New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-03-21
THE DRAMA.
BOOTHS THEATER.

able honor it, with cordial sympathy ana applause "
withdrawal, like It's production must be recordea as o."
important theatrical event To the thoughtful portion OF
this community Mr. Booths Hamlet has been source vi
fine intellectual pleasure and true spiritual eie'aion'
The loss OF it is very serious loss Upon the emo
bling influences which flow from Shakespeares Tragedy
there is occasion for any writer 10 pause,
The heart OF tho world has long since felt them ana
recognized their gracious power Ii may be worth "hio
to remember howeyerand this seems proper occasion
for ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Mr. Booth has done everything
that actor and dramatic manager could possibly uo "
give those influences in his day and generatioh' 'o
widest scope and the amplest force. For that most
assuredy he has deserved the gratitude OF the puDc
There is no aid to civilization with which society can
afford TO dispense There aid to civilization so
efficient as the Shakespearean drama when properly au
mnisered Mr. Booth administers 1t in the right spirit
and he has successfully accomplished great ana hooe
work 1t proper at this time that TINS shoulu De
said and said with some emphasis People require 10 oo
reminded now and then of the excellence which Is close
nj their hands and this is more especially the case III
great capitals in which many diverse and turbulent
currents life mngle and how with regard 10 the spe
cdc merits OF Mr. Booths personaton OF Hdmet-oohhs
at that matter aside from his fine, hhera ana io'inS
treatment OF the whole tragedy-the puDhc hay
be supposed we fancy to have informed themselves
before now Our admiration for the performance
whole hearted unqualified and equally based III thousn'
and feeling We have never seen any Hamfet that aP
proximates so nearly Mr.. Booths Hdmfe uoes u VIVA"
we conceive TO be Shakespeares ideal OF tue cha"o,
For Mr. Booth does not offer us the Hdmd Vi 'no ou
LEGEND does not 90 back Of Shakespeare to Reproduce
the bury hero Of an ancient chronicle; does not aoor "
,rnoetize,f that word be alowabe-and drag down u
the plane OF ordinary, everyday life an etheica'
allied poetca creation, tho rarest trult vi tno san
imagination that vested In mortar cay on'
contrary he treads with becoming reverence III INC o
stens OF Shakespeare, and aims to interpret
hut ha
Hamlet as Byron most aptly and truly said. 4" is not
naturep He il a purely ideal man. His mehtai anu
spiritual state the result OF an Impossible experience
lie has seen and held converse with spirit from tno
other world His temperament too Is exceptional no
"a xpressbly gentle No leaf OF lily was ever inner OF
nurer than UaDlers instincts OF courtesy are to MS
fellow men, His youth has been noble anu
manly He has honored father and mother
with that beautiful nlla affection which Is rooted
in the soul, and which shows the anger IN inc
man. He has been-there are no words better tnah
shakespeares-"the expectancy and rose OF the fair
State the glass Of fashion, and the mold OF FORM But
his "noble and most sovereign reason mas peen AZ
Aicted by terrible experience which has shaken his
beng TO the center and left him dazed upon tho con-
fines OF absolute insanity-mournful yaclatng' agoh
lied, wreck Of beauty and monument OF desoiateu
splepdor That is the Hamlet which We see III Mr.
Booths representation and that seems TO us admraole
because-among other reasons-t Is shakespeare's
creation To lose it is to lose joy and benefit AS the
sun sinks to rest remember. with kind OF SAD pleas
ure how bright and beautiful he has been 3d. as TINS
delightful effort OF genius withdrawn we consider the
happiness it has afforded and the good 1t has DONE ana
are sincerely grateful to the actor for his worthy use oil
rare and fine ability
Tonight at Booths Theater the public is to SEQ
"a New Way TO Pay Old Debts" "The Lady OF Lyons"
will be produced on Thursday. and " Macbeth" on Mon
day next Mr. Booth will play Sir GILES. Clduds Net
note and the murderous Thane On Saturday night
"Guy Manuerng" will be repeated. with Mrs. Waller as
Meg NerrHieS.
MR. wALLACKs TOUR.
Mr.. Lester Wallack, we are glad to know,
has prospercd abundany in the professional tour of the
NewEngland cities upon which he lately entered. He
gave six performances the Boston Theater beginning
on the It'll and ending on the 18TH since then he has
acted at NewHaven and Hartford. In Boston he was
received with the heartest kindness both by the public
and the press He did not indeed. inspire the eIraya
CANT. wild, and whrng enthusiasm which was aroused
by MI Fechte who preceded him at the Boston Theater
but he certainly attracted regard genuine and more
sensible. His audiences were not composed OF people
who seldom or never 20 to the theater, ana
to whom, therefore, stagebusiness which Is as old
as the hills has every appearance Of being inspired but
Of habual theatergoers. acquainted with the stage
aware the various and failures by which s
history has been marked in recent times and competent
to appreciate dramatic art at its proper value And his
audiences were perfectly satisfied with his acting. They
recognized its clean-cut form, Its purity OF color It's
elegance Of method precision OF nish It's nice blend
ing OF sparkling lights and tender shadows and its salts
flying completeness Mr.. Wallack is q natural actor:
that is he knows how to artificial means 80 as to
produce the effect OF nature. Moreover, he is
fortunate in a Just perception of the limits
within which his srt Is perfectly adequate
He does not introduce the cOlloquial aud
epigrammatca style into the poetic drama He does
not act in characters which his mind temperament
and person unsuted. Tho result ia that what no
actor is done thoroughly we'll His chief
successes in Boston made m The Captain OF the
Watch" "Ernestlne." and " Ours" There Is no coem
poraneous piece Of acting excellent In It's peculiar line
as Mr. Waacks Chaleote In the latter drama; and per-
sons who nothing in "Ours" but the brass band and
the marching troops scarcely have an eye for any
color delicate than gamboge. or any HOVER more
modest and gentle than the peony. Wherever Mr. Wal
lack goes he will carry pleasure in his train.
HAMLET TRAyESTIED AT THE OLYMPIC.
Mr.. FOx's comic Hamlet which is still attrac-
tive at the Olympic, cannot need particular mention.
We have commended its merit and recorded its success
II meritorous for true burlesque humor-the humor
that IT, which consists in saying comic words and doing
comic deeds perfectly serious manner 1t is
full because Its evty peases the thoughtess and coors
with rosy light the gray gloom OF the serious mind Cir
cumstances that need not be dwet upon have lately
prompted great deal OF close and careful thought in
reference to the tragedy OF Hamlet" The topic
is vast. complex, and exactng Most persons
who write about 1t seem utterly incapable Of
discussing its various knotty aspects in.
a direct simple. and persplcuOus manner. Lately. in
quarters. has been deluged by overwhelming
torrent OF Ideals Of Hamlet in which there is
asnge shakespearean quality have been thrust upon
popular attention and advocated with almost insane
ZEAL There lie certain satisfaction accordingly. In
ing the whole matter turned into ridicule. Mr. FoIs
personation OF the IsOrrowtul Dane accOmplshes this
end directly and amply Whether his Hamlet DIS
plays mournful lassitude OF mind helpless vacills
ton OF conduct heavy anguish OF spirit. fire..