New-York daily tribune., 1866-02-15
Ehe TheBfcrs.
MISS BATBMAN'S BLANCA.

Dean Milman's tragedy of "Fazio was rep
resented n, Niblos Garden on Monday evening before
large audience assembled despite the rough and dis.
piritnc weather to greet Miss Bateman in compar-
atiyey new character. The play was produced with
good Roman scenery which, whether appropriate or
otherwise was at least pleasant behold. The cast Of
parts was also good "Fazo possesses rare hydraulic
qualities. With the exception perhaps, Of Camille. I"
we recall no play which continuously and successfully
pumrs for tears It's story is so sad dark so desc
late IN climax SO utterly unreeyed BY any ray Of sun.
shine that the pressure of its pathos, upon the sympa
thetic heart is perfectly tremendous. When we con
slider too that this pa,hos is fguitless that IT simply
punges US into "he melting mood and leaves us there
with no profit but the luxury Of woe We may rightly
protest against being thus superhuously victimzed.
To see "Fazio once year is TO see 1t often enough
Yeti useful play for tragic actress The part OF
Blanca admits Of vast emotional demonstration and
| enables its personator 10 arouse human sympathy
| in no common degree. Hence tie strong hold
which the tragedy las taken both upon the stage and
upon popular esteem. Miss Baeman's personation OF
Blanca is oue Of her best efforts in dramatic art 1t
blends grace dignity and pathos and impressos the
mind as deeply as il touches the heart. Yet, IN two
respects it is essentially defective II lacks. especially
in the first act the qualities Of sweetness and gentle
ness which as We are expressly assured by the text
belongs TO Biancas characters and fails TO express,
in the last two acts the continuous growth Of the dis
tracted wornans ngOny Al the very outset, Blanca,
as PLAYED by Miss Bateman seems oresee tie pas
sion anguish and horror that impending over her
life aud 70 be- il were eager TO burst into the mood
Of tragedy This lack Of cheerful simplicity aud inno'
ceBce the inyarable tokens Of and gentle.
ness defeats the possibility Of contrast between Bancas
early happiness and subsequent misery, and likewise
gives the performance cir Of m0notony. Ia
the at two acts. Biancas woes az interpreted
nv Miss Bateman, remain, TO speak at one
fixed altitude. She attains the climax Of her
anguish in the deuunciaton scene. in the third
act Perhaps however, il is not unnatural that the
subsequent narrowing conflict Of love jealousy, re-
morse and terror should oyertask Miss Bateman's
powers She never was successful in the utteraEce q
intense passions IOrce not intensity is the vivid
quality Of her actingthe quality that is, upon which
she most depends, and which makes the most show.
II tells We in her barangGe TO the Duke very finely
playcd by MI Burnett) in the thId act Of Faz.o
aud IN her defiant speech TO Aldabea; but its effect
elsewhere is not agreeable. To see Miss Bateman
working up violent excitement, isfwe may employ a
violent smile-to see a white trying to be angry.
L
pcaion the old Senator in act third and her subse.
quent approach TO Fszo, reveal heartfelt realization
Of The awful calamity and sorrow Of the circumstance.
Her acting in the deathscene is hkewte well studied,
and is full Of genuine human feeling. As a
whole. the personation, though not wonderful
as the play.bill graluitously informs us-is ex.
ceedingy cIeditable TO the young actress, and
affords far better illustration of her powers than
the haekneyed performance Of Leah. There is one
thing that cond wish-before taking leave OF this
sutectwhch is that Blanca could be pefsonated for
once without the eternal cataract Of back hair. IL
there is there not period in feminine woe when
it b. comes imperative that the sufferer should put
white muslin robe. Of singular peataess and beauty
and let down her back hair over her shoulders Suf
fering females always do il upon the stage-Opheia
Juliet, Mrs Haller. Blanca etc, etc The practice is
chronic. Even Leah in the course of five long wears
tba. intervened between her deseron by Rudoph and
her temperance in that farmers cornfelds found IL
mpraccabe 10 do up her back hair. Perhaps grief
is the natural enemy Of hair-pins We don't know, but
we should indeed Ike to sec the question expermenaly
tried Miss Bateman has also appeared as Pauline in
"TLe Lady Of Lyons She will repeat both per
soDations NJ COwpcrs Fazio, By the way fhoueh
oyerdrawn in the first act deserves 10 be mentioned as
an earnest and careful impersonation Of thankIess
character.
OLYMPIC THEATER.
There seems 20 be no good reason why tie
plays now nightly presented at the Olympic should not
enjoy q very long and prosperous run. WHO Killed
Cock Robino and "Blaek.Eyed Susan" constitute the
b.n, and tie house is de1seiy filed every evening.
The fIs piece as We noted the other day lis an English
farce in two aets. II Las, boWtver been localized