The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-01-26

sTweIfth Nieht,, nt tho ArcTl.'

regret for II not well done It had best not be |
oone at all. Some years ago IL was produced |
at the Arch in very superior style, but since |
tnen, TO the best of o1r knowledge, 1t has not |
been performed in this city until last evening. |
Sparkling as 1t does with some of the brightest |
Shakespearian,wit and humor, with theserious |
and comic scenes blended as no dramatist but |
Shakespeare could blend them, and with an
array of characters scarcely one of whom can
De said TO be OF secondary Importance, the in-
terest OF It0elh Night, as en- acting play, Is so
dependent on the ability of the actors, that In
the hands of good stock company alone can
1t be made interesting or attractive. II well
noted, however, there are few plays, even
In Shakespesre's repertoire, that will afford bet
ter entertainment.
The plot OF TUelh Night is taken. like
most of the comedies and romantic dramas of
Shakespeare, from an Italian novel, but, as
was his custom, the story is made merely the
background upon which to display variety of
Characters and incidents of his own Invention.
The plot is interesting, although luclining to
what in these matter. of-fact days might be
called sentimentality, but the story is relieved
from trIviality by the graceful poetry and fine
humor with which the poet has enriched II.
"ViolR," the heroine OF the play, If heroine
there be, is one of those peculiarly delicate
pieces OF female characterization that Shake
speare excelled in, and which can be compared
with nothing outside of his pages. "Viola"
reminds us of "Rosalind," inasmuch as in the
disguise OF masculine attire she woos the man
she loves but the refined art OF the poet is no.
where shown so much as In the distinction
which he makes between the two characters
Both are essentially feminine, but with ROSA
lind" the masquerade is much of O jest, and
the forwardness of her manner, her fearless
demeanor, and the brllliancy of her wit are her
best protection in the anomalous position in
a., I'LL,
trary, the disguise is q necessity: she shrinks
from discovery, and her perplexities
are Increased by her love for the
"Duke," no less than by the amo-
rous advances of "Olivia." The situation
is further embarrassed by the hostilities ofthe
cowardly "Sir Andrew Aguecheek," bounded
on to the attack by "Sir Toby Belch" and his
merry companions. The peculiar grace, deli
cacy, and sweetness of this character make IL
exceedingly difficult to represent upon the
stage, and few actresses have succeeded in per-
forming 1t in such manner as to satisfy the
highest critical requirements. "Sir Toby
Belch" may be described as "Falstaf" with
out paunch, and as his avolrdupois Is less,
is his humor more sprlghtly, II not so unctuous
as that of the fat knight. ItoeLrh Night was
written, according to the best evidences on the
subject before Henry ", or we might imagine
"Sir Toby" to be the forerunner of "Fslsts1"
"Sir Andrew Aguecheek' is distinotively
Shak espearian character, but, with the excep-
ton of "Malvolio," the individuality of the
remaining personages OF the comedy is not
strongly marked. "Malvolio" is The character
of the play, and, with the exception perhaps of
slight superficial likeness to Don Adriano de
Armada" in Love'S Labor Lost, there Is nothing
in or out of Shakespeare to resemble him.
"Sick of self-love" is perfect description Of
"MalvoIio:" and while the character is drawn
= with such firm and decided touches that any
fair comedian ooald scarcely fail to make 1t
amusing, an actor of irst-rate ability could
alone give such q personation as would be
worthy of the hearty commentator of readers
Of Shakespeare.
11OelNh Night is one of the most carefully
finished of Shakespeare's lighter comedies; the
purely comic element predominates, and IL Is
devoid of any tragic interest whatever
The; title T1OegM Night appears to be
purely arbitrary; and the only explanation that
has been offered with regard to 1t is, that the
merry spirit of the play makes it suitable for
Twelfth. might festivities The second title,
That You wiz, seems to indicate that the poet
purposely designed to be indefinite In a copy
of the play which belonged TO King Charles
and now deposited in the British Museum, the
title is altered, in the handwriting of the
monarch, to MatU0tI0.
A large audience was in attendance last even
ing al the Arch, and the performance passed of
with great deal or splrlL, Whatever critical
objections might be urged against the concep-
tion OF some of the characters, there was q
finish and style about the performance that is
too seldom seen when plays OF this character
are on the boards.
Mrs. Drew's "Viola," as whole, was an ex.
tremeIy fine and artistic personatlon. In the
scenes with "Olivia" and in the duel scene
with "Sir Andrew Aguecheek" she was espe-
cially good Mrs. Drew, however, failed to hit
the peculiarly graceful and poetical conception
of the character which any careful reader of the
play would realize. In the scenes with "Or-
sino," in the early stages OF the play especially
she drawled too much. In the scene where she
receives "Olivia's" ring by the hand OF NAL
volio," and her suspicious are excited that the
lady is in love with her, Mrs. Drew speaks the
Words
II left no ring with her. What means this lady?
Fortune forbid, my outside have not charmed
heI!
she made good view oahe; indeed, so much.
That. sure, meIhought, her ey es had lost her
tepgue,
For she did speak in starts diguractedly:
| She loves me- sure; the cunning OF her passion
Invites me IN this churllsh messenger
None OF my lords ring! why, he sent her none
am the mani"
as If the whole affair was a capital joke. This
4 Is an Interpretation worthy OF q second.rate
soubrette accidentally cast for 1lrst-rate part
and it is certainly not the correct reading, how
ever much it may be authorized by stage tradi
ton. MIR. Barton Hilrs "Malvolio' is good
but 1t hardly rises to the dignity of a work O
art. Mr.. Hill gives way too much to his guJtura
ragic tones, and his exaggerated grandeur G
department. is too palpably assumed, and /