The New York herald., 1872-11-20
ANU S E NJ E N rs.
The Merry Wives Of Winslsov-Mr
Charles Fishers FalstaM.

the fItn Avenue Tneatre last night was one OF the
long-looked for events OF the present dramatic sea-
SON, which ended neither in complete satisfaction
nor thorough DISAPPOINTMENT. Like most OF the
! Old comedy acting OF the present era OF American
art the representation was lacking in the finish
which can come only from study, and yet it was re-
| pete with q freshness in which there
Is great promise The dressing OF the
piece both in costume and scenery was
admirable. Both were innovations, but both
showed Mr.. Day's ideal OF the representation OF
comedy-an ideal that is acceptable only when
every detail is faithfully wrought out The blend
ing OF the dress of the Eizabethan aud the age
OF the original Falsta was poetic TO say the least
of 1t, and the costumes picturesque, which is
a great deal. The scenery was less cumbersome
than we have been accustomed 10 see, and this
was an advantage, for the unites OF the piece
never forgotten. For these things alone ''The
Merry Wives Is well worth seeing and the acting Is
the best representative comedy acting we have had
this season. In no respect can IL be called great,
and yet IL seldom falls below mediocriy. II is good
in ITSELF but better in its promise OF better things.
These remarks notably apply to the Sir John Fal-
stan OF Mr.. Charles Fisher 1t is not piece OF
acting such as will be long remembered but IL has
elements ofstrength which may grow into q genuine
triumph In the Lrst act Mr.. Fisher was very tame
so tame, indeed, that failure seemed inevitable
confidence and he began the fat Old knights love-
making with an ardor that was electrical The
words which but describe the transition are those
which would draw the distinction between the man
and the actor He was Charles Fisher in the first
act and Falstafr in the second. Having once gained
the Falstatlan ideal he maintained il to the end,
and, u ne did not make an overwhelming triumph,
ne ne a, least showed himself worthy TO iolSw %
knight so great. The Slender OF Mr.. James Lewis
was admirable. 1t more than supplied the humor
sustained throughout. Mr.. Lewis represents
| in In owl htG rnnt0
to Sweet Anne faae he II made the ehaEssiss
9Wn own, :, His impersonation Of slender is the best
9e makes s e' the part tSs the feature aSs that o
little eed Se Tev the otner parts
ng ,ne rage Of Mr. Louis James as well as Miss Fanny
| pacenport's Mrs. Ford and Miss Fanny Morant's
they are not marked by any very striking excel
lences. Miss Sara Jewetts Anne Page is inferior
e aHa IN e II a oow ws m he's Is due 70
but her want of experience and perhaps
Of true dramatic genius show themselves
the character. 1t was dffcuIt to feel
that even slenders adjurations to sweet Anne
in individuality and strength. Mr.. Lemoyne's DR..
Caus was notable for the cleverness OF its Frenchi
men ever SO spoke in either Of the Falstanan eras.
The Sir Hugh Evans of Mr.. Dayidge, the Shallow of
Mr. Whiting, and indeed all OF the subsidiary parts,
were well done, showing all the beauty of de-
tail in the cast which could be reasonably
expected. or those the Dame Quickly
remark for its excellence and iiumor. on the
whole the performance was a very good one II
combined more evenness of representation than Is
generally seen in the production Of Shakspeare's
plays and an Interpretation Of this mrthful comedy
,Smss wncn Essed Win orgi66aity OF conception @ and
stage. As the season progresses the performance
cannot fail to improve in roundncss and strength,
and II may yet become one OF the best representa-
tlons OF "The Merry Wives OF Windsor we have
yet had in this county.
Edwin FORESTS Hamlet.
Last evening, at Steinway Hall, the tragedan
who is perhaps the last of the old monarchs OF the
American stage, commenced a series OF readings.
They have been looked forward to as an interest
ing event among old New Workers who can remem-
ber that Edwin Forrest first played Othelo in
| this city more than forty-siX years ago.
and made his debut at Philadelphia, like young
| Charles Kean in the character of Norval, in 1s2O
Even to those much younger and still not mere
boys his presence will recall old theatrical memo
ries that reach easily back to 1s4s, when his fame
| and his name were watchwords sufficient to raise
mems blood to the boiling point. All this has gone
by. Mr. Forrest has retired from the stage, only to
reappear again and again, something like SignOr
Mario, with the once glorious light dimmed and the
ancient strong belief in his powers sOftened
down to something like sympathy and regret.
Four years ago he appeared in New York for
short period; since that time he has been heard
of from various points of the Union and at length
he appears as reader. His deep voice,
manding presence, robust action, physical power
and impassioned nature cast his greatest sue
cesses for him in the realms OF heaviest
| tragedy, as the plays written for him,
as the character OF Me amOra win attest which was
OF s WseS St tanS & the a
last night was not very large one; but it was
unmstakabiy una.u I,r aeconate. Gray hairs and
around, and the pleasant associations which
were as. intimate with going to the play
out much Imaginative effort be seen like a mist in
the eyes Of many Of the audience. Mr. Forrest read
man Of his energy-his necessity for muscular ac-
tion to help expression-it must have been trial,
it srse fssa s esS wn educSss f the SsSd
the sense Of force which the reader wishes nss to @
Struggling with the dcues Of tie eAI POSITION csiH
This occurred two or three times. This difculty
men,. But the chief necessity Of reading is
clothing them each with their individualities
| as markedly as possible within the range OF voice
and ZEN and grouping them in proper
Mr.. Forests reading this was but partially com.
piled with, his most subdued efforts OF voice never
| realizing an approach to the modulation Of the
| queen mother, much less the tender grace OF the
grlish Ophea The ghost even was little less 70.
UusJ udullcl, anu fOlOnIuS, dltuOuRn appear
ing in his querulous tones for moment would
drop in the next to the profound bass Of his inter-
were better marked, but the ditieTence was
very faint between them. Hamlet alone OF
all stood forth In the light of Mr..
Forests conception, and this unavoidable
emphaslzation OF the title role tended, notwith-
standing the other defects, to concentrate the in
| terest where the reader was strongest, and In q
manner preserve the unity that was continually
in danger. 1t was, in fact, Mr.. Forrest play
of the characters the mereSt shadows of them
selves With the veteran actor's impersonation
all old playgoers are familiar. Last night how
this suffered it had much of the old force and
intensity, but at the same time the unevenness OF
information and want OF delicacy In tender passages
even when momen tary, as in the interview
with Ophelia, were apparent. The soliloquies were
commercially delivered, with the exception OF