The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-02-10
"ROmeO and Juliet, AT Booths Theatre.

Romeo and Juliet" at Booths Theatre.
The New York Herald gives the following
criticism of ROMEO and Juliet, as performed
at Edwin Booths new theatre, New York. The
HerdldS estimate of Mr.. Booths Romeo and
likewise of Miss McVickar's Juliet" is essen
TALLY correct. Mr. Booth is not a man of genius
in the sense that his father was, but he is an
intelligent studious, painstaking, and artistic
actor. His "Hamlet,n "Othello," "lago," "5hy-
lock-" 'Richeheu," and some others are fine
performances, but there are some characters
that he cannot play, and among these is "Ro-
meo." Miss McYlckar, pleasant little actress
of considerable ability, is even less fitted for a
representative of Juliet Mrs Scott-Sd-
dons in spite Of her crudeness and other defects,
is The best outlet" that has appeared lately in
that character.
Mr. Booths stately structure was inaugurated
Oh Wednesday evening last, with all the solem-
mites OF ta-hion and intellect. Shakespeare
sang to Firth avenue, and the glorious orbed
Edwin waved the baton OF the conductor. At
/ the appointed hour, despite the hostility Of old
/ Jupiter Pluvius who protested with tears IN
his eyes against the success of the legitimate,
the doors were flung open, 6gurauvely. speak
! ilp-in reality one had to squeeze through q
! narrow aperture which gave the ladies only
/ the choice of brawny policeman or door
keeper to embrace. The great ian, worked by
/ am, slowly but surely agitate1 the atmo-
| sphere OF the house; the massive scenery worked
| by cunning machinery, set the wonderful
! ''square in Verona" Mr.. Booth made the usual
! little speech, in a beautiful SUIT of Sunday
clothes, evidently prepared for the occasion,
/ the hidden orchestra struck up HAL Columbia"
! to fire the American heart, and then, amid a
! bnZZ of eXpec alton, the grand curtain rose
maicstically aud revealed the most superb
| effective scene ever done on au American stage.
| The opening scene, with the loud alarm, the
| ringing Of bells and the rush of fighting 'Mon-
tagues" and "Capulets" down the frightened
street, was the most vivid picture ever presented
of those turbulent days when Romeo" loved,
scenery throughout the piece was equally grand
and impressive, but III none was the thrilling
effect OF the opening combat on the grand
square of Verona cqualled. The ba cony
scene WIS a gem as perfect as the soul of
| a poet could conceive, bat 1t was the face
OF nature marred, by the presence of man.
Mr. Bo9tns inability tyi,1 TO &c conceive the char
most painfully apparent, and as M. Booth,
after al was the feature of the evening despite
great ian worked by sleam), the tessellated
pavemeDts the delicious act'drop aud Miss
Mary McViCkar, we will take the liberty 10
strip of the gauzc and illusion which have yelled
| the central figure, upon which the future Of
! "Boo,h's" depends, and show to our readers
what Mr.. Booth knows as well as we do, VIZ,
that lie can't play Romeo" The widow OF
GarIi,E, jealous oil her dead husbands fame,
went Wllh some trepidation TO see the rising
Edmund Kean play Abel Drugger,'n which
during Garrick's lie was left solely to him. The
y
can't play sAbel DIugper.n The tragedian,
equally curt and frank, repled-''Dear madam,
know it.n So Mr.. Booth, who has lrankness
among other elements of genius, will reply to
the charge that he knows not Romeo
Imagine youth of an exquisite sensibility,
of proud, naughty nature, with an imagination
tIanscendently vivid and strong, with glowing
exuberance of passion which lights up every
movement Of life; graceful contemplative,
continually nursing in the depths of his soul an
Idea of love, and loving or sorrowing in proper
nnssiDp
keeping with this ideal; youth of intense
feeling, burning thought, loving heart, giving
up his whole being to the one one deep, deyourlng
this, for such Is Romeo" and see come on
with a students stride, ,slaty, bilious, self
tormenting, selfish face, which the brightness
OF large, massive eye cannot relieve from a
certain expression of mingled meanness and
cruelty which those uncontrollable indices, the
mouth and chin, express. See Mr. Edwin Booth
come on as Romeo" What can be honestly
said' To, picture such a, youth as
Romeo" born cut of world OF dreams
and love, for such a nature, as Mr;
Booths, were impossible aid as il
conscious of this, he seemed a. times absolutely
10 wlithe under the load OF sweet fancies aud
thoughts with which the imagination of the
divine master crowded him. He mas not a spark
of electro magnetism about him, and when the
face should be lit up with glow of passion il
is almost funny to se3 his struggles to throw
upon his features soft radiance OF feeling, and
the way their hard, coppersh surface casts
back The sentiment unrehected is painfully dis
enchanting. In such characters as "IagO,
! where a good knowledge OF stage business and
a cold, keen, passionless. icy nature are the
t ! essential dominauts, Mr. Booth finds his true
sphere. His elocuuon is uustuded, natural
and attractive. lie has keen eye for stage
Effects and without any of the eheminatE
notions of ribbons and small dehcacies of detail
which belong to other artists, has a large, grace.
ful idta of coloring picture, which is essentially
artistic and far more imposing on the public
sense. But OF the characters he represents
he forms no conception, not even
: wrong one; for great artists may make
S wrong conception so complete and pierce
8 SO thoroughly into details as TO become
Q great as fact in art. Mr.. Booth merely drifu
D with pleasant presence and agreeable elocu
e tiCn through excellent stage business and won
t dertully man@pyred machinery with hackneye
- notions, caught or eonveye without any regart
9 TO the character as a whole. He is wholly
incapable of expressing passion aud conse
quenty Of playing "Romeo;' but as he admits
3 this with ch1rmiI Candor, aud his doing &,
e was an act OF courteous gallantry 10 Miss Nc
Y Vlckar, as we sta ed two weeks since, we waive
9 especlally on the last account, that keener ana
lysis TO which duty directs us and which Wou
determine his doom. 1t demands, however
great torbearance TO pass lightly over Nj
BOOTHS extraordinary antics in the balloon
n scene with Juliet Feeling the impossibilit
o. expressing with his immobe face the cage
impaticnce of the young lover, Mr.. Booth sougf
n the aid of his heels, danced and clogged abou
the stage as though emulous OF the saltatorii
I fame of Lotta. The passage OF old Capulet:
Il orchard wall was a bit OF harlequin Dnslne
8 which brought out the great gymna'tlc 40 lll
of Mr.. Booth. But we pass these detal
A over for reasons we have named, and Whe
% Mr. Booth gives us RicheIteu or Hamlet, VIII |
No clad to sound his praise to the farthest worl(
)O we cannot expect the "Romeop OF that distal
90 day any more than we can look for the ne