New-York tribune., 1871-09-28
THE DRAMA.
BoorH's rHEArER-HENRY VIII

B0OrH's THEArER-HENRY VIII
"Henry VIII" at Booths Thester has at-
trscted very general attention. and there reason 70
suppose that viii bold tbs sage, Id mach prosperity
during considerable part Of Miss Cushmans cnsago-
ment The opportunity Of seesg this greatArts should
certainly be improved by those who care for Shake
speare, and for the higher order Of dramatic
ability. Her performance Of Queen Katharine 10
full of refinement and beasty. and also of unex-
pected power Time and suffering have, indeed, i'm
paired Miss Cushmans physical strength; but they have
impaired to her acting o sympathetic tnge Of pathos
and re Of soul which, In our estimation. amply atone
for all that they have taken away Her personaton OF
the Queen, therefore, stands In need Of apology
on the score OF her personal feebleness. And this
We think to be very happy fsct-since 1t SIM
plines the critical duty OF tho hour. No
conscientious writer feels at liberty 10 award
uumerted praise: and, the other hand, no writer
having the spirit of gentleman could possibly, at this
time weave one thorn into the OF Charlotte
Cushmau. It Is especially pleasant, then, to CONSIDER
that her performance merits every word that even par
.ia friendship would wish to say In Its praise. We Tor
our part, commend 1t In perfectly earnest spirit not
us however be permitted TO correct an error OF haste
land ,ness, In our previous notice Of this theme In
saving that "Henry vITI.," presented ut Booths
Tbeater was done without mutiaton In ts original nVe
acts according 10 Shakespeare We perplexed our own
meaning what We intended to say Is that the play was
in five acts according to the plan Of the orig
nal and that there was mutlation-for the reason
that the omissions have been iudciousy maoe' ini'
version of Henry vIII" In BRIEF gives the spectator
m sve aets the substance Of the first four, ana enos
with the last hours Of Queen Kaharins and IL gives
ouIte enough-wthout the coronation parade or. tne
episode Of Cranmer.
THE EVIL OF BURLEsQUE.
II ia a gratifying fact that the stage OF New
York Ia comparatively free from burlesque performers
This s gain. These persons have In our opinion been
tho means OF incting great injury upon the drama
because through their ihstrumentaty an EXTRAORDINARY
prominence has been given to branch OF theatrical
labor which ought always TO be regarded ana admhs
tered as quito incidental and subsidiary All uining
with serious matters has tendency TO lower them In
the esteem Of mankind The art Of acting La matter OF
this sort-s In fact the very heart ana soul Oh sno
theater as an institution and by heaping upon 1t an
immeasursbe burden OF elaborate idiocy, these Dur
lesquers have well nigh overwhelmed the stage,
alternating from it the respect and sympathy OF many
cultivated PERSONS and thus preparing the way for its
decadence and extinction. little fooling, by way OF
spce may be salutary and desrable but foolshness-
various garbs OF levity slang, ndecate osp VI
the person, and absolute vacant mummery and gaooe-
has been carried too far and tolerated too long, ls
representatives indeed, have actually come to regard
themselves as artists. There Is such q tremendous
phaanx of them oo that in parts Of the country,
nothing but "leg business" Ia offered on the stage,
whence reason and beauty were long since bsnished
at La not, nor 1t cannot como to good" NOBODY De-
grudges to the burlesquers all the monetary prosperity
to which their lsbors are really entitled But IL
ought to be said they stand In great need OF repre
sion Tho presence and riy5lity-foiloWng IN
their wake and bodng the absolute ruin OF the stage
"a an instrument of innocent pleasure and social ad
yancement-cannot regarded Othes than grieVous
calamity. The wish TO avoid giving pain nos ofteh
caused US to treat with comparative indifference the
various encroachments of this distemper They nave
been met with O tolerant smile, when perhaps they
should have been greeted with explicit and emphatic
condemnation serious word Of protest against them
may not be utterly wasted.
DRAMATIC NOTES.
Mrs. F. B. Conway's Brooklyn Theater Is
soon to be opened-we believe on tue Si OF oceooeF'
"Fritzn and "Carl" are alternated this
brought out on the 2d of October.
Mr.. and Mrs. Florence will appear at the
Ups' Hrss viii o the time In this
country.
Mr.. Frederick Robinson and Miss Jane
place. fnds Mr. Robinson be OF the most natural.
nished, and effective actors upon the stage" The Conn
coleman, Mr.. j. b. Curran Mr. Mark Rates. and Mr. A.
d. Bradley.
Mr.. Leon, at the Minstrel Hall of Messrs
remains up1 cdidcs his bearers with "Chinny Lafiins
speech" hr Leon and Mr. Kelly have, II the phrase be
The visitor this house may see capital cogdanoe by
HIT: MuSse MuSs and comic sensation piece entitled
The waters of merriment are still nightly
rasedto the pitch Of fOodde-at the cosy hall Of the
p Ea sSd sSsH s Ty e SsT sy 's
has been we'll earned and its recipients are unremttng
tan@ent S%D ii in which oily hsmor and unlimited animal
spirits prevail 10y oye. 70 al tbs otsep s ancsea
Jolly monks of Saint Bernard.
correspondent directs attention to the
fact that the phrase too thin"-which has been de-
ty and refers to Henry vIlI" Act 9Th. 2d, in
which the monarch retorts follows upon the rulsome
aduatlon OF the Bishop OF Wins Wincncsteri i.,.,.
Bi.hop Of Winchester. Bu. know come not
rS.T % are '1So sSo AIN md S..s 70 hide oss.e.
Mark Smith is acting at Ben De Bars Opera
mcrited tribute to this sincere and able artist
longs TO the school OF actors that Is tast passing away
competent to fi the vscsncy. Formed in noble mold,
Mr. smh does honor to his antccedents and his training
tateps no catering to the sy1npathes Of the vulgar
whatever he does His performance u finished even to
studied yet 80 admirable Is the that forget 4 Is
not nature In his particular ne we question whether
Mr Smith has his equal on the American boards"
The superior features of the Ethiopian Min
strel entertainment given by Messrs Newcomb and Ar
ngtOn, at their Opera House Twenty eghtl-st, near
Broadway have several times been mentioned IN these
columns with emphatic praise This 1t Is agreeable to
erence may, In particular be made to Mr. William Ar,
nRtOns account the Hen Convention the vOeasm OF
Mr. J. II. Surrdge and Mr. II. Percy In the ballads OF
"Swset Chime Of tho Bells" and Shut the Door SOFTLY
the groesque acting of Messrs Sam Price, w. Arlington,
and o. p. Sweet, In the farce OF "sptting the Differ
ence" Mr. Walter Brays CHARACTERISTIC effort, Carry
the News TO Mary )" Mr. Hammonds performance the
cOrnet; and Mr. Lon A. Myerss musical meange with
the HarmOnicon. The programme at this Minstrel Hall
constantly changed and the place itself is neat cheer
full and well calculated to meet the reQurements-as to
this sort of entertainmenOf the refined portion OF the
fun-loving public
Mrs. Chanfrau has appeared at the Academy
of Music in Buffalo, as Christie Johnst0ne, In new
play based Charles Reade's well known and
very deliu Of