New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-11-14
THE DRAMA.
SHAKESPEARE AT THE OLYMPIC,

it has fed on Glad because this KIND OF SUCCESS "'
beneficial to the stage and creditaDe 10 inc co
rnunty shakpeares wonderful genius often appears IN
graphic but in more delicate form lnai IN
the "sidsummer Nights Dream" No work In the EnSsh
language comparable with 1t for exquisite fancy. As
You Like It" its the matter OF beautiful natu
raj scenery; and The Tempest" surpasses In magma
on but work Of shakpeares presents MS fancy 81
boldly sweetyand 6hakspeares fancy Is supreme
and Incompatible That this great genius should reign
in its rightful kngdoms manestly blessings and that
should be appreciated admired, and honored is mani
testify an suspicious token OF the state Of public taste
TRASH it is true, stl has aud will probably RETAIN
strong hold upon large portion Of the publc but the
success that was lately won at the Olympic by Dir.
jefferson as Rip Van Wfakle, and the success that
is now being won there by the midsummer
Nights Dream" are unmistakable indications that SYM
paty with beauty and love for art vital and con-
trolling influences In civilization. Slight though IL
may SEEM at first glance. this very hopeful augry
tho happy future OF country No people can go
wrong whose love for the beautiful Is profound and SIN
cere The man who really knows and loves Shakespeare
possesses an almost Incompatible safeguard against
error (gef and sin. the temptations of the world the
weakness of human nature, and the awful doubts and
fears OF the spirit And who can read the Midsummer
Nights Dream" in appreciatiye MOOD Without Deng
inspired with the warmest affection for Its authori More
than three hundred years ago he entered into his rest
but he is no more dead than is this mellow Autumn
warmth and brightness His great heart beats in this
play; his noble and gentle mind inspires it; his fancy
lights it up with manifold colors Of warmth and beauty
his symmetrical and lovely character lives IN IL forever
and can neither be missed mistaken or the beantu
completeness OF thisdrama and OF its special chars'
there is OF course. no need here 10 speak. Every
body knows them Our Immediate concern Is 10
bear witness to the general excellence with which
the piece has been presented at the olympic inca
ter brief paragraph hurredly written after the nrst
representation Of the DRAMA recorded in our Columns s
prominent merits Subsequent study o. the performance
has but confirmed conviction OF is sgnal success
Three points In It. OF course, absorb critical attention.
the scenery the music, and the acting In respect
to the scenery there can be but one opinion IL Is
superb The gem Of it, we think, Is IelDihs .
Panorama This work illustrates the suburbs OF
Athens - tho country lying between Athens ana
the wood In which the lovers and tho fairies were per
picked and mated Fidelity TO nature Is It's chlet merit
Dellcacy OF execution likewise MAKES 1t precious NOV
only Is the landscape shoYn-the Wild, denghtlW ming
ling OF hill and valley woodland ana meadow rocA ''Du
stream rural road and classic tempe-but the sentiment
% the Iandseape is preserved the ndehnabe atmosphere
Of poetc senAcance with which Nature invests even her
most familiar creations We march In the train OF Inc
seus rs we gaze we follow the flight OF Ooeron ana We
breathe the pure air OF Greece and feel around us tne
golden spell OF her ancient civilization Iechhleai pein
she's be found In the work, here and there but as
n " a..
snrlt communing in perfect sympathy, with truly ar
hsiie theme. The brilliant scene with which the
NAV closes IS Of course moro graphic and efectyer
though less meritorious as work OF art Inns
scene however has conspicuous beauty Ihougn ue
signed for a show piece its manifold ana constantly
CHANGING splendors blended In entire accordance with
the laws of art that properly govern the combination OF
coOrs At first spacious golden vineyard Is di'closeu
wherein auns and satyrs sport among the Enes' anu
gather the ripe and luscious grapes. Presently ana
almost imperceptiby. this pageant vanishes' giving
place TO q fairy bower OF surprising brancy. Last Oh
ALI I'm an opening VISTA OberoB and Idntd noat upward
attended by Puck and by all their court Far forms Oh
winged fairies ascend and descend the whole stage Is
occupied by a dazzling picture OF life, light and beauty
and mon this the curtain gently falls shutting out the
fairy land and bringing back to every day lie IL Is
IN truth gorgeous piece OF work. and it reflects great
credit upon Hayes and all the artists eoncerhe
I'm is production. These we say, are the conspicuous
scenes and II we add that Titanias bower is beautifully
Denoted at the end OF act second when Sir
Edwin IAndseer's wellknown picture Is repro
duced and that the woodland scenery throughout
the niece IA painted with remarkable and fidelity
we shall In general terms do justice TO the scenic excel
cnce OF the spectacle With reference to the music and
tho acting we cannot speak with the same unquaned
enthusiasm Defects frequent In both these depart
ments s there much TO praise Little Clara Fisher
as Peasbosson although voice lacks strength and
richness, executes ucT pOttlOH VI -nOHNe"'O""' $500
with precision and decacy OF expression that arc sur
prisng in one SO young and would DO admirable In any
body 10 Miss Fanny Stockton Is allotted the character
OF O6eron. Sho is very handsome woman ana II
she would adopt strictly male Dress nstean
OF the half male and half female garb tnat
she now wears, she would personate the FAIRY
King TO absolute perfection. Her vocallsm Is rlch
md s marked by great deicacy OF treatment and CON-
pete sympathy with the sentiment of the music Miss
Cornela jefferson is perfect picture as Tdnid Miss
Harrison makes very pretty and pleasing fairy ana
little willy Young fills the ideal Of Puck with surprising
accuracy-not tho pudgy infante Puck Of Sir Joshua
Reynolds with which have so long been familiar, but
the muscular mlschevous. humorous little devil who
gives life 10 the fairy scenes and fascnates by his fun
and his unfagging animal spirits The boy who plays
this part at the Olympic evnces excellent training and
what is better positive natural talent We hope It VIII
not spoiled by precocty The MINOR fairies Cooeeo
Moth and Mustard Seed have very little TO do, but that
littlo Is aTeeably done by Miss Vincent Miss
Howard, and Miss Thomas. Young Miss Le Brun'
another bright child, appears as singipgfairy' from
the fairies We pass to the arstOcrats and the hard
handed men OF Athens Theses Is represented by Mr..
Harry wall Lysdnder by Mr. ]. Franks; Denietrus by
Mr. j. j. Wallace; EgeuS by Mr.. T. j. Hind; Hippolyfd
nv Mrs Edmonds Hernia by Mrs Wallace; and Helena
by Miss Louisa Hawthorne. There Is nothing conspcu-
ously good in the acngiof either Of these parts We
shall quite enough In saying that they superby cos
TUNED and respectfully filed The burden OF the acting
rests upon the hardhanded men OF Athens Chief among
these Is Mr.. George L. Fox, Bottom the weaver In
assuming this character Mr. Fox has had 70 endure In
some quarters the ordeal Of comparison with such pre-
decessors us Burton and Blake. Comparison however
is the weakest resort OF criticism Putting 1t quite aside
therefore we shall just to Mr. Fox If we say that his
personation OF in point OF conception, literal
copy from shakespeares original He depicts the
Athenian weaver the personihcation OF selfcon-,
cet Not without subtle meaning did Shake
spcare put IN asss head upon those stalwart shout
ders. An unmitigaed ignoramus, Bottom nevertheless
deems himself the wisest and cleyerest Of men, AS o