New-York tribune., 1872-03-14
THE DRAMA.
soorH's THEATER - JULIUS CESAR - NUN"
CHANGES.

unon further reference TO the 'oPlV !, ,,ia ror
.monc the words for the hour Daring INC ,a, 49,
N"Os , a., n,,o has now seen four different ideais
. ,e,s ,,,,oe Of EridUs and two OF Antony Mi' La"
,.nse Barrett MI ]. b. Booih ana M "u'N
nave acted Cassiss Mr.. CreSwioK anu "i ri"nA -
. 49,, o..a Brntus; Mr.. Bangshas acted Antony -
a.. l,Iio F,oth has acted them all TO look Oaok' Ill
- rnon these several performances VIII be 10
,eu,bcr some the olcyeTeSt chsracterpahtlhg anu
,me Of the best manifestations, alike OF 'maSheuo
,.,rsonaljty AMI Of skill in tAe actors art that nave
eracea our stage Ine acting OF MI j. B Booth IL ~
tre was feeble and inefficient; end that were best ior-
sotcn But the acting Of the other players whom we
have named has been enriched by merit that may well
,.e held in honorable recollection II Will be dnowt-H
s. difficult even rOw-to determine WHICH OF these WORKS
az art should he accounted the Sonhdest Odt own
preference Is for the Bii"s OF Mr. Eiwin Boo'h ana
the Cassits Of Mr Lawrence Barrett Beyond all ques-
,,An however. the most brilliant and powerful persona
,on ol the series s Mr. Elwiu Booths C0SSius 50 far
indeed a. magnetic sympathy is concerned TINS ACTOR
has taken the palm from an his competitors, in all three
of the characters, 1t is to be considered
though. that this magnetic sympathy IS quail
ity peculiar to The actor himself and manifest
10 a greater or less extent in all his performances IL
Ges not necessarily belong TO parts In when us
presence. nevertheless. enables him 10 VIA Pto
eminent favor. The student OF acting sh'uiu loo@
beyond the emotional effect There Is an OBVIOUS "'s
tsuciion betwiXt the influence Of an eectilcal mu"U
ualijy and the fact of painting of character IN
NJ Poeh's CaSsi,s there IS great deal OF the via
Booth sr last there is IN ls PScGfd hiS y" u"'S
his Leo and his Ecl1rd u is ull OF physical ierVof
and tremtous 'tol; ore than this' u Is spoh'"-
ueonsy poetic SacA performance. right OF wrong-@nd
in many points lt is Icbt-wn always be grea'ly Hd
,rd Yet to orr m'nl Il is less true TO Shakespeare
than the CasSiVs Mr. Barrett The latter performance
Vs- not nearly electrical nor in incchamch hieInou
xrs il 30 ducuo and 50 free. But Was marked u!
rcstcr moral dignity anda more ascetie intellect lS
main motive was much the petty envy "l C0S"
n. the bitter burning. glorious hatred OF imperial
dcsnctism. lis ideal, IL brief was lofty, ana
lis 4, what commended il to our especial admiration
w are quite aware, vita Cicero tAa "ncn may cOhsru'
filings alter Their fashion out, from the purpose OF the
things rtrselycs; anil tat this view OF shake Spedres
conception Of Cqssiuc may chance 10 be oYerretnod
10 Judgment IS ntL,c to points OF this description
That method OF study however. which put, upon snakes
pcaro'S text tie highest Interpretation 1t VIII ocaF
seems rs r. ;onai rs anyaud We think 1t VIII surely
bear tic rtcrretatio that invests CcSsHs with VIZ
tuous rud commanding Intellect. Words more
heroic ran those lie speaks TO Coset on the fear
fI night Immediately preceding the asSGss0auon, are
scarcely 10 I've mat ched literature exc p perhaps IN
nyrcn's magnificent O!e TO Vcnce--n which the very
heart Of Liberty beats with immortal tArob His pur-
pose GOOD IlTpOS3 10 hln ana IL a nc Hisii COZ"
lers The means by which he pugses II have an ienooe
aspect they oIe the only means that can possibly sue
coed: and in The end DC atOHcs for the ln"irocioh ana
ine crime by q most manly ana noble DEATH di' Bar
,.tt. in acting Cassus. carried sympathy with him
element in the man, which Is what 10 us
lie seems TO possess in tie pagc5 Of Shakespeare one
sign of i, T., the manly ana tender love, ou both GeS
that vokes him with T7ttS d" II is impos ibie, sa'
tAat mourning patriot speaking over TIE dead Oouy o.
