The New York herald., 1873-10-14
!" Macbeth" at the Bowery,

The shades OF Old Drury were stirred to life last
evening by the production OF the Shakespearian
tragedy OF sMacbeth." Time was when every bare
foot urchin OF the lower wards Of the city lisped
Shakespeare. Those were the palmy days when
the actors who "vampedn their lines or introduced
''gag" into Shakespearian parts were re-
buked ptca voce by the 'gods" OF the
Bowery or the Chatham Street Theatre. Alas we
have changed all that. The blood and thunder
drama rules supreme in the hearts OF the "bhoys''
and the Bard OF Avon is oil but stranger to the
boards OF Old Drury. He has been hudded into
the lumber rooms, while the startling emanations
OF the brains Of modern genius chase each other
across the stage. II the regular dramatisr Of the
theatre could write such play as Macbeth" he
would have Duncan killed on the stage after
hand-to-hand dagger fight, and Macbeth would
explosion to slow music and blue fire. Shakespeare,
after ALL Is not TO be blamed, for he did not live in
the age OF bursting boilers. He could only write
plays with speeches in them which few OF our
degenerate day can compass IN expressing them.
i would for instance take six men IKE Mr.. E. y
their faculties all stretched out, to go around
the daggerspeech in Macbeth and it would
take two or three OF many OF the actors who
have greater names to accomplish the same feat
These speeches are like old trees, they grow
greater OF girth year after year. while men remain
about the same size. The divine William once
rolled them all out between two fingers and q
ed rmnS We 10 and
chop and trim them, but they are too much for the
majority alter all. 1t was crowded house that
welcomed Shakespeare back to Old Drury last
night, and the best OF humor prevailed From the
venerable hter in the orchestra, who filled the air
perspiring regions aioit, everybody was impressed
with the Importance OF the occasion. But Shake
speare had been so long In the lumber room that ne
had cold in his head, and he moved about the
boards like Rip Van Wrinkle on his return from the
Catskills Sometimes he couldn't ind his way on,
and sometimes he couldn't get on All the actors
and actresses worked with a will to keep him NOV
ing as was his won't but his joints were stin despite
the bran new clothes they put him in. Mr.. Stetson
In particular worked hard, and exhausted his
voice and himself long before 1t was his turn TO
die. When ne did die, It was with struggle
her accustomed vigor and power. Mrs. Jones Is
wonderful woman as everybody says who knows
hornpipes and sing and play heroine in anything
from iarce to tragedy. The good deeds she mas
performed and been credited with and the bloody
crimes she has egged on and perpetrated since her
first appearance Q century ago on the Bowery
boards would astound the community II all her
We must not omit to say that "Mncbethn was
given with all the music; and, indeed, when we
recollect that the performance was only for one me
head OF the "Bleedng Captain on the throat Of
first murderer affected the audience visibly.
The goods" were well pleased, particularly
Banquo disappeared out OF MacDeth's chair, they
applauded and declared with satisfaction to Mr.
Stetson, "You was badly sold. old man." OF the
latter gentleman we can only say that he mas
forehead and an elflock hanging over IL like
Edwin Booth. THAT to be sure, is not much to-
wards the making OF Shakespearian hero but i IS
something. Mr.. Booth trained his eli-lock after
the pictures OF Napoleon on the eve OF Water
loo, and why should not the Bowery TRACE,
dian train Il, too. Perhaps II Shakespeare
came oftener to the Bowery he would not be so
stifY and lame. To hear his beautiful lines even
poorly rendered would do the gdn1tns more good
than the histories Of crude horrors clothed IN ter
rible English which the sdramatist" OF the theatre
saws out OF the records OF crime TO suit the
mechanical lunacy OF the stage carpenter.
Musical and Dramatic Notes.
Mr.. Daly's Fifth Avenue Theatre company ap-
peared last evening at Mrs. Conway's Theatre, In
Rrooklvn IN "Dtvorce.u Il Is unnecessary TO