Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-11-18

ACADEMY OF MUsfc-THE KEANs.-The
audience at the Academy of Music last
eveaiDi was one of the large..!. and most
fashionable OF 4- season, attesting fully the
general desire Of our people 10 sustain the
legitimate drama when they believe it to be
in proper hands, and fully iust:fying Mr..
Elisler in the engagement of Mr.. and Mrs.
Cfas. Kesn. The entertainment consisted
of the tragedy of macbeth" in which Mr..
Kean personafed the title character, and
Mrs. Kean "Lady Macbeth" The play Of
Macbeth" is perhaps the most striking in
its dramatic effects and tragic power of all
S~hakspeare's creations, and upon the char
acter of Macbeth" depends almost entirely
the effectiveness of the play. Power, force,
dignity, are the characteristics of the part
and no actor who is not able to supply in
the fullest extent these requisites, can give
a proper impersonation of this greatereation
Mr.. Kean, we feel bound to say, does no
possess this ability, and as a consequence
his rendition last night was, to use nc
stronger term, q failure. We watched at
tentively, from the opening to the close o
the play, the performance of the character
I OF Macbeth" torture though it was, ant
we are compelled to say theta more thorough
Misrepresentation of the character could
not have been exhibited by the veriest anna
teuf. School boy defamation passion wasted
in whisper, inspiring sentences mouthec
Of with utter peurility, misapplied action
and stale mannerisms innumerable, wer'
the features of Mr.. Kean's rendition, which
transformed "Macbeth" into a burlesque
making US to believe that Shakespeare haC
drawn the character rather of a clustering
buffoon than of a heroic soldier, RtleC
with high aspiretiphsi ~eomYhanding re
spect by his dignity, and possessed
of hany noble qualities, though
misdirected by ambition and the infuene,
Of a bad wife. There was no power and II,
effect in the Macbeth" of Mr.. kean, h1ai
as there Isln CnaTo Oh gnsRspeare, and though
there were occasionally a few in the au
dience who could discover some point tina
deserved their commentator, the create
part of the acting of Mr.. Kean fell upon hi
auditors as though It had been but tRi
whistling of the winds. We know, in thu
writing, that we question the ability Of
man who has a wide re.ut3.iaiion in his pro
fessioh; but #5 are free to say that in what
ever way he obtained it-whether upol
his own past merits or those of his really
great father-there is nothing in his presen
acting that in the remotest degree jdstife
it, and if he desires to maintain his fame tn,
sooner he makes his farewell to the stage tt,
better.
The "Lady Macbeth" of Mrs, Kean wal
in many respects a very successful piece o
acting, and on the whole was not seriously
Objectionable. We did not. however, esteem
it a great performance, particularly for at
actress of such celebrity. The next mos
important character, that of "MacdnT.'
was very creditably sustained by Mr.. Cath.
cart, and in contrast with Mr.. Kean'.
Macbeth" was a decided hit. Mr.. Everett'i
"Banquo" was a fair piece ef acting. The
play was very smoothly worked, the witch
scenes being very good, and so far as the
performance did not depend upon Mr..
Kean it was quite satisfactory.
This evening "Louis XII" will be present
ed. 1t is an interesting play. Mr.. Kear
will appear as "1ouis."