New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-04-05
THE DRAMA,
BoorH's rHEArER-rHE FOOLS REVENGE

Othello" 10 "The Fools Revenge (which Was mad.
at this house on Monday eyening,-was accordingly
witnessed by what, in this part Of Lent, may well ss
called crowd Of people. II was, In sense trsns
ton from gloom 10 gloom; buttragedy Is tragedy and
the mission Of Is to DO good by hurting our feeling.
IL NAV mako us sad, but 1t does not mako n.
angry. II tells borrd stories, now and then; but
IL does not embalm nastncs in shapes OF art for IN.
sake OF tempting low curiosity. Dark and repelan,
themes occur for instance, both in Othello" and Tia
FOOLS Revenge :" but in each case they made trb
utary to an honest aud lofty dramatic purpose There
fore we endure them Tie terror that subdues the mind
and the py that uelts the heart unite In eevatng the
moral and spiritual tone OF humanity They make u,
more viruous and humane; and therein they exert
an art-infuence which blesses the world. Both
these forces are aroused and stimulated BY tho
drama Of "The FOOLS Revenge" I.
gloomy and terrible piece but IL Is full OF power both
upon the mind and the passions; and that power wa
fully recognized by the numerous spectators Of the
representation at Booths Thcater Recurring after
absence Of years from the local stage, this
play comes to almcs, positive novelty. In Apnl
1864, Edwin Booth played IN IL, as Berec'o at Nbo
Garden, and made profound and brilliant Impression
II has not been acted snce-unt Monday evening Aths
time specify 1t thoroughly discussed neyerth@
less risk OF reteraton we shall here Feniuro
remind our readers that is Is the work OF Mr Tom
Taylor, who claims Il as, Substantially an original
producton-admittedy built however, on the basis Of
Victor Hugo's " lie Roi s. Amuse.' its three aets-
which adrOitly constructed, are very vigorously
written, and animated by swift excitlng' PrOpu
sive and indomitable movement toward ciimaH,-lei
a dreadful story Of good AM evil passions It's main
motive to rebuke tho wckedness OF human vengeance
Its literary and dramatic substance consists In the ans
ysis of exceptional phase Of human nature II de-
pics the love, the suffering, the rage. the hate, 4s
frenzy, the mingng OF angel and demon, and-hnany-
the awful fate OF u man Of ausere mind ana tender
A lefOrnel
with tremendous experience OF cruelty and anguish
It's story has been set TO music IN the opera Of hgo
letto," and perhaps should tread upon trte maers
in rehearsng its incidents. lightly 10 touch upon them
! though may not prove amiss.
Mr TaylOrs play Is free from the ofhe French
original. Bertueeio, when first presented in -as the
Court Fool to Count Man ed the lord Of PaenEahas 70
oeved pathetic bereavement The pooS creature
bers happy home, wherein he was blessed with the love
Of an aectionate and faithful wife. That wife
away him, by ruthless noble; and II Is 10 ayengehe
outrage that Berucco lives and abors He has been
crazed the cloud Of lunacy has been lifted and this
wreck Of deformed manhood, that now remains is ant
mated by love, hate, and fearful purpose
The love for his daughter the hate for his wronser
the purpose is reveng'. The scheme that Bertucets
forms ia to eounsl his employer, Mlyredf-a wicked,
powerful, INSCRIPTIONS man-to sbducI the wife OF hh
archenemy Count Naiqtestl The first act OF the drama
IL occupied with showing tho relations OF these persons
and the unfolding Of this plot. Tho second act shows
| how by series Of circumstances, strangely YET
naturally eontry d. the daughter Of Berueco was sub
tued for the COuHtess Mdatesd, and how the unfor-
tunate fool ignorany became paryto the forcibe car
rying of Of his own child The third act doplctS.-
first his demonac glee IA thinking over the consumms
ton Of his insane yeance; then his paroXysms OF
anguish consequent on tie discovery Of what has
really chaneed nd finally his rescue OF his daughter
aud his death.
We have referred to the story dark and terrible.
Mr. Booths acting, in the character of BTh'oe'o,l
gives emphasis to the utmost meaning those Nords
contain. Those who saw him, on Monday night "a"
n man of tine dramatic genius, in full and nobs
utterance OF his divine gift. With respect 70 the
welcome that HIS auditors gave him. the fact "a
significant that he called before the curtain AZ
the end Of each act He more than deserved tna.
tribute He meritod the best that intellectual
admiration can say in his praise. He looked ana af'sd
the part to absolute perfecton-exeept that by reason
Of the care and toll Of the year. he was physically fee'~
than he used 70 be- three Of the great slns
tion. He personfed that OF all phases Of misery
the misery that laughs. He manifested great and
touching tenderness Of heart Nothing could wei sun
mass his renzed Joy the supposed abduction OF hs
Countess except, indeed it were his rayins' OF Ahlo
glee and deirous despair when the father oeg4 Tor aa
mission TO the banquetrOOm Ia which his child Is DO
eaered by the brutal assailants Of her helpless inno
cenee Deeper than ell these emotional man
| uestations however, were the intellectual grasS
and thoroughly natural handing OF "'
human nature of the miserable deforned man. Iue*
bore eloquent testimony to Mr. Booths mtulohs sh'
his study-the intuitions Of man OF genius and US
study of conscientious artist. Physical dei0fhhy ma
seldom been with patience It reacts On the nS
ture that it incloses II saddens or It embitefs DO
formed man Is usually retcent and secreuYe' NJ
shrinks from contact observation He suspects on
every hand, pity, or contempt, or aTrsion' or rnou~
He is morbdly sensitive He withdraws MS life tros
tl.a 81 and
dwes in solitary and sequestered places; and there
nurses hls emotions whether Of love or hate, I'LL they
acquire intense strength II he be eman Of deep he'rf
and proud mind, and II hts nature be lAumneh W ID'
light Of genius he will develop an amazing odNieuay
Pope and Byron out Of literary history IS READY
examples Of this These, OF course, are opponents 81
exceptional class but the same human nature rnn'
through all classes the general results are apP'
rent I'm all the victims of deformty. In bref the 40
formed man ia placed at disadvantage, ana ihe c'''
fact shapes and colOrs his whole experience in"' "a
pertence accordingly attracts the analytical s'uuen
| life and stimulates the imaginative literary af'h'
| suggestions OF sharp and touching dramatic eonrl''
Sir Walter Scott has deneated certain phases Oh WAN
literal truthfulness of detail and great NlgOF VI u'
| ment-and in snguary beautiful atmosphere OF ~
| nsnee-in his novel OF "The Black Dwarf" otieF AZ
thors OF course have touched upon 10 Wl'h Ino9e VI
| success: but no other great writer seems "
| brooded over it so deeply as Victor hugo mas 80
purposes OF art To remind the Ieau
| hls ouasimodo is at once to Illustrate our m."
ing and to suggest in representative emboa@em
this exceptional individuality Berf"oe~ = iiE "a,
| nor,rait Mr. Booth reproduces IL III Hterai me- -
shows that be has fahomed this dark and blind dep'h
traptcal existence. Much pathos has proceeded oa
this depth, that the world knows much more o. ~n',
team know nothing. The actor who thus shpD' -,
makes GOOD his ttlo to greatness in tho world o. a..
Mr. Lawrence Barrett very largely augmei t.u
OF the representation, on Monday ish' y nis S
earnest faithful, thorough, and I"ete perS,'ll'On
az ,',;Ua Mr. sheridan has seldom played 80 vel
and he 1, always conscientious and true-as III 'u
| - =, Va, orsd{ We append here the fun cas''