New-York tribune., 1868-03-09
MRS. KEMBLE'S LEAR.

. The audience at the Reading Of Lear on Sat-
urday seemed bent supplying, out OF their own re-
sources the comic element which Is SO almost utterly
wanting in this darkest OF sbakespeare's tragedies We
had thought that the rudeness manifested by few
people on Tuesday in coming late, was mere accident
which would not be repeated after attention had been
called to 1t in the public prints but IL Is now evident that
the great army Of the vulgar has determined making
lts aWiu power felt by the most offensive measures Ac-
cordingy on Saturday they kept up steady stream OF
coming and going through the whole performance disturb
ing the audience most grossly annoying the reader and
making plain that there welldressed and weed
people in NewYork City who utterly ignorant OF the
first and most elementary laws Of goodbreeding As
Mrs Kemble will not consider her own comfort In this
matter respectfully ask her TO consider that OF her
audience and have the doors closed at tho hour when
the Reading advertised to begin, and no admitted
afterward Let her depend upon it, this experiment would
have to be tried but once.
There were however several comic incidents that
little ghened the annoyance caused by the conduct OF
these people. When Mrs. Kemble had thoroughly
warmed to her work. and had in for at least
ten minutes old advanced up the alley with
the deliberate step OF age, and having wormed her way
into her reserved seat in the middle Of row. had di
vested herself Of her wraps taken otppets, capes va
and all her lending and holdngout hopes OF being
quiet in a minute or two, when, bang the reader
shouted:
Rumble tbs beyhall! Spit srei spout rsinP
upon which the old lady gave bounce huddled her
things again, and with hOrrorstruck countenRnos
tottered down the alley, aud sought the bosom OF her
family The other pleasing incident the bringngts
the Reading Of nursing baby, who, nursing babies
WILL selected the most nOppOrtune moment to set up S
pipes and squa nd biia until its mother exhibited tha
proper remedy How goOdnatured the audience showed
ITSELF not to tear the thing TO shreds and how much SELF
possession the reader showed, not to allow her perform
to say Suffice 1t that the Reading not marred, and
that from beginning to end it was worthy Of almost abso-
lutte praise We can however fancy excuse the ushers
give for allowing the baby to be brought In at ell
We suppose that the Of had been IN the habit OF
taking on Saturdays TO Barnums and being disconsoate
for the burning her ayore resort she selected this en-
tertainment at haphaZard not rightly knowing what
Reading Perhaps however she brought the wretched
atomy in satche and the usher could not suspect iu
contents IA grows Olderit viii have to be fetched In
perambulator and then 10 can be arrested.
The play OF Lear has very little variety in It's Incidents
but as Mrs Kembe reads it, it Is perysded by ono
master passion that the mind is concentrated upon Its
course to the exclusion OF all other interests In reading
the DRAMA Mrs Remble throws out everything that Is
not absolutely connected with the story OF the King and
his daughters We hear nothing Of Edmund nor OF Edgar.
nothing Of Goster and the horrible putting out OF his
eyes, nor Of the scene on Dover Cliff Nothing OF tho
fighting toward tho last and all the scenes In which
self and Cordela the main characters in her pre-
sentiment aud 10 must, think be admitted that no
other living person known 20 our community could DC
such equal justice to these two Yet it must be romem
bered what prise is implied in this statement For In
all the range OF Shakespeare, thero Is no creation 40
colossal az that Of Hear, none where the passions
play upon SO mighty stage; the very heavens arc
darkened with his grief. And it Is strong
physical mature, as well ias ono Of strong
passions; the wreck OF the body follows the
wreck Of the mind and the CONFUSION Of the breskngu up
is awful behold Yet Mrs Kembe sets all this before
with grand simplicity, without rant without exag-
geraOn with such feeling that every heart Que
in loyal allegiance TO the dethroned king, and makes his
its Mrs Kemble never leaves the Impression
that she has done all she There great fund Of
! reserved power Her voice can pour out sustained
volume Of sound without break equal TO anything
accomplished by Forrest but It Is thunder with music
in IT, organ pipe and not the putting OF steam engine.
In the loudest passages in the upon Goncr the
/ invocation and the elements, the wounded wild beast
cries Of Lear when he brings Cordea though her voice
tears the heart IL does not wound the And COrdeha
this most exquisite nature ever set before us with
such world of tenderness not all the depth Of her
love and grief laid open to u.s. sweeer voice
! heard than that in which was read
OBJ. my dear hhsFi Restoration hang
Thy med cine my lips
| No wonder that Lear when he wakes should say:
Thou 4 spirit in blissi"
day. could ever sit with patience and hear any living
actress mar the part
The reader sllghedGonerl and Regan, and made them
on tho whole little fppant for our taste. We bad
imagined them strong dark, natures women with their
fathers body and hs stormy temper but leaning to evil
he to good. But, though they made bad crea-
lures, it the badness Of spite and yexation, and
lacked the large showing that comes Of hate S, II 10
true that these appear but little in the play a.
Mrs. Kembe renders It, and ia the earlier tho
nends conceived in them hardly edged. II she bad
read the later the impression might have been diff
terent. The Fool charmingly given love this
merry. undaunted bird that hops constantly in the
Kings path, when there are crumbs comfort
left
So the nrs course Of Readings ended II the audiences
have been quiet and apparently wanting In enthusiasm.
it has been great tribute TO the readers power that
they have been held evening after evening for at least
two without the slightest evidence OF WEAKNESS
fatigue Nor however much may have complained
OF the hardness OF the gathering Justly make any
complaint Of disturbance by people leaving before the
close The spell Of the sweetlipped enchanress held alt
these hundreds movecSs 10 the end
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