The New York herald., 1869-04-21
THEATRICAL.

made hilnseu the lion OK the hour by proposing
benefit for the guest OF the evening. The suggestion
adopted, and 1t is safe to say that the affair win
be one long TO be remembered Nearly every theatre
in the city has been rendered for an afternoon per-
formance-and for the evening, Of course. such
place as can best be secured. committee, headed
by his Honor Mayor Hall as honorary chairman and
Mr.. John Lester Wallack as acting chairman. is
moving vigorously, and already the rush of volun-
teers, from supernumeraries up stars" threatens
the committee with an ensbarrasse De rchesse. Due
notice will be given OF the day, which will be be-
tween the 18TH and 3Ist OF May. On the 1st Of
June Mr.. Brougham sails for California, and It
will tighten his neart on the long voyage he under
takes " feel that he leaves behind him the entire
population Of great city wishing him bon roya0e
and praying for his speedy return.
Mr.. Taylcure has awakened tempest in q
teapot by advertising ''The Tempest'' as "shak-
speare's last playn We inclined to Mr.. Tayieures
opinion which Is also that Of very good Shakspearan
scholars. 1t was his last. and the bard was evl-
deRtly very tired Of playwriting when he un-
dertOok it. The edge of his constructive genius
was dulled by overwork, and in default Of
logic and imagination he let his fancy run
riot In storms, magic, goblins visions and airy
spirts-creatures and phantoms never before known
to man nor dreamed Of by poets. In 1867 Pepys
pronounced 1t In his diary sthe most innocent play
that ever 1 saw-but no great wit;'' and that ver-
dict Will stand for two hundred years to come as
1t has the past two hundred. Ineffective play,
however, "The Tempest'' is unrivalled a creation
OF fancy. In no other OF his WORKS. perhaps; has
Shakespeare shown such unlimited control OF
the terrible and fancIful alike or such power OF
waking equally laughter tears as in 'The
Tempest" Sea monsters, travellers, shipwrecks,
strange shapes, Callban, the turtle in the
mud and the skylark In the air all Of
once az msprng f into he ,s, oeneash a. his touch
odors OF the sea and the Crusoe-like solitude Of
the island breathe TO us from every line Of tine text
To reproduce that atmosphere ON the stage is not
poSsibe--certalny not possible to the average audi
'rhe Tempest" Is Of those well springs of
delight which the Shakspearan reader must keep TO
hlniself Its wild witcnery exquisite fancy and al
lurlng enchantment is dlsilluslonized by the ruoe
hand OF the stage carpenter and tue bold brush OF
the scene painter. AS nearly as the picture can oe
brought TO the mind Mr.. Tayleure mas succeeded.
From the rising Of the curtain TO the
ing succession of stage pictures which are
highly cred,table to his tasle and hberaity.
manager Of the Grand. Opera House. and we could
wish that this lofty contempt for dollars and cents
had resulted as successfully IN the formation Of Ar
gorgeous stage. rne ladies' and gentlemen OF "The
Tempest's'' cast are eacn excellent In their special
ty-very hgh-priced people, indeed-Dut they are not
harmonious IN their present combination The most
lovely Of the creatures whom Shakespeare has placed
upon the island is Miranda. She possesses tnat un-
disturbed harmony OF character beautiful in
woman. She Is young; she is far; she Is
soa ike that Of ne diamond does not SHOW se
until IL Is brought to the light Fragile as glass, soft
gloss silk, nlled to the eyes with all the tender
deiIcacy Of sympathetic woman ''created OF every
creatures best" Miranda Is at once the most simple
and the sweetest OF the poets creations Naturally
enchanted isle portrayed by an actress whose FORM
face and mind VIII at least iaintly convey to our
the presentmeut OF this graceful beauty walk
ing the earth In mortal loveness If not to see Mir.
