New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-02-02
THE DRAMA.
MICH ADO AT wALLACK's.

uon - - i. ord its magnificent surroundings: signi
aoaptip its wealth OF suggestion 10 the lover vi 0'
areap literature In the presence OF speclaclo 90
a.sive the critical instinct is charmed 10 sleep ~ ~
effort be admirable even when 1t fails, now NUN
;, dmrabo when it succeeds. The feeling ana inc uu'S
:, ,na moment then, in reference to thls 10,
,voi express themselves in one Word-auliil"
ton MI Wallack has done more than Wen
hath indeed better bettered expectation thau you '
oxDeet OF US TO tell you how" staget TRIUMPH -
peto vital surcharged with color ana GIit'el'NS W,
,igbt-can be but family depicted in the cola lor"y
words The most that can do is 10 Ske'0H ~ 49,,
,eu, ranid touches With reference to the plcco i,',
che critic nj this late day. must speak with natui" n
tation Shakespeare is not on trial lHoso -, si,
abopt him. as Edwin Whipple has wen anu 49,, 7,
40 mt measure hin, but measure themselves W -
a. 800 mat only a fool will make haSto 70 on'ou'e
The ionic though is one that III spnl' VI ~ w
e, 80 aiwavs be discussed without onehse' Ho
-. ootb,no certainly when we say that Much Auo
IA a brilliant work Of genius; trahgnV WIN uuo ~
=, human nature and true representative Pi0'"i0o
- character and lie eOuched In symmetrical lOIin VI
-. orA oxpressod in the bappiost collOquy IL was
en AT least two hundred and seventy years ago. ana
.,s,ovor since maintained It's place upon the stage
-, clone "a a suticient evidence OF It's vital merit
~ fingers with peculiar delight over tine many thou
o,As Of happy nights that this comedy mas
In how, many theaters has 1t been piayeui py no" many
~ NV aoIs and before what muttudes! Fair
1OuQei
~ n and famous players who now are uuS'' onco oie
,.r on the stored scene For nearly three centuries
J,u,ek and Beatrice have bantered, and wranged ana
laughed and lovedand yet they are as fair ana esh
today as when in the prime OF his manhood tne great
oet gave them immortality. Ambition Is eclpsed beauty
itbers the renown Of action is forgot the tomDs OF
Kings eruube into ashes; yet few words traced by the
hand poet live and endure and burn in every heart
with the diamond glory OF the morning. There IS some
reason TO think that Shakespeare foresaw the bright
future Of this comedy. AT any rate, Much Ado Is one
the pieces that he wrote and published in the sunmt
perod OF his life The probable date Of the composition
IS 1925 The author then "a years OF age Only one
considerable sorrow the death Of his boy, had cast
shadow on his gentle heart The tragic downfall OF his
great political friends yet 10 come. That
epoch was very beautiful to shakespearos genius
Beside E" Much Ado" It produced g Midsummer
Nights Dream" "The Merchant Of Venice" and Ro-
eo and Juliet" Certain scholars maintain that the poet
had visited Italy five years earlier and there made the
studies Of local scenes and needful 20 "Much
ADO and others of its class However that may be- the
play enwrapped in delicious Southern atmosphere,
while its human nature feeked all over with the charac
tertics Of those whose "bood all meridian" And yet
no little isle OF Sicily ercumsCrbes its scope OF meaning
To show the manners Of Messina was but incidental
part Of the poets purpose He showed those manners Of
and he likewise appealed 10 the sense OF romance
and the love Of chyary IN calling up the thought OF
picturesque and pageants of victory that when he
wrote had but recently passed But under the gloss OF
and the parade Of incident thought emotion
passion, sexperenee-and these the enduring sub
stance Of ~Auch Ado" Two love.stories OF them
vivacious and gtteng the other mournul and tender
deity blended herein and sweety rounded to joy
full close. CAS- the heart Is" says the poet Longeow,
Z" il love TO the heart" and it is great beauty
In shakesPeare's porrature Of the effects Of that
passion that when his people love- each displays his
loving and shows his in clear
illumination. That peculiarly the with Bcnediek
and Beatrice Another beauty IN Shakespeare treat
Of topics whatever they may be- is his maintenance
of complete symmetry in the relation Of details Each
object Is shown itself only but in its relation TO
the objects that surround it. In this comedy Of "Mueh
Ado" ne conducts a picturesque city on the Med
iterranean Sea; and while he invites especial sym
patty with fortunes OF few people therein resident
he makes us aware the characteristics OF the place.
and OF the currents Of its everyday life that are con
stantly flowing around, crossing, or ming
ling with those more prominent currents that
he wishes us particularly to follow BY a few
delicate suggestions makes realize the soft and gen
tie climate. The sky is bright. The air "smes WOO
inry" Perfumes Of the land are borne upon the wind
from tho sea- By yet few other touches of color he
brngs to us. who walk in scan palaces sense OF the
and the nightly peril Of the streets
In LeoaatOs ballroom the masqueraders dance to the
merry music outside Francis Seaeoal and his mates,
whom the immortal DogbeTy has charged TO watch,
traverse the lonesome highways to seek IAN ancient
and most quiet watchman's" shelter, on the church
steps On the Threshold OF tho COM
edy we find Bsnedjek and Beatrice at their
wits; but skfuly is this introduced that its seems
20 new matter. They have been quarreling good
while before the curtain is lifted that them
What chances after that too chances very naturally,
we'll 20 Hero TO Beates The sole point IN the piece
that ever struck rs a weak IS apparent lack Of
adequate motive for the cruel vlainy OF Don John Per
haps however be rascas for the pleasure
OF rascality. But, this aside the entire comedy |
is like a segment cut out Of universal human
experience, - every element included, and the
whole just deleately dealized by the poetic
spirit Of art-and made visible and papabe delight
forever To each piece properly set upon the stage
Is manifestly to enjoy great benefit Such benefit
may DO enjoyed by the spectator Of Much Ado" at Wal
lacks Theater His imagination is simulated by beaut
ful pictures. His mind Is lit up by flashes Of wit HIS
sense OF comca eccenricity Is completely filed by per
feet deneatons Of humorous character His heart is
touched with gentle pity for one Of the sweet |
est Of women, cruelty wronged. His memory is |
freiglited with accurate sketches Of manners in a |
past age aud foreign clime,-Whereby his general |
intelligence Is broadened. And finally, the eyes where
with he looks upon the world sharpened to look upon
1t broadly, and deeply, that he may TO perceive
ihat life is not little pool in which ne and his
panlons dispOrt, but vast aud deep flowing river |
whereof knows the OF tho haven, but on
whose bosom, FROM 20 age succeeding generations
make one and tie voyage SO Influenced he is not
merely pleased for the moment but he Is made wiser for
all time He grows in eulture-and whatever |
makes US grow in culture Is a genuine blessing
Conscious OF the Importance the Influence thus WELDED
Mr. wallack ayshed every care and needfu exneps
upon the production OF this shakespearean gem FIVE
great scenes have been provided besides several Of less
note. Two Of the scenes superb picturcs-the
garden and the chapel When the curtain rises, A
terrace in front Of Leonatos house stands revealed
beyond which, adjacent shrubbery, gimniers the
sileut Ralleys placid