The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-11-22
"coRIoEANus., Ar rmr Acanrrr-

W ''N"N' Ptel'' Ant iidEtlg A the poet wrote
It is more than half as losg asain ~ the a,tul
edition. In thi1 the speeches Of sever, or th
characters arc Njther wholly omitted or are M. q
muti.ated, the "hproyomcuts" consisting, for th.
most part, OF ycryNbright bits cut out, ana very
stupid ones put in "Tuus Aufdius," IN,
Nolscinn leader, is sh9Ckled and supprcssed the
grand choracter Of "Numnia' is mercilessly
cmtatd, and even the liAe that the gentle oylr.
gilia' is permitted to say in the original is
made still Tess in the amSnded stage edition
" hencnius, too, is scIrcelypermtted to show
what manner OF mau he IS, while scene, IN which
his character develops i,olt being altogether
omitted
The arts so skilfully delneatoa by the author
! by which "Sicinius Ncutus" and "Juuip.
ITutus, the Tribuncs Of the people, ncite them
against "Coriolanus,' are almost completely
Ignored by the dramatic inu)yl.or. Even the
speeches Of "Coriolanus" are cut, and the hero is
| not allowed to use what enc would argue yeve
| his fair share-the original words Of his plrt
The ordeal OF paste and scissors which Cjyi0t,nug
! mas undergone before It is pronounced tic for the
| stage, II not conducted on precisely the sans
| principles on which "A sensation novel Is slashed
! INTO and worked up into 4 "mOrll, emotional
| play, Is at least conducted upon a process akin
| 10 them.
! L 't spun III NulCu tue BllD uTlnltlSt pIfnl0g
the thoughts OF Shakespeare together yith tb,
glue OF his one idea IS not tar removed from tb N
which would pick the spots out from the suu',
usc ana exc me vacuum out with star Or two,
or which would crafty It's taste and dis,ernu ant
by loading q cannon to its muZzle with bl3nE
cartridges. Shakespeare was not a poet without
lmperiecuons; but they are not to be remedici
ny the alterations OF another. Was this allowable
tie works of the artist would equally be subiscts
OF emendatlon; and the cnvous and wretrbed
painters, and still more wrGtChed critic, mi,ht
crowd the canvas with large allowances of bue
SKY ana green fields, according to their own
sweet wills.
When, however, Shakesperi IN adaptation is
necessary in the eyes of those who certainly
ought ~ be best qualified 10 understand the bu5i-
ness Of the stage, csnsure Is generally silent and
the mouth OF the public closed against flulf-
hnding. Shorn OF some OF its locks Of strength
as the original of CoriOAlRVs Is, the princi1ll
character is retained almost in its integrity. To
see the play upon the stage and TO read II i,
tho quietude OF the study are two scplrl.c p'sa-
sures-the former of which stimulates u more hv
the magnificent appeals made unitedly 90 the
senses Of sight and hearing, and the later by Tho
JOINT Symmelry,lhe d0Yc-Ialedness Dt the various
parts
Tie idea Of the life" Of CorioIlnus" does
not indeed "sweetly creep into the study OF
imagination lt stalks into it boldly and ere t.
and suLd5 q breathing statue there The Drs-
Vailing idea we have of " Corolanu3" Is that of
maj sly. No other embodiment of Sh1kesDr ire
IS so constantly associated with this impression.
IR pl3 Ar't confrOntment of the people, in the
solicitations for consuship which he d5ignS 10
make of thUm-as though he dsdained what he
soicits-in be passionate iAterview with
"Noumuil," when she preseribes to hin the
recipe by which pride shall wait on power; I'm his
6anishment, his exile, and his DEATH il Is the
nnsnllied majesty oT his character which we prin-
cipally aimire. Like the luminous Atmosphere
surrounding the Opaque body Of an orb ia our
contemplation OF the light we almost forge. the
darkness it envcops.
