The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-07-13

TIE KEANs-FIRsF NIsHT-"HEHRT VIII"
AND "JEALoUs WRE"-Despite the storm
last v-ping which threatened to ruin all
the gay Vanity Fair bonnets which should
attempt the passage to and from the Acad-
envy, a very large and fashionable house
were in attendance indeed the elite of the
city had gathered TO welcome the Keaus
on their first appearance here. We have
not seen thai equality" of an audience at
the Academy since the nights of the Ger
man Opera
Mr.. and Mrs. Charles Kean are accom-
panied by the English a~rtistes, Miss Chap
man and Messrs. j.. F. Cethcart and G..
Everett. They chose to inaugurate their
engagement nights with the presentation
of "Henry VII" and the English comedy
of "Jealous Wife" The first was contract
ed in the practical dramatization into three
acts, concluding with the downfall of Car
dinal WOlsey. By this arrangement, deep
ly regretted by many, that act was entire
ly omitted, in the creation of the chsrac-
ters and the ordering of the circumstance
of which, alone in the whole play,
the genius of Shakespeare, according to
Sam johnson, appears and asserts itself.
We regretted this omission, inssmuch as in
rendering the passages of that act, lay the
best test of the real power of Mrs. Kean in
her role of Queen Katharine, 20 say nothing
of the extraordinary scenic novelties and
beauties which were possible.
In the rendering of the first and second
acts there was in lhe tame incidents small
opportunity for the display of artistic power,
or for the deep stirring of any passions OF
emotions in the breast of the hearer. Once,
in the court scene, the Queen rose to the
sublime height Of wronged wOmanhoOd
daring to assert the wrong in the face Of
worshipful cardinals and royalty. But in
the third act, Mr.. Kean, az Cardinal VOL
sey," fret revealed what stuff he is made
Of, and in the final act of laying aside
worldly greatness, clothed himself with
power as with q garment, and showed him
self the peer, nay, the sovereign ofhis fate
But while it may be admitted that thir
~personatioD, in detail, of the Cardinal il
the crisis of his career, was above criticism
it must be owned that he failed, if the enc
of acting is to deepen and expand in tn,
mind of the spectator, the sense of what j
frst created and written. We doubt i
any diligent reader of Shakespeare left tn,
Academy last night with deeper or true
perception of the meaning of the grea
drsmstist, or hesrtier admiration of hi
genius, than that ~vouchsafed and indulge,
in the quiet of his own room.
OF the other a~rtistes We have not room +
speak in detail. Miss Chapman's persona
ton of "Anne BOleyn" was graceful an,
charming, and Mr.. Cathcart, as "Crom
vel" with Mr.. Kesn, supplied a closin.
tsbleau, the features of which were at ono
of the grandest and most touching char
acter.
The a~rtistes were in the main well sup
ported, and the PsrrUrm--3A-s
lame from the short time allowed for pre-
parstion.
The entertainment closed with the old
school English comedy of "Jealous Wife.
~ Aeo DGoA "a hAhh @Eb- hGdu ID INC lat
great survivor of that school of comedy, an
Witnessing her success as "Mrs. Oakley,
last night, one wished the play might 9
out of date with her, for it would be spoile
in other hands. It is full of rich incident
which prove schoolmasters to the ~long-for
bearing, unfortunate, ~hen-pecked "Ml
Oakley" in that they discover to him th
true way of tanning the shreW, and merry
him up to do SIS he sees.
The performance was throughout a graft
fcstion and success. The opening of th
engagement was most propitious, and "
doubt not the three remaining nights wi
be as attractive and profitable as the bril-
liancy and ecIat of the first night lead U
to expect.
"Hamlet' is set down for TO -Dight, with
powerful cast.