produced by the representation of a complete
series of the beauties of Venice :" and even
thuSe scenes that are the least interesting As
far a. action is concerned become so many To-
cal illustrations
4 However, rs we have already observed. this
extensive series of pictures by no means encum-
bers the play. The very arrangements that
render tue aspect Of the stage thoroughly Ecne-
tian also give variety and new significance to
/ the business Of the scene. This is particularly
the csGse in the second act, which is likely 10
make as grca: q sensation the famous
episode in Richard ii, as a masterpiece
OF historical illustration, while at the same time
it is marked by q novel and ingenious method
Of carrying ON the part of tie story which com
prises the meeting of Launcelut Cubic with
bis father, AMI the elopement of Jessica. The
whole of the action belonging to this portion
of the plot takes place in the front Of Shyuck' 5
house without any exhibition of the interior,
but, then, Shylock's house stands near a bridge
placed acrosss q canal, with All arch wide
enough to allow the passage Of gondula filed
with living occupants.
| Thus when Gobbo Comes to see his sou he is
forced to descend the bridge, and the fceblenc>s
displayed by Mr.. Meadows in the course of this
achievement comes in rs u new contrast 10 the
robust humor of Mr.. Harley, who is playing
| IIarlncclOt in the foreground. BaSsanio aud
the others when, during this act, they make
their appearance on tie stage, invariably ebts-r
by means Of gondolas, whi,h regularly ! ass
and repass under the bridge, and tn,is "a CONF
plete novelty in the way Of grouping is obtain
ed. Jessicl already endued with extra inter
On s st sS 81 NJ ReS shf c Miss PJhxsl
man, who--pcrfect novice to the sta e, per-
formed the character in a most pleasing and
intelligent manner, gained additional sym patty
from the scene amid which she was placed.
| We are accustomed " see Jcssica in very urli-
nary sort of room and ct very ordinary sort of
| window and she makes NO very great impress
sion.
Blu. now the fragile form of the delicate
thOugA not Over-scrupulDus damsel appears
among the wilderness Of bridges and canals,
and she acquires picturesque valuc. Loren
I 20, when he would abcost her. must mount the
steps of bridge aud stand in tie fashion OF
q medieval troubatlour; aud when he would
carry her of ne must deposit her safely ia a
g0ndola, which affords q much more effective
plan Of escape than mere run off at the wing.
The introduction Of throng of Carnival mas
kers, who. after the flight Of Jessica, occupy
the stage with their noisy dances aud revels,
may perhaps offend some rigid Shakcspcarians
who simply hear of it. Those who see it will
at once forgive the innovation, on account of
the living picture which il its brilliant conse-
quence The edge of the canal, the bridges
in the fore and back ground, are thrunged
with joyous Bacchanalians Of the sixteenth cen
fury; the stream itself is covered with Condo
las variously Illuminated; and altogether an
effect is produced of kind totally unknown
TO the London playgoes.
The Hall of the Senators,' in which Anto-
MOS trial takes place, is arranged on q totally
new principle, and the genius Of the manager
in making use Of his masses and in forming
pictures to hcighten the dramatic interest Of the
10 ulsPdyGu W IcLl3TkdOlc
degree. The Senators, who act as Judges, all
visibly sympathise with the incidents that take
place before them. They shrink with horror
when the Jew whets his knife to cut the flesh
frum Antonio; they murmur appreciation when
the disguised Portia apostEuphizes mercy. The
fearfulncss Of Antoaio's position was never
thoroughly exhibited till now. Accordingly to
the old plan he stepped somewhat aside to
intuition his waistooat with display Of forti-
tnde that might suffice fuF an encounter with
dentist. Now, he is forcibly held back by
the jaiior that Shyiock may take bis abonina-
bic forfeit; the Jew makes q rash al him, and
even the audience, forgetting the story for a
moment, cannot avoid a sensation Of uneasi-
ness.
The scenes that take place at Belmont, the
supposed residence of Portia, are 50 admira-
bly, coBtrived, with regard Bot only To beauty
but 10 dramatic purpose, that, as we have be.
fore limited, they scarcely yield in interest e
the rest Of the play. A saloon more exquisite.
~ perfect than that in which the caskets ar.
. exhibited for choice could Eot have been de.
vised bad an architect been employed in ier
Of sUene-paiDter 20 give reality to the picture
The lady hsF,1f Ton gains e<,sss larn k,, h., 81.