IL. friend. that ever Rome shculd breed tDy icuOW'
I.,5te mis- Mr. Booths CoSS3Vs is cOnet-u6e rush
,,e and torribie-not lacking neither. In human
n emotion. but col.red throughout with soincthins
u .,,ist.r As ErptIs, tho other hand Mi
IN po.,h rrcscrted an ideal Of character more
oh. .lrt.a frgfh IFS
rltby and for this reason, both souuder ana les IN
ttan,ly elective There IS gentle melancholy a sad
abstraction auiumnal pcn>iFencss about the chaTac
Ter OF Brtf,ts which renders it, greatness ana its
beauty less obvious than they would he II he were
wholly man Of action. His mind Is tinged
with bc moul fuluoss naturally incident TO wide range
olinteeu,l vision and large DISCOURSE Of reason His
temp rImcat Is exceptionally sweet His conduct Is
nodded b. thc celestial scsevhicA il the sense Of duty
His actions proceed deliberately; alwa from reason
never from impulse. He Is tender In heart imag native
in mind exemplary in lie. stately In demeanor such q
nature wins but does not startle I'll more dhcut 10
play Frt,s wei than to play Cassi'S finely MI Booth
has discrimuated between the parts with most eA-
ceneut discretion. Tie more his BT't"s was seen the
more ii was loved. We can readily understand
that al first many persons must have looked upon
ji with disappciutncnt That slight frame so apprO-
Ilise to Cos5,,s pnd TO appearance, the CaSS'"s
of Edwin Booth is the best stage embodiment We
have ever seem lacked the massiveneSs naturally
"
Lrtus The absence lurii fash and OF telling points
must likewise contributed 10 weaken the effect OF
emotional exctnent-that tuglng Of the nerves which
l. dear The playgOor But We are willing to believe
that familiarity with this delicate work has led 10
wider aud ripper comprehension OF its beauties. IT pos
eees Int small significance for the IL Is full Of
lovoness for the soul.
Sir. Booths AntoHy was seen on Monday night
for the first time and this too was IA triumph.
1t is truer embodiment than the actors
Cassius. and it is vital and fiery. Success
in AnfOaY however, does not mean so much a.
success in either OF the associated parts. The
character is simpler and the situations IN which il II
presented readily apprchended and utilized To 20
Shakespeare, and resort 10 hstOTy-for which
proceeding except with view to correct personal appear
nce and dresses general accessories and the particular
facts OF actual conduct that treated there is no war
Yant-mght be TO find the real Antony different man
from the type that the poet has delneated in this play
But the quality and composition OF the characters
are shakespeares OWn-not PutaTchs au0ther's-it
- with the latter, alone that criticism Is here
concerned and think Mr.. Booth was quite
correct in depicting Ant0ny as person OF PpDtic,
reckless, somewhat trcacherOus nature, yet
manly. resolute, strong, and fierce. The hghts
that are cast upon the character are many and ex
plict AntOnJs great talent for crafty policy appears
through the derum Of his grief over the murdered
body Of C0sar in the Senate House Later It tnds
spcuous EXPIRE in his inanmaOry speech-sO
derfuy well devised for It's purposeo the Roman mob
stil later omitted scene, he is willing TO economic
the matter Of paying the egaces in that
will Of the lamented CGsar; and he cruelty and ruth
Iessly condemns his nephew death, aud openly
proposes to and befoO biz associate Lepidtts
Upon hi, sensuay Of life all opinions Brutus,
vino Acknowledges him for ga wise and valiant Roman,
says also, that be r. given 10 sports TO widncss and
much company" CGSar testdes Of hun that he "revcs