New-York tribune., 1871-10-20
THE DRAMA. r.

wALLACK's THEATER-KR. CHARLIE MATHEWS
Mr.. Charles Mathews appeared at Wallacks
Theaer on Monday eyenng-and wit And pleasure nAsu-
rally ensued. Tho house was crowded. The comedian
had tho heartiest sort Of greeting and he
literally lavish bossng Of mrh. There are sorne 90
tors who tire Of their ART and Of whom accordingly tho
public tires Mr.. Mathews Is never weary-orr If he Is,
he keeps the tedam 70 hse 10 that the result is tho
same That result ss perfect mastery Of the public sym.
pathy Not deep sympathy perhaps but deep enough
for the hour. His alert intellect his sprightness Of
speech and manner his touchandgo badnsge his mimi.
table good-natured impudenoe, his easy droery, his
tAess-(who does not know the unique, delicious
compound Of all that brightest and funniest in man
took captive his audience, just as they have done
30 many times before. He camo upon the scene
with all the old. vim and grace he was ~ fresh a.
violet on Spring morning, and he played two Of bis
familiar characters as siry and vigorously as though
he had played them before. This. sssuredly tho
great secret Of fascinating mankind The world Is like
sleep, in DR.. Youngs famous lugubnous poem 1t likes
the lids that unsuied by tear The strong and the
beautiful conquer all things. Flowers are strewn
upon their pathway, music sounds their approach,
and glad accamation celebrates their prog
ress 1t Is with the victorious exercise OF brilliant
ntellect-and that the triumph which Mr. Mathews
won. These are not great portraitures OF cnar'
acter that he presents-these symmetrical medleys
OF eccentricy, bright intelligence, caustic w.t. eense'
and fancy, blended into harmonious whole by Pc
culiar tolerant amabity-but they are, within their
scope perfect and they perfectly painted ana e
ouisitely fnished; and therefore. In world on haiI.
works blunders md botches they arc gems worthy Oh
all care and all praise. The especial portrai6 onereo
were T,oio0letonf and Sir A0able Haek Tho fcrner
an elegant sort Of Paul Ply In whom, OF course there
not PARTICLE of sentiment and who bustes through lie
In happy yivacity which Is insensible to sShts ana
carcs "a 1t is to any sort of emotion. Twf00eon buzzes
in hornets nest Of jealousy, and turns everything 70
ntrth Sir Tdbe is a deeper nature-not prOiounu III
emotion but in worldly knowledge aud IN tnougn'
upon the ways is ghastly spectacle tnat no
uiyas of sordd motives and practices; but 1t is en-
Iycned by merry philosophy, In which, perhaps tnere
s touch the sadness of many years OF gazing Oh 'o
nexpllcable riddle Of life. We comment thus upon
very old matter. Mr. Mathews has fames IN thlS
character on both sides Of the Atlantic Tne present
purpose is best served perhaps, In noting tha1 no
has again achieved tho same triumphant success
which has steadily attended his playing OF It,
Mr. Gilbert as EGrthuornn, gave touching and
most effectiye deneation Of q hypoerttieal miser
The performance was attended with great inter
es and with many marks OF popular dehent lhere "ro
certain valuable lessons to be deduced from tina repre-
sentation OF tho "Game Of Speculation " and 10 tnese
and other suggestions Of the piece and the acting, we
NAV make reference at moment Of more leisure The
re.nntronce OF Mr. Mathews has been made under the
henpicst circumstances and bis performances VIII doubt
ess be followed with attention and delight by the intel
lectual community.
BOOTHS THEATER-MACBETH
"Macbethn has been brought out at Booths
Theater with much the same adjuncts that attended It's
production In the Spring OF last year The same pc
cuarties mark the representation now which marked
then The witch-musc is discarded Hecale is cut out
and the drunken porter put In The reGntrancc and
faintns fit OF Lady Macbeth, after the murder Of King
Duncan arc omitted. Tho actual assassination Of Ban
o,o ia not performed. And effort to reproduce. In
sne Of the dresses and acoouterments, certain super
ca features Of the historic period in which the actual
Macbeth existed results now, 1t resulted then, In
medley Of ncongrutes. The witchscenes are as tame
as ever from the lack OF Imagination alike in their pic
torial attributes and in the spirit with which
they are acted Prosy people cannot under
stand-and therefore, very naturally, cannot inter-
pret,-the Significance Of poetry. All this however,h
an old story. Upon each OF these points we bestowed
ample and minute comment, when Macbeth was first
produced at Booths Theater 1t was not, originally
very satisfactory revival and do not incline 70 hail
with enthusiasm. As TO externals the
only difference which 1t essential TO notice be-
tween the present and the past presentments of tho
tragedy IL perceived in the setting Of the murdersoene.
This entrel rearranged and rendered far more
eecty, than 1t was at first The scenery most Of which
In the Jegunin excellent, because simple and ap
propratc retains s ancient merits-satishes the eye,
and helps the illusion Of the play Had tho same imag-
inatNa method OF treatment Which prevails In the
and traIriG:s :, the effect OF the whole pic
ture laust cu.!nly have been sharper stronger,
and moro severely exact Shakespeare is poetry, and
not p$Osc and 1t is always mistake to go back OF his
idea and strive realism whether In the mounting
the act ng. This is especially the case with Macbeth"
which the highest fight Of the poets imagination
Not to dilae upon views that have often expressed
before however, let pass at once to HeeiIba The
great fact reference tO the present production Of this
glorious ira dy il that OF the reGnrance Of Charlotte
CuShnan its 1crOe. From this 1t derives It's CHIEF
importance II was in tie character Of Lady Macbeth
that Slss Cuslman made her first appearance on the
dramatic stage and her persoDatOn of the part has, for
many years, chcitcd the most abundant and ardent
public admiration and critical approval She plays 1t
well now she played 1t in her llfe and the cheap
and barren that the lady Is not young az she
was years ago, may therefore be spared. In Miss
Cushaus execution OF Lady Macbeth, so lar as We can
perceive defect She embOdes the character
that is TO say she ues and her method is natural
and so complete that the spectator Of her acting forges
the thcater does realize till all Is that this
narrowing po ortrayal Of wicked nature and criminal
life is stimulation. To produce this effect is OF
course achieve the highest possible to dra
matte artist. With Miss Cushman's ideal Of Lady Mac
beth we do not entirely 1t has always seemed to
us that much of the beauty and all the pahos Of tho
tragedy are disspated when Its hero and heroine
dyested of poetic and humane attributes. Aaebeh-f
the text of Shakespeare does not wholly eude our study
is Of noble and lofty spirit, whose
soul Is haunted and whose life Is ruined by
tho powers OF Darkness and his wife is instrument
In their hands effect this ruin Upon any other theory
the man would become british rufHan and the woman
O horrtd virago-Bnl Sykes and Mrs. BrownriRS-and
the complete picture of their doings would be oahsome
and neaninRes Shakespeare always bears the highest
interpretation that can be put upon him. Tho best
mesnng that be found Ia invariably the one that
TAh intended.>. What Macbeth "would highly" that
would be "hoy." and he is "ful OF the milk Of human
udnessP;, Moreover thero Is not parsonage In all
shakespeafe's volumnous writings whose speech-the
renex Of his minds replete with imaginative splen-