The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-07-17

FHH KKAHs-FOURTH NIGHT-"THE STRAEG-
EE" AERfGTHE WoNDER."-The performances
Saturday night closed the engagement with
the KsEnsas we'll as the dramatic season.
The fame Of the artists, together with the
knowledge that that was their last appear
ance. drew a large crowd to the Academy,
despite the rain, and Of course all were
paid for their pains.
We regretted the selection of the first
play, "The Stranger" It is without any
especial merit. The plot is easily conceiv-
ed; the characters are ffth-rate, and what
ever sentiments the piece may contain are
cheap and commonplace. There is in it
neither subtlety, wisdom nor wit; and for q
closing performance on the part Of such
excellent acto rs, We could have wished
they had appeared II characters whose
dignity and worth we're equal TO their pow
er and fame as artists.
But IS a great mind sheds on the mean
est, most trivi al objects a light so powerful
that they seem to acquire beauty in their
uswIy-diseovered relations, the Keans
availed by their fine acting to raise the
above commonplace play to the rank of q
beautiful piece of art ri.
The story. IN nucs, is this: The wife of
the "Strsnger" is seduced by a villain, and
deserts her homo. She instantly quits her
evil ways, but does not return to the hus-
band and children she has disgraced. At
ter years they accidentally meet,-he a re-
cluse, she a heart-isricken, penitent wo-
man /; a final interview is asked by her
and, with reluctance, granted by him who
still loves her unuttersbly. 1t takes place
and il that scene the Keans showed them
selves transcendantly great. We leave the
interview to the imagination of the reader,
| simply saying that not by ahsir's breadth
did the artists err from truth in their ideal
Iy perfect rendition.
This play was followed by tho excellent
comedy called "The Wonder" It is one
| of the best constructed comedies we have
ever seen, and contains enough capital
points and admirable turns of fortune TO
stock q score of the current plays. We
fancy that Mrs. Kean is the superior, by
far, OF her husband in comedy. In "The
Wonder" she was superb in the role OF
"Donna Violante," that being the central
character Of tho group. It is impossible
here TO. describe the felicitOus shiftings
Of the tide in this play, and the ad-
mirabIe, mstchless manner in which
! Mrs. Kean made the swift transitions from
state to state, always adjusting herself in
the nick of time to the circumstance, and
leaping like q chamOis from one perilous po-
sition to another,-nOw avoiding discovery
by a Jealous lover, now by a Watchful ia
ther,-and managing her love affairs with
all the marvellous sdroitness of a Spanish
lady's genius for the sport, never tangling
the treads, uotil she comes out clean from g
multitude of "scrspes," marries her jeal-
ousy-cured lover, and beats all hollow hel
old father, who was about 10 ffmske hel
happy BY sending her to a convent.
We cannot speak in detail of the othei
artists. Mr.. Everett was particularly
pleasing in the comedy, in the development
of his love-affairs with the maids.
The performances lasted until g late hour
but closed all too soon. And thus ended
the engagement of the Keans, whose acting
has made four nights happy and memOr.
able to hundreds of our people.