New-York tribune., 1870-04-19
THE G,RAMA.
MIR. CLARKE AT Boorn''s rHEArER.

Mr. tLahhE Al BOOIH.
The favorte American comed,.an Mr.. John g.
Clarke reappeared last night at Booths Thsater and
heartily welcomed to his native stage by host Of
delighted spectators. Mr. Clarke has been long tine
absent but the absent not always fOrg0ttenas hs
actor must have felt most keey and pleasantly in the
happy laughter and emphatic applause which greeted
and rewarded him, last evening Those who give us the
precious boon OF laughter especially held in sweet
and gentle remembrance. This boon 1t is Mr. Clsrke,s
peculiar province to besOw. He has seldom appeared in
any but farce parts Once, in this city he acted Boo
Tykc, In "rhe School Of Reform" and showed sincero
feeling and fine control OF the art OF portray.
ing the effect Of bitter experience upon
strongly emotional nature. Keen susceptibility to
pathos, however, usually underlies humorous
temperament The barge Of mlrth floats never gayy
when It floats upon Of tears. We eur.
prsed at Mr. Carkes in Bob TBe and we should
take his in other serious characters very much IA
matter OF course. 1t Is not as grave man." though
that Mr. Clarke has come back to He appeared lat
evening" in the old and extremely familiar guise Of Major
wellington De Boots, and subsequently in that Of Mr.
Iiuothg Toodes Both arearce parts but into both Mr.
Clarke nfuses and living human nature by which
they transGgured and made real In saying this
indicate the chief felicity Of his acngsincenty based
nature. The Mqjor De Boots that he presented last
night not magnilOqucnt idiot who could only exist
in farce butGn eccentric man, of amable nature and
comical characteristics whom might reasonably
1
likewise, the T0odes that he presented OF mereya
drunken fool but somewhat Of rural Philosopher
taken By drink In thus giving then a lfc-like
identity and natural attributes the come
dian makes them objects with which it is posi-
bic to sympathze. They excite laughter, indeed, but
they also excite interest and hence they all the more
enjoyable. In word there ia the greatest difference
imaginable between the clown and the comedian and
Mr. Clarke knows the difference and able TO express il
and make It felt. The spirit being Present the method
ia not wanting All that Mr.. Clarke does Is elaborated
with nice precision in harmony with the unerring In
stnct and without the least apparent effort Accuracy
OF finish was, we remember, in Old days. OF his
great merits. He acted last night, with than
his former skill, in the matter Of detail "Custom hath
made it in him property Of easnes" To enumerate te
attributes and pecuaritcs OF his 0Or De Boots would
be waste OF labor seeing that quaint oddities Of charac
ter and temperament make show OF vitality paper.
Thcyar like the fragrance of the flower which no descp
ton can adequately reproduce We must be content to
say that the Aajor had his martial atak, and marked
time with his wonted precision, and dreodfuy and
most eomically in earnest and spoke In the dry
way as Of old, and sapient and sagacous in
demeanor than the wisest0okng tame crow that ever
stalked on a rural common and beghed us OF mex
ting1lishable laughter at his pert and fu5sy airs.
Upon the wide difference between De BooS and To0des
we need not pause. Every one having correct
instinct in matters OF theatrical art must have been de-
lighted at Mr. Carkes skill and success in preserving Ii
each case absolute dstinctness of identity. Equally
delightful also was the comedians sincere Interest IN
his business No mark OF WEAKNESS or routine marred
the representations but both were fresh and free as the
watt Of sea birds wing. We did not find the drunken
of T0odes altogether agreeable but certainly was
a marvel OF elaborate painting Of the relation and
correspondence between physical condition and
mental mood "Everybody's Friend" We should mention,
has been altered little, and called "A Widow Hunt"
The late Sterling Coyne who constructed the original
piece in English-we believe upon French basls-dld
the work Of change The version Of Toodles that was
presented is also a new one. Both plays carefully
set and the performance geefy enjoyed by an as
semblage OF merry spectators upon whom not even Ju-
pter Puviu who regned yesterday, was able to throw
cold water.
Here the casts of parts in the two plays with which
lr Clarke has naugurated the Comedy sca5on at Booths
| Thnafnr.