New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-10-03
THE DRAMA.
DAVIDSON AS sHYLOCK.


II /" neither-nohing which the most fastdious taste
could take umbrage Nobody goes to see It acted how
ever these days. except for the sake of some famous
81 vlock Mr.. Dawson is such Shyloekand hence the
Sadt Theater was dcnsey crowded Thursday evening"
when for the first timo during that actors engagement
The Merchant of Venice presented. Ii was not
presented WE'LL The scenery was bad; tho miscellaneous
acting ball and the Shy0ek was Noticeable 1t has
been casually intimated to that Mr. Dawson was not
we'll on the OCCASION and due allowance must therefore,
be made for the lasstude consequent upon Illness But
our objection is not taken against Mr. Dawisons method
as an arst-whch illness might well have distracted and
weakened II is against his conception of the character
that We are constrained TO protest. and this we do all the
more earnestly because fully recognize Mr.. Dawisons
remarkable talents and culture. The stain Of mire,
as Alexander Smith tells u.s. in one of his best poems SITS
more conspicuous the captains mail than on the scared
and dined man-at-arms. lesser actor than Mr. Dawson
might manre Shyoet to his hearts content without at
tracing snybodys notice. but true artist cannot thus
Gin against Shakespeare and himself without inspiring
lively sentiment of regret What then is the defect OF M
Davisons SAyioeki We answer that IL is profound one
one that ytiates the entire performance. dirty little
Polish jew solicous for payment for suit Of second
hand clothing, would be as noble, impressive, as
pathetic parsonage to the Imagination as Mr. DaSisons
81 yoek Ho concciyes tho ehaae,er-unlels We widely
misunderstood him. and that do not beloycas being
mainly composed OF low cunning malicious sptefulnes
and vndIctve cruelty In his interview with AHfonio, on
the Riao, he is nothing more than merely a money
lender, fine looking blad old Hebrew a nan-oi-the-
world, shrewd, skillfu masking petty haired He con-
templates antonio foe and would like TO get the adj
vantage Of him. and inurc him. That is all. And this
narrow view Of the Jews nature is expanded in the
later scenes As he commences, so does MI
Dawson progress and conclude. II is perfectly clear
that he has fully settled upon his ideal OF SAyoek,
and that whatever he docs and dono and SAID In
accordance With rigid intention. In this part, as IN
every part his skill is never at fault But there is some
thing greater than tho word in aoiing-and that Is the
spirit What ws miss In Mr.. Dawson is the deep heart
His mind is always stately and therefore always admirable
But emotion has its rights as well intellect IL there
were indeed nothing moro in Shyock nature than cum
ming, and greed OF gold, and low spite, and impaeabe
cruelty he would be very contemplate creature, AID
Mr. Dawson would be perfect embodiment Of the poets
ideal But 81 yloek In fact, Is very magnificent per-
sonage He Is usurer indeed and II Is his wont TO DO
ne1orablo in his dealings with Christian clients; but
his nature deeply PASSIONATE and poetic Arrived
a, mddeae looks back upon years Of persecution aud
suffering, under which his people have dropped and
groaned and borne their heavy burdensi and he has
made thcr wrongs his own. Ills whole Life
is passionate protest against Christian tyranny.
At home in bis sober house. he is austere In public no
wis y and thoroughly and srGy devoted TO the accu-
mutation Of wealth. Thus 10 lives in lofty enmity with
world that wronging and insulting and degrading
his "sacrcd nation dircfnl bitterness too, wells up in
his heart when he reflects that tho oppcssor is every
where powerful 1t is this depth of emotion this bitter
pride and resentment that give him dignity in the pursuit
Of revenge which otherwise would poor and ptul
He is noble and pathetic too by Of his own per-
al and domestic experience This with the art Of the
great poet Shakespeare has only suggested We know
that clock loved onee-that somewhere earth is
grave over which the soul eaxe and the proud head
hubed in the DUST Nothing can be more tendery pa
thetc than his reference 10 Leah and the gift no had
other when he was a bachelor. We know that his we'd
ded years happyom this, and from bis great lore
for esica lie has had losses and and has brood
cd deeply ere he to that hard and fiery maturity
in which hm-ere he pens into the representative,
not alone OF great personal grief and wrongs but OF the
grief and the wrongs Of whole oppressed degraded and
suffering people. Holding such an ideal Of the Shyoek
Of Shakespeare, we cannot think with patience OF the
Shkock Of Mr. Dawson. Its superficial merits, indeed,
deserve oil praise The is excellent. The eocu-
ton delicious The process of sculpuref We may be
allowed the expression-is wonderfully skillfu But the
soul Of Shyloek ia wanting. AS interpreted by Mr.. Daw
ison Shgloek 10 a rcpulsvo jew, moving with silver
srnoothness toward petty vengeance. As drawn BY
Shakespeare Shylock is Of woes and wrongs, great
in heart in BRAIN but vrctched in treble dcso!aon-
moral exile the loss Of wife, the loss Of chid-rashing
fantcay to revenge which yet he may be too great TO
consummae Mr. Dawson, however, was vigorously ap-
pauded for oil that he did in the part and was ofen re-
called before the curtain and honored with the usual
coral trbutes Thcre is doubt Of the very great
esteem in which he is held by the German population oil
this city There little doubt Of his possession OF very
great talents But we are never forget that in art at
any rate popularity certain test Of excellence, and
that great talents do not appear 10 equal advantage under
all lights. Mr. Dawson is greatly commended, BY the
way for his penonation Of Franz de Moor, which was
given on Tuesday We not fortunate enough TO 200
It, His next Shakspehan part WILL We understand be
Richard the Third. In person Mr.. Dawson is tall ana
slim and is remarkable for sort Of Webserike head,
expressive eyes, and sngnlarly sweet though not
strong voice All his faculties are within the perfect
control of his WILL which appears to guide them as
racer does high-booded steed. One would naturally
sxpect the artistic achievements of such man to be
compact and symmetrical; and in this particular Mr.
Dawson never dssppoints expectation. He Ia EN-
phatically man of taste and that, Voaire has
told u.s. is more rare than even thinker His Shyloek,
by the way has already bcen compared in tho press
with that of another favorte German tragedian-Mr.
Bandmann. The temptation to indulge in Mrs. Maa-
props "odorous antipaty IT, under tho circumstances,
quite natura but VIC should have resisted IT, had IL not
been forced into notice Not to dwell upon the point,
however let us briefly say that Mr.. Bandmanns hyock
as we remember H. was much superior in conception 20
Mr. Dawisons as the jew Of Shakespeare is 10 the jew
of Chatham.st Execution, however, is Mr. Dawisons
strong point; and herein he ia unTiyaed. Yet be does