New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-05-02
THE DRAMA.
BOOTHS rHEArER-RrcHARD III.

sons OF the yeest interest elsewhere-centered IT.
self eager thoughtful attention Of the best class
local Shakespeare's Richard Ill.," in the
commony-used and well-known adaptation Of 1t made
by Cibber was represented, for the first time this
theater, and Edwin Booth appeared as Richard. The
house fu-and, as always when primarily |
Lit and thronged with animated crowd |
presented exceedingly picturesque and cheerful APP
pearance. No other theater in city possesses, In
anything like an equal degree. those accessories OF
chaste and classic physical beauty which appropri
atey and Impressiyey frame intellectual effort Adj
equate surroundings-at all times essential 10 the pur
poses and due effect OF artexst here In ample tuiiness
and thorough finish, and they evenly sustain tnas
atmosphere Of dgnihed refinement and intellectual SIN
certy needfu to perfect Illusion and make acting
reality Their proptious influence was again felt Last
night, by the large assembagc that saw with pleas
ure and benefit, and Acknowledged with spontaneous
and enthusiastic applause poetic aud spirited pageant
richly fraught with elements of truth and attributes OF
genius Orchard ILL.," an ideazed picture OF GER
tain phases OF the life Of England in the latter part
Of the fifteenth century. is wonderfully vital ana signn
can't even in the medley constructed by Cbber and the
pcture on this OCCASION received setting az nearly
perfect rs stage appliances should be expected 10 Iur
nsh Most of the scenery employed was entirely new
and the views London streets and OF rural landscape
near Bosworth were properly accepted as gems
OF the scenepanter's art. The effort 10 AZ
tain exact historic accuracy, avoiding all anachron-
ism in detail was not made but that effort as we
have often intimated undesrable-and certainty
not mperatye-in the treatment OF poetic play ana
therefore could be borne The tragedy was
done acts the performance terminating at t ana
when VIC record that Mr. Booth was called before the
curtain Eve times IN the course 6r the evening and
greeted the last with perfect Of applause we
shall sufficiently indicate that it not done in vain
Few this season have been 80 SUCCESSFUL no
occasion offered incidents Of more intellectual value
There arc two ways in which the critical student may
test pcrsonation Of Richard One is, to COM
pare with the standard OhstOry the other is to com
pare it with the standard poetry The latter, in
way OF thinking the one-for IL Is not Richard rs
he is described the pages Of Hume but Richard as he
lives in the pages OF shake peare that the actor should
try to represent student naturally expects
TO Sec These Richards are by no means Identical
So far indeed a. the incidents concerned, by means
Of which the story OF the King told and the character
of the King illustrated. the poet aud the
! historian walk hand III hand. Shakespeare,
| u course, had Hume TO consult; but he
evidently had Halls Chronicle aud he apparently had
certain other sources Of authentic information which,
together with this one, Hume subsequently followed
Legendary lore ole Of these sources-since when
Shakespeare boy aged men must still have been
living who remembered the battle of BOsworth Field
The result is that, TO historical facts, poetry and
prose are agreed, and possess equal authority But
they differ very widely in their estimates OF character
The Richard of history-at least, see hm-was an
body deformed his countenance was harsh aud Tor
| bidding: his manners were blunt his demeanor was
| boisterous; he reached forth and took with
the strong hand everything that be wanted :;
no murdered without scruple and without dupIcity,
everybody stood in lis he was 30 little crafty
that he could disguise his emotions or us
purpOses he lived constant savage fret; IN hne nc
waa An overwhelming and dangerous bully and such
uandou cutthroat and hog that even in an age when
villainy was the fashion aud murder was pastlme'
people looked upon him something monstrous and not
TO be endured This Is too ridiculous" was the e1ea-
nation Of Artemus Wards squatter sovereign, when he
behed the manged remains OF his wife ard
| cbrdro, and the charred tmDers Of his ca.,in-
| DESTROYED by the Indians and this ia. about
what the English people seem to haze thought,
! in their contemplation and final deposition Of
Richard III Shakespeare the other hand preserving
all the superficial pecIiarites Of the pian has endowed
him with a commanding and most audacious intellect
the widest knowledge Of humap nature and affairs. the
amplest canaey and power as governor and leader OF
men eraftness OF mental action. worthy Of LOUIS XI,
or of his own Iago and the insight, the burning
temperament aud the indescrihabc fascinating quality
! OF man of imaginative and electrical genius.
That ideal presented by Edwin Booth-lnd
so thoroughly well presented that in describing his Rich
ard as lacking massyeness, and as being ardent with
intellectual rather than emotional fire, we denote the
whole Of IT'S nperect0n There tinge OF that IN
voluntary latent humanity in the persOnatiOn which,
when Mr.. Booth formerly acted the part. somehow
made one think that it wasn't in earnest.
The actor perfected himself fully in the ideal.
seized the distinct Identity and preserved t-iyng
| ambition as its motive. and deformed mans
rage against fato lis spring OF endless bitterness
His method lll Of original prompting and Informed BY
| wise experiences, wasi singulariy beautiful. The
transirons-nade with the celebrity and viyidness OF
hghtning-showed Richard's subtle wit and devilish
irony, his dupiicy and his tremendous tensity or
-,.H
that were often thrilling. The hypocrisy OF his
| "Cau him again." IN the third act, astound-
ing as 10 absolutely udicroUs-and people laughed at
with 4 SILVER OF horror The deriun after the dream
touched the hight pathos. its ruth and its terrible
prostratiOn. And the deathas Of some malignant viper
-itlyfounded one of the most symmetrical pieces OF
acting It has fortune 70 witness That the
performance, a whole, possessed all needful spon-
| taneous emotional vigOr, that the actor was
swept away by part thus made pvincblc to the
sympathy OF his auditors, do not assert But MS
| embodiment OF Richard burned with noble hlme OF
intellect grew steadily in development, and broadened
as it grew and at every point showed keen and just
Intelligence and, in the closing scenes. 1t was. to the
very letter. precisely what Shakespeare meant
| How minute Mr.. Booths study of the part has
| been was really perceptible from the accu-
| raey OF make up and personal pecularitos-
the long. brown hair the upon the third finger or
the left hand and the habit Of twdng the dagger For
the beauty countenance however the actor has no
authority think. either IN poetry prose- These.
though are tring II Is the spirit that gyeth
life and It Is the spirit which oaptiyaes IN Edwin
Booths acting and which, IN this in many other
instances. has sven him a signal victory.
Beginning with Julius Cesar' aud ending with
Richard Ill.," Mr. Booth has gnallzed his dramatic
year with two elaborate and splendid Shahspearean
psgeants every way worthy Of his magnificent thea
ter and cretable to the high purpose which anmates
his professional ambition From both these reviyas tho
community derives pleasure and intellectual benent.