Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-10-27

GdETY THEATRE-NIss CooMBs As JUIIET.-On
Tuesday night Miss JASB CooBs made her first ap-
pearance in Nashville, as Juliet in SHAKEsPEARE's
great love tragedy. As a youthful debutante
she earned the kindly appreciation of the Nash
vile public, and we think secured their approba-
ton sufficiently to play highly successful engage
ment
Miss COONBs has a voice aad person well suited 70
tragic impersonation She is somewhat above the
average stature, and her voice has volume and
purity of tone very rare in one so young her
countenanee expresses high order of intelligence,
and the impression is carried out by the thought
and study evinced in her acting, for originality of
thought is in many passages Enthusiastically exhibit
ed many of her effects being quite independent of
the traditions Of the stage.
So much for generalities. We proceed to her
im7ersonation Of Juliet in particular. In several
scenes tragic powers of a very high order were
manifested we would particularize that in which
she receives the intelligence of Tybalts death and
RomeOs Punishment her subsequent interview with
Friar Lawrence, and finally, her sooquy before
swallowing the poisOn,-these were all given with
a tragic power far beyond her years not without
faults in elocuton and gesture, but we would much
rather in novice, see great faults than mediocre,
monotonous performance, with no remarkable faults
and no particular manifestation of talents. There is
certainly abundance Of the material of great ac-
tress in the lady which we hope to see developed
by practice and experience into the excellenss we
believe her capable of attaining.
Meanwhile if we were to undertake to counsel her
we should be disposed to leave matters of deiail
her own good taste and judgment and suggest
consideration of the earlier scenes, with the re-
- u. z IL.
presentation of woman's nature in only one phase
of its existence, but it is a history of the female
heart We have Juliet first presented as the gay,
innocent impressibe girl then the first budding of
love in the heart with the confused emotions Of
unwonted experience, then the overlooking tender
ness of one who loving, finds herself believed, and
again the hallowed affection of che wife After this,
in the Punishment of Romeo, and the apparently in
evitable marriage with Paris, come in the elements
of tragedy; previously to this there is nothing to
seow that the piece is going to be anything but a
piece of poetical, sentimental comedy, a graceful
idyl like LoUe's Labor Lost; but these contreenlpS
being in the tragedy of the piece, and now for the
first time does Miss CooXBs seem to find herself
thoroughly at home. She seems disposed to be
nothing II not tragicaI
We speak. however doubtfully Perhaps the COM
paratve ineficency with which the earlier scenes
given may have been due to the unavoidable
timidity inseparable from first appearance among
strangers. We therefore, suspend judgment
TILL we have seen her in one or two characters
and content ourselves with adding here that the
actress be she able is necessarily cramped
in giving expression 10 these first two acts by the
cruel mutilatons which the stage adaptars have in
hieted upon that part of the play.
Mr.. CRISP play Mercutio well-why did he not
do itl Why, for the sake Of extorting horse laugh
two from class Of hearers, who be
made to appreciate such part Mercutio, did he
descend to a series of low comedy tricks which his
excellent judgment would lead him instantly con-
denim in another actor! Let an actor always play
according to the best Of his own Judgment he new
or KIN ows that there are those in the house whe
can appreciate good taste and be offended by the
verse. We only ask Of him to play as we know he
can play.
Mr.. KEEBLE's Romeo carefully given, and aid
ed much in giving effect to the performance
ExPLaStTEoN.-In wri ting lase notice of Mr. |
MURDoCH's performance, were not aware that he /
had played through his last weeks engagement /
while SUITE ring under severe nervous malady. As /
our article has ben misunderstood in other respects
we purpose shortly deyoting article to the anal
ysis of Mr.. Ms merits in his various styles of act
Inc.