anda herself papable reality. Ii Ii needless, per-
hp a. s e Sa S SAY that ses have %
whom was lnjudciously entrusted this all-important
part is utterly at sea In her attempts to depict the
CHARACTER Of Miranda. Miss FiddeS Is q buxOm Eng
llsh lady, with ROBUST development Of form. an IN
telgenG, but not pretty face with strongly marked
features, too much yellow nair and decidedly COM
Portable look about her far suggestive OF the
domestic joys OF q well ordered household than the
is buxon or comfortable looking. 1t Ia good thing
thas sne Is So anu !, as., sae ~ , doubles, 1ar
have been had she been a dweller among the real
people OF the world: but Miss Fddes Is to blame and
all the way from England with flourish of trumpets
to play part Tor wnlcn she win doubtless concede
barbarous in TINS restless republic, and, although
there Is at present prevailing fancy for foreign
cousins seem 10 imagine that anything they may
send us VIII be admitted Tree OF Inspection
or duty by the simple showing or the
English brandt but that Is not at ali the Neither
do we Ike to see s0abfeties throwing aele their
amusing levity when they land on our shores and
inillct dull tragedy or niaudln sentiment by
way OF practice or experiment. For these reasons,
well Others, we nave been mpelel TO point out
the drawbacks 10 Miss Fiddes' thorough success Ia
Miranda, not so much as rebuKe to her, bat az q
caution 10 others abroad VINO may be encouraged By
her temerity to come over and pass themselves OF
for what tiey are not, never were, and never viii
be- There has been good deal OF nconsequcniial
criticism upon "fhe Tempest" bygentIemen capable
OF much better things and they have compounded
with their critical coDsciences By daMning q lew
poor native nobodies cast praisng Mr.. Daven.
port because il Is the accustomed thing To do anl
salving Miss F,ddes over with milk and water
nothings because sne Is u woman and a stranger.
strong claims certainly but there are several very
estimable persons on tne American stage who are
women and who are not strangers, and as IL Is a
struggle for glory ana gold we believe in
far Ggat and let the best woman win, Al ali
events our country women shall have chan e.
whlle we are Cracking the lash OF criticism ie may
because a half dozen goodna writers said 81
aud no one ooniradicted them. Ihe pubic swallow
whatever critical pill Il prepared FOR II without even
it gets notion 10 build barricades, wear conicai
red caps ana TIP the wink to neglected lady called
country there are no such actors as John Gilbert,
James wailack, Il. L. Davenport, Edwin Adams
iaasle NAB gentlemen they certainly are; but their
range Is not iliimitabe. For instance, Mr.
Davenport cannot play Prospero. There Is little
to play out the little there Is ne cannot 10. II IS out
of ms line. He concelves the part but he does not
express lt. Prospero was a man VI iaspred powers,
superhuman wisdom, royal presence, and ia his
ample robes and prophetic brow one OF the sublmest
VISIONS which ever swept across the stage In the
kngly might of intellect. lie IL far removed from
the vulgar asrologer, the seventh OF the scvenh
son. Bencvolcnce, paternal love and an iufcxlble
sense OF justice soens the atmosphere Of the super
natural about HIM. aud In all his incantatrons he
seems 10 have used his power through necessity to
effect good end. Mr. Davenport Is not tnat
frosper0. RE is unexceptionable I'm his reading,
correct IN his busness but LACKING in that divine
fie when should ira llae Prospero like The lurid
glare OF ''rhe rempests ghtnings. bis physique i5
decidedly aIains, hm Prospcro. He moves about
Ike an aih,ble elephant cumbersome but pleasing;
and VI he never flres, always c0nelts. There n,
too about MS stylc vein OF dogmatic sentcntlo1s-
meas, which aftcf time Grows oppressive, Ia Pros
pero As Bill sykes 1t was one OF tile salient points
upon which hinged ms success. Still Mr.. Davenport
n a good actor--far better than many OF tiivse
named above-but IL Is well TO condne COM
n,endation within bounds, else 10 spreads
abont aud wastes itself 10 purpose. t L. only OF
such artists as Jefferson. in brrcsIuc and comedy;
Uooth IN certain heroic characters; VIM. Warren.