The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-01-10
LOCAL NEWS.

The Iheatre-NUder Of Riohelieu We
| have witnessed many very bold attempts upon
| the life Of the great French minister, but none
so completely successful as that made by MIR.
Mexican Buchanan last night We have no
| patience With such charlatanism and preten-
sion-or rather, such ignorant assumption. Is
| II possible that Mr.. Buchanan does not know
he is not an actor? Have none of bis friends
had the courage to tell him that he has mis-
taken his calling Never before has the in
telligence of Richmond received such shock,
and been so disgusted. The coming of this
actor was heraded a week in advance, and the
people were prepared for his ''exceent com.
pany" by the most extraordinary kind of news
paper puffery. We half suspected, when we
saw it laid on so thick in advance, that the
reputation of the whole concern was entirely
on paper, and IN this we we're not far out of the
way. The putting had the desired effect of
filling the house with an intelligent, apprecia-
tive, and fashionable audience--very few of
whom, we fear, will be induced to honor the
performances of this sort of Legitimate
drama again.
1t is useless fof us to undertake TO criticise
the leading actor of this occasion, for be failed
to make single good or pleasing point
throughout the great play, which was most
horribly rendered from beginning to end by
every member of the company, save and ex-
cept the page Francois who acted her part
other actor on the stage who was equal to the
post assigned him, To bring such a company
before Richmond audience, whose nice appre-
citation of dramatic excellence is proverbial,
was gross outrage upon their taste and judg
ment. We never saw such fussiness and gro
tesqueness in an actor before as was exhibited
by Richelieu last night. All dignity was sacri-
feed, and we had mere dwelling old Panta-
loon, making mouths, mumbing to himself,
winking clownishly, aud spasmodicaly
stamping about the stage,-while the words be
uttered were SO mouthed that all the effect of
Bulwer's fine dialogue was lost. Richelien
will play itself in judicOus hands even with
the mere reading; but we were denied that
pleasure-it was so mouthed, SO badly deliv-
cred, and cut to pieces or destroyed by repeti-
tions. But Why continue the terrible store.
Horresco referens.
The browning act of stupidity was reached
when the curtain fell upon the fourth act. At
the grand exhibition of the power of mother
church, when round the form of Julie he
draws the holy circle aud hurls the curse Of
Rome against any who might dare to desecrate
that which it protected, the audience burst
forth in rapture OF applause. 1t was the
sentiment they applauded mainly; but we will
freely admit that for the moment the actor
did seem equal to the great occasion, and we
were about forming better opinion of him,
when he was called out and asked for speech.
He made it, and that speech finished the work
he had so well begun in the play. After thank
ing the audience for their presence and the
appreciation they had shown for the legitimate
drama as represented by himself and company,
he proceeded to advertise his whole bill for the
week, much after the manner of Snowman in
a country town. We thought the house
would have exploded with suppressed laugh
ter, W hen the actor, standing there between two
grand acts of a highly poetic tragedy,
gravely informed the public that tomorrow
evening he would appear in " Hamlet,
the Prince of Denmark - and " on Satur.
day afternoon" he continued, "there will be
matinee, on which occasion play called Lon-
don Assurance considered one of the most
amusing in the language, will be played.
Price of admission forty cents--children and
servants half price," And this in front of that
ugly advertising sheet of curtain One was
worthy ofthe other, and both approrate to
the occasion. The idea of telling the people of
Richmond what kind of play "London As
surance" is, was about as big piece of
assurance as we have seen in Richmond.
But it is useless TO waste words. We care
not what the London Times, or the New York
Herald, or any other journal with great
reputation, may think or say about it Mr..
Buchanan's acting will not suit the cultivated
tastes of a Richmond audience; and his com
pany is the worst we have had this season.