New-York tribune., 1873-03-20
DRAMA, ART AND MUSIC.
THE DRAMA.
MISS CUsHMAN's SECOND READING.


MISS CUsHMAN's SECOND READING.
Miss Cushman's second reading took rlace
yesterday afternoon at stenway Hail. and was heard by
large audience. The hall was full to within three or
four Of IT'S rear and the assomblage composed
mostly OF ladies. Miss Cushmau read selections from
Romeo and Juliet" Maoaulays Battle OF Ivry" an
anonymous poem called The Death of the Old Squire"
and thin and trivial ballad entitled " Betsey and Are
out" The performance elected frequent applause, and
which Ia better than applauset manfestly stirred
deep feeling Of afectionate sympathy Miss Cushman
the hearts OF her auditors less than their intel
igeut admiration The reason is that she puts her soul
into her work, and makes Il noble with strength and
fine with geutleness. The attributes that most
conspicuous and that most deeply impressed Us in
her performance truth, simplicity, pswer,
TASTE and a deciousy delicate discrimination
in the portrayal Of character. This latter charm
was particularly visible IN her reading OF Romeo
and Juliet" She did not. Of course, assume all
the characters with equal fullnes but che suggested
each distinctly and with unerng accuracy, and she
showed, in brilliant light, that transmigratory power.
which the OF dramatic geuius-o through
many natures and fully TO live in each and all Her best
persOnat0ns MereHliO and The Nurse The huInor
IOyOusness, the gallant bearing, the manoi-the-
world habits. the interior solidity Of character
and even the manly, picturesque aspect OF Aerents0
we're Interpreted 70 the Imagination shat the
man became a living presence. Those who know
Miss Cushman's acting are aware that her voice Is
one OF extraordinary range and he1biuty combining
tones that are solemn the organ as soft as
the hute, and wild as the cry Of the stoimWina.
This wealth Of vocal resource gives a reality 70
her assumption OF the and women Of Shakespeare
which without parallel efforts Of this kind. Her
Merco spoke in the breezy vsce jocund health. and
gay COod-feilowshp; her Romeo in the eager, soulful
accents OF manly passion her Juliet in the SOFT round
Of grlhOod-rofned, impetuous, and touchingly
tender. A. handsome young fellow, understanding and
tod
would simply be- IN action, the perfect embodiment Of
shakespearc's thought. The halo Of young love was
around every one his words she uttered them and
throughout the love she evnced the tenderet
sympathy with his ecstatc sadness and the keenest IN
tuItive knowledge Of that wonderful time when the
heart aches with mysterious OF beauty and the
fragrant air of Summer night is wind out OF Paradise
Her comioaty in giving the queruous, caprcious tan
talng mood aud conduct Of The 9urse, and her noble
simplicity and keen intelligence, IN speaking the soo-
guy Of Fiar Laurence might be mentioned as salient
points Of excellence These. certainly. wrought potent
effect on the listeners. But
E E not e. AZ % syg ss. nor o ,j Ts 3 s',sty .s o1i e .
That result competent intellectually and per-
vading imagination, giving emphasis TO every point Of
meaning and color TO every phase Of feeling: and those
reinforced by superb elOcutonary skill The tones and
the manuer-for example Of this last-in which Mss
Cushman made Romeo utter Il pilot" were
beyond all praise thrilling type OF that method IN
elOcuOn OF which passion is the soul and symmetry Is
the body. Her subsequent readng5 OF 1.-THE Battle OF
Ivry" and The Death Of the Ola 5quire,-5tn in the
dramatic ven and still in the embodiment Of character
gave glimpses of her leOnine temperament and her
!dness OF imaginative thought that, 20 the student or
this great artist less instructive tnan iEspIr
ing She gave Macauiay's ballad with glOrl-
GUS martial ardor and religious exaltauoni and
she invested the quaint somber, dialect recital Of the
last ride of q derous Old fox hunter with an atmosphere
OF mystical and quiet pathes that chilled the
blood even while it touched the heart The poem Itself
i notable alike for felicity OF phrase and for imaginative
word-panting Of character landscape, aud incident
and 1t rose 10 the fullest majesty Of hOmely realism IN
Miss Cushman's treatment. There IS grand, rugged
honesty about Miss Cushman, and about all that she
does which makes her presence most gratetui-rend-
ing Us that in art a. in life simple truth Is the highest
beauty ana that dramatic genius capable OF coping Win
the highest creations literature Is not yet blessing
vanished from the earth.
Miss Cushmans third reading viii be given on Friday
night when she viii interpret scenes from MacDetl'
Her four.h ana reading ia set down for SATURDAY
afternoon and Will furnish miscellaneous works. chleI OF
which are TeRnvsOu's " The GrandmOtAeT5 Ap0-osy
ana Longfellows skeleton IN ArmOr"