Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-11-15

u
and worthy men, and were fully justified
in what they did. Hathaway was shot
five times.
Academy of Music.
From the New Orleans Times, 10th.
The drama of Rip Van Wrinkle Will be
produced again this evening at the Acad-
emy Of Music. The play, and the role
of Mr.. McWade, requires more than one
repetition i'm order to form fair Judg-
ment of its merits. We think the play
improves on more intimate acquain-
lance; at any rate, il must improve to
the reflective portion Of the audience,
for il is only after several representa-
tions that the varied, delicate phases in
the character Of Rip Van Winkle,' as
rendered by Mr.. McWade, can be fully
appreciated. The befe Roir of the drama,
tbe chan that intends to have either the
hand or the fortune of Miss "Steenie
Van Winkle,' has abandoned the stand
and-deliver style, which. however sulta-
BILE to fellow whose father feeds his
aocks on the Grampian Hills, is alto
cether out of place in third-rate bust
ness man, resident in fifth-rate town.
If Miss Amelia Waugh will persist in
playing old woman, we are compelled in
candid criticism to say that if all the old
women looked SO young and so loveable,
they could get married as easily as the
young ones.
The improvement in subordinate char
acters tells in favor Of Mr.. McWade's
impersonatioH of the principal charac.
ter.
When we say that rip Van Wrinkle" i'm
proves on acquaintance, we do not mean
that Mr.. McWade's performance now in
any way excels that of. his first appear
ance, but that the perceptions of the au-
dience, and their appreciation of the nice
points of his delineation have improved.
1t has dawned on the audience that's
the performance of rip Van Wrinkle"
must be judged per Sc; and this, for the
simple reason that the character, as
delineated by Mr.. McWade, is in no
sense an imitation. 1t is evident that
he has taken Irving's story and studied
it without reference to any other per.
Torrance, and has then given his ideas
of the character in the play.
We consider, too, that Mr.. McWade,
like Dominick Murray, although como
PEELED, for the sake of effect, to introduce
some slight exaggeration of the natural,
has the happy faculty of never overriding
the part. :,
If we are not mistaken, Mr.. McWade
himself wrote the drama. We think he
has erred somewhat in concentrating all
the interest of the piece in one single
character. A necessity of adhering to
the original legend cannot be adduced as
a reason for this, for although the plot is
closely in accordance with Irvings
story, it is not altogether so. When
" Rip" returns from his twenty years |
sojourn in the land of dreams, he finds
his daughter grown up and married.
For the sake of dramatic effect, McWade
deviates from this, and introduces lover
and little courtship to sweeten the
plot. The introduction of semi-knave,
in connection with bargain about the
future marriage of the children, is also
deviation from Irvings story. If these
deviations are allowable, they might have
been extended, so as TO have strength
ened the interest Of the play by the in
PRODUCTION of some additional interest.
Had this been done, the drama would
have been all the more sprightly, without
lessening our interest in the main incl
dent and the principal character.
In one feature McWade's drama differs
from any theatrical performance that we
can remember. And this which, by some,
has been censured as defect, is, in our
opinion, an actual improvement. We
ailude to the length of time it takes
Rip" to collect his scattered senses
when he encounters the spirits of Catskill
and the somewhat prolonged
process of getting himself in walking
order after his twenty years of somno.
ent redundancy on the cold, hard
rround. Those who draw their ideas
If the theatrical fitness of things from
theatrical usage may regard this defect
md p heayiness. So do not we.
In fact, one great reason why hlstri-
mic performances do not better hold the
mirror up to nature is that the time al
Gifted to a scene or an incident on the
tage is too short For instance, in
Romeo and Juliet on the dawn Of
Juliet's wedding day, old Capulet
.nters exulting that his house is to be
.llied with one of Italy's noblest. His
,ride as a nobleman, as the head Of his
louse. is gratifed-so is his ambition, so
5 his fatherly pride. As he comes, his
leart swelling with outspoken Joy, he is
net by the appalling cry that his daugh-
er is dead.
We can fancy the aged father, his very
.4ur.oI 4bo cudIan
lorror, crushed beneath the calamity so
and SO unexpected. We
AN fancy the time it would take to
ecoyer, in the very slightest, enough of
mental equipoise even to enable him to
his bitter woe. And then
he long hours Of dull agony, utterly
without hope; for hope is dead with his
laughter Juliet" Yet, in Shakspeare's ,
ragedy. old "Capulet" disposes Of the
Whole matter in twenty lines, and the ;
audience is astounded to see how easily
lie gets over it.
No one can say that this is no defect. !
I is submitted to because, like the wolf
n the tuning Of church organ, il is in
.vitable; but it is not the less defect.
Now, in our judgment, Mr.. McWade
las avoided this defect in every instance, /
particularly in the scene. where " Rip
Tau Wrinkle" wakes up, an aged and
White haired man. So far from making
t drag" as some have objected, the
BEAUTIFUL in the delineation is greatly {
Iightened by this very " dragging It
,ught TO be different, certainly, II the
ctor was playing the part of waiter at
steamboat dinner table, bat not with
esuseitated Rip Van Wfnkle." And il
ny critic persists in asserting that Rip
hould get mp quicker, let such critic go
o the CatskilI Mountains, sleep on the
round there for twenty years, and then
Use TO his feet in less time than McWade's ,
Rip Van Winkle" does, il he can.
We do not hesitate to predict that
hould Robert McWade adhere to the his
rionic profession, his future career will {
e eminently successful.
Trouble I'm Eutaw.
V.-4o-Jo,- ,yos n dax ~ axctfamant