MIR. Forests delineation Of "Coroanus" is to
DC Classeu among his very best pertOrmluCes. IL
is 10 BE- placed beside his king Lear" in which
probably he reaches the very altitude Of his
genius. In "COriolanus" there is less room thsn
usual Tor the display Ol Mr.. Forests faults. The
tumutuOus scenes between "COrloIonus" ana
tAe p0pulace furnish at once occasion and excuse
Tor y yehemeBCo which borders upon rant aud
the spectacular character OF the piece Divers the
attention somewhat from the unnecessarily pro-
IoDgcd pauses which Mr. Forrest is 50 fond of
making, and which Shakespeare never could
have intended him, nor any other actor 10 make
Throughout all the play this actors exquisite
eiocution was employed with the utmost skull
and Interpreted with singular pOwe, passl rss
which, To the careless reader had contained At best
an obscure sense. His first speech dealt in most
putriCian iLyectiye. For this, however tho bulk
OF the play gives much occasion. The finest dis.
plays or thi5 are where he Is accused iy one of
the Iribunes {" Sicnius Velutus'D of treason;
wb'n he rejects the cutrGiteS Of bis mother
("Eoumniu'D 10 ask cOncilatngly the consul
ship OF the people; when he receives sentence Of
Punishment; aud when, at the close of the plly
no replies 70 the impeachment OF 'Illlus Anfgi-
dius." And though IL was with such passages AS
these the impression OF MIR. FORESTS greatest
excellence VIII be connected yetin the cllm ana
quet-tempGrCd scenes t was proved That
o his harmonious conception Of il. Tns p-Oui
mOdCsty with which "Corioanus" receives The
praises OF "Cuminius" and the award Of the
SeDate his exquisite greeting 70 LLs-v-ff, --,NI-
~ q al la. r.r
with which, in the NO!scitn camp, he bshu 5Ja9
approach of his wife and mother, and the on-
6lssy Of Roman ladies, are yIriOusly Joucnilg IN
degree, and invest with pe.ular .ric. q, ar5uI
o character. This relentless wirrior could utter
most sweet compliments as, tOr instance, wuen
he speaks Of
'The noble sister Of pubre5,a,
Ihc moon OF 0mai oha7te as tlei'a'e
Ihsts curd, ID by the frost from plre-. snow,
And hangs ON Dian temple "
A. this late day TO nsinuite Of this great a,.ot
that ne has faults, would scarcely be wJrh |
the trouble or the time. His cxeallgncis, |
are so great that he can afford TO retain fobes, |
ana these, moreover, are 80 fixed as not ID b5 |
Flattered rs only those who have been !
so disparaged can he, and dispaaged only as |
those who have been SO successful are, Mr. For |
rest knows too much OF the world 20 expect his |
trends to be so candid to him as TO aimit his
AultS OF acting or his enemies so goo In lturCd
as TO acknowledge his virtues, His distinct and |
musical enuuciation, his alm lst |
perfect emphasize, the delicate variety of his in
lOulluhs, ana COnsOnhnCc OF gesture with speech |
are rare gifts indeed, and happily adorn q genius
which eEcels in those delinestions where physical |
proves prevails.
Mr. Forrest was really well supported, the chief
Of the cast being Mr.. McCullough as |
'Inlius Auhdius," Madame Ponls rs "Volum.
mia, !" and Miss Alice Gray as "Virgilii." In con-
sequence Of the character of "Auidius" being
nipped OF quite short like rose in the bud, Mr'
had but poor chance. The scenes
by which, in the original play, his disposition and
nre developed, are, in the stage
edition, entirely obscured. The brief scenes 7n
which he is permitted 10 appear are limited 10 the
fourth and fifth acts. "Volumnia" has a better
chance, but even she IL restrained by the emenda.
ions Of the playwright "Menenius," who Is
somewhat verbose and sprightly in the original.
has all his green boughs lopned Of, and is pre-,
,ented only as q wlthered trunk.
The scenery with which the play was presented
deserves notice. 1t was new and beautiful. and
'licited spontaneous applause. The costumes
md war equipments were for the most part an
propriate, although the triumphal chariot Of
'Coriolanus" was scarcely Of such make as that
hero would have most delighted in. The general
support was fair, which is saying a great deal
more than we can always say of any theatre and
he chorus and orchestra we're equal 10 each
'thers' capabilities,