The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-07-14

The kEAEs-SECoED NIGHT-"HAMLET."-
No oneswho has visited the Academy the
last two nights can help feeling grateful
that the weather has boen cool. even cold
The building has been packed from pit to
roof, and had the nights been sweltering,
nothing less than an epidemic could have
broken cut there. A tremendous crowd was
again in attendance last night, overlooking
seats and room for seats, and bidding for
standing space. The weight, the respecta-
bility, ;the fashion of the city we're at the
theatre. Aud the sufficient reason of their
presence there, was that the Keans were
to appear IN "Hamlet."
1t is hard to speak in measured terms of
praise concerning their rendering of the
sublime tragedy. The mirror was held M
to nature, and not to the Keans. The
actors were Sunk for the nonce, and he
events stresmed on with resistless flow, as
if fate apdnot human agents were at their
source SO that in the oft%-recurring crises
of the piece it required an effort to consid-
or the ~artistes as more persons acting a
part.
If any one INDUCED the fear that ad-
vanced age5Jmight cripple Mr.. Kean's
"Hamlet," it was speedily put down, for it
was quickly seen that his eye was not dim
nor his natural force abated. He looked
every whit "the noble youth" There ap
Peared in constant change and ~contradic-
tion, the elastic spirits, the settled weari-
ness Of life, the courtly manners of the
perfect gentleman and The ~brusqueness of
AOmely aud awful truth speaking to friend
Northern lights, 0 fthe matchless reason and
the tender Municipalities which, united
in Hamlet" have:urade that ideal char
acter the mystery it is, and set all criti-
cism awry.
Ifthere were anything unsatisfactory in
the ~psrsonation, or if there Iurked in the
mind q doubt if the expression were fully
adequate, it is probably due to the fact that
we do notpositively know what Shakespeare
would be attn that creation. Exactly what
does he mean? The mind having no ex-
act conception of the character, no wholly
true idea Of the same, it is left without a
sure standard by which to measure the ar
tisTssPersonstion and judge its truth. No
higher word can be said, however, in wav
Of praising Mr.. Kesn's performance, than
that it seemed to fill the mind of all, as
shown by the rapt attention, the silence as
of awe, and suggested nothing better or be-
yond itself.
Its impossible to particUlarIze the pas
sages which impressed US most powerfully,
since each was given with the highest con-
ceivable fidelity. The interest grew as
events thiekened. and the play was an as
cendipg scale Of grand things.
Mrs. Kesn's conception of "Queen Ger
trude was perfect, and her acting waited
throughout on her intelligence. In the
wherein Hamlet talked daggers To
her, but used none, her acting was the very
of agony and despair.
Miss Chspman's "ophelia" was of all
things most lovely and beausiful.
The character of "Lsertes" was we'll
sustained by Mr.. Cathcart, and the passage
Hith-the fOils made poetry of a tournament.
The leading characters were well sus-I,
throughout, by the company, and
n the presence of larger lights, Messrs.
zllsler and Lee did not wholly pale their
Tres. !