The New York herald., 1871-01-10
A M U S E M E N rs.

-~>~~~~~~~~o~~~~O~~-~~~~~~~
BooTHs TuEATRE-''RICHELIEU."- sea-
son OF legitimate drama, and one thar will probably
prove singularly successful was inaugurated last
evening Booths theatre by the production OF Bull
wers "Richelieun There was brilliant and intel
lectua audience and this beautiful theatre never
certainly presented brighter or more imposing ap-
pearanCe. "Richelieu" Is SO well known that it
seems almost superduous to say anything
about 1t as play The place it has won
IN popular favor, and the pertinacity with
which it maintains It's footing, prove that It
possesses conspicuous merits It's skfuy woven
plot The epigrammatc sparkle OF Its diaiougue, the
tone OF grace ana finish with which 1t is imbued, the
careful arrangement OF It's situations, and, more
than all, certain palpable but not easily described
dignity and elevation OF sentiment. akin TO what
one finds In the older English theatre, mark it as one
OF the few, the sadly few, works of high dramatic
art which have been produced during
what English critics delight TO term the
Victorian epoch OF literature Its defects
are equally conspicuous. Not unseldom,
instead OF the fine gold Of genuine feeling one finds,
not without pang OF regret the tawdry tlnsel Of
artificial sentimentaity and 1t s but too plain that
the desire for cheap effects and not true
emotion has often guided the pen. Before refer
ring to Mr. Booths mpersonation OF the part last
evening 1t Is well to briefly review the manner in
which some Of the other great players OF our
time have treated It. The piece was first brought
out thirty years ago, under the immediate
supervision OF the author, at the old
Covent Garden theatre. Macready was then
In the zenith OF his earliest brightest rame and
he gave the chief part energy ana Individuality
which have influenced very decidedly all subse-
quent interpretations. In his hands the character
became what Bulwer intended it TO De--a picture OF
the mingled cunning, tenderness, vanity, patriot
ism and keenness OF intellectual insight into the
very soul OF the men whom the eSigencies OF his
position forced him TO trust-thc whole based
upon a solid subsratum OF sterling good
ness and unselGshness OF nature-that made up the
character OF the greatest ofs French statesmen.
All this was hidden beneath the calm ana polished
exterior OF the statesman priest or the ancient regime
and against that, foil, the latent force OF the
character was thrown out in bold relief with mar
vellously striking effect. Macrcady may, therefore,
be sad to be the author Of the traditional stage ren
dering OF the part; his successors have ever borne
in mind even the more arbitrary touches OF hisri-
onc genius which he threw into his conception, ana
thoroughly has this been the that 1t survives
established tradition Of the English stage that
Richeleu his greatest and Horthiest inpersona-
tlon Phelps, the pupil Of Macready, and the greatest
OF living English tragedians is the next best known
interpreter OF 'Richelieu.n He followed closely In
his rendering the footsteps OF his great master, and
though the part as he plays IT. is somewhat stlf it
Is, indeed, grand conception. Like Macready, he
cloaks beneath an impossible exterior the immea
surable energy and animation OF the willy old states
mans true nature. Forests rendering IS Of course
known to all American play-goers, and Its blcmishes
sufficiently appreciated. He destroys altogether the
courterly and genernanly character OF the emo
ton into which the Cardinal now and then breaks
nj
hardheaded American politician, who triumphs,
occasion renders necessary, over the infirmlties
OF age by the magic power or genius. Fechter, as
is his custom, gives the part also entirely novel
mould In place OF the classical reading of Mac
ready he has substituted the alternate coloqual and
agonZed styles peculiar to melodrama, and he eX.
aggeracs the light and shade until the truth Of ma
tlre IS wantouly outraged.
And now, keeping the memory Of the great artists
we have just mentioned arefully before us we can
pass to Mr.. Booths impersonation OF last evening.
There be no doubt that while it differs in scve
raj marked features from the RichelIeu OF Macready
and quite decidedly from that OF Fcchter, 1t is
titled TO be classed in the highest rank OF conccp
tions; and that it Is beyond all Cav, instinct with
the veritable fire OF genius. One grand fact.
however, underes the whole part--that it Is the
result Of careful patient almost painfully elaborate
and conscientious study In this lies at once It's
strength and its weakness. No impersonatian was
ever so truthful when regarded merely from his
torica standpoint. The student OF French history
gains from it more profoundly appreciatiyc view
of the dominant spirit OF what some have looked
upon as the birtn-epoch Of modern French civilza-
tion The public character OF the Cardnal-thc
scldshness and the passion of his devotion TO his
country his love Of Justice; and the almost total
exclusion from his psicy OF personal resent
fhrovrn
in a broad, general way but still, with constant
and conspicuous prominence. before the eye. No
less conscientIousy is hts personal character inter-
prcted-bis vanity as an author, the profound teu-
derness OF his love for his ward, the bitterness Of
his sense OF isolation, his ever present conscious.
ness OF the atmosphere OF hatred and envy that
rounded him on every hand the memory OF the
soldlerly enthusiasm OF his early youth, the keen
ness OF his intellectual insight. and his phys
cal Infrmlties. Line by line feature by feature OF
the Cardinals character having been marked out
by careful historical analysts, are thrown skilfuly
together by the synthetic power OF genius.
Never certainly was grand and Imnos-
Ing figure among the mighty dead re-
produced with such startling fidelity. Even
Mr. Booths personal appearance hcightens the
illusion. His features resemble closely the per-
traits extant OF the Card!na-the thin, prominent
nose the firmly cut lips and the high but not very
broad forehead.
But it must be confessed that Mr.. Booth while SUI
peror TO all his predecessors historical accuracy
is scarcely equal to wnaJ paygoes remember In
regard to some OF them in freedom OF rendering and
in the living reality OF his identity with his part.
True, the sense OF restraint never comes forward
with ugly prominence; it IS something felt
rather than seen. And 1t ought To be said
also that at intervals, when the action or the
piece rises into exceptionally vlvld interest,
such q passuge, for instance. "a the exeommunica-
ton scene in the fourth act the actor becomes abb
soutely merged lost In his character. But these
occasions rare ana through by lar The greater
par Of the piece Mr.. Booth, the perfect eocutionst,
and not Richeeu, the Cardinal statesman, is pres
ent TO the eye aud ear.
We may cite proof that this criticism is not
unfair the behavior OF the audience. No doubt, it
was difficult house before which 20 playa house
RXrlIsYnlY NJ