New-York tribune., 1874-05-19
THB DRAMA.
JOHN MCCULLOUGH.

there during four weeks and IN sevon characters
Thus far he has been SparLaeus R,eh.i<. ana
Hamlet. To bis embodiment OF Spartaeus We bav.
previously referred In terms OF cordial respeo4 ard
admiration In Intellectual attributes and An aneno.s a,
artistc method it differs FROM and eXcels tho Sparta
ehs OF FOrres and the only why does exoci
altogether that wonderful found in tha
fact that Mr.. McCulOughs nature totally lacks THAI
element OF barbsric ferocity which was prominent
ingredient In tho Forrestian composition and which
made Forrest the best possible delneaOr OF the
baran, whether partly civilized wholly savage. To
have done anything AZ oil In the part, after that smous
exemplar. was signal credit. To succeed brilliantly
was to win a lasting laurel.
In the character OF R,eheiieu, Mr.. Mccullough di.
played beautiful crippled by Imperfect intuition.
His dressing correct He made Riehei,,u i'm.
pre5sive and picturesque figure. His delivery OF ne
text was round, clear, sonorous, and accurate. lie
worked up each with entirely competent mechan-
zeal SKILL lie delivered tho salient speeches with per-
feet elocuton and at times with fiery eoduence. All
along it's thread his performance studded with
gems OF specific merit The Cardinals banteTing humor
could not better conveyed than II is by him. what
may be called the iluminatye speeches OF Rehe',.p
respecting art OF justice, the power of
tho peD the decree Of destiny. and the imposs-
bility OF failure-he gave with clear iDteli
gence and splendid force HIS intense passion
in defying the unknown assassin. thrilled and
astonshed His massive soemDity and tremendous
intensity OF purpose. the threat Of ecclesiastical I'M
precation upon Barradas awed the mind and touched
the heart His paerna love FOR Julie. and his pity foe
the fate that he could not avert were thoroughly manly
and tender II will be seen through these Statements
that there was great excellence In this embodiment ot
Rcelieu and yet left the Imagination cold aud ths
spirit unsatisfed. The for this result per-
fecty clear. Mr. MoCuoulh's Rtehelien lacks both
nance and fascination. He seems to have approached
the part through the medium OF intellectual perception
aud not through that OF spontaneoIs emotional sym
/ 0 ia hp haae lyaA
aud conveyed but vital significance that turks ia ita
depths has eluded him. With Reheiieu typo OF ,ir.
tuous power protecting innocent weakness bis feei'
ngs perfect accord and this ideal he depicts in
the clearness of MONDAY light. But with R'chelien a.
type OF mournfuly beautiful spiritual desolaton upon
the hight of power-old iDfrm. lonely, burdened with
and beset with dangers peous with memories Of
youth and love- and sadiened TO the hearts core with
the sadness Of success-he has natural identification
He speaks, indeed the mournful words to Joseph ana
the melting over!hi5 orphan ward but these ara
heard without tears, because they are spoken without
pathos Yet they spoken with lovely sentiment aud
a sweet manner II noble mind and tender heart could
suffice, the aton-manlfestly-would Lack no
| needed attribute. Mr.. Mccullough, thoroughly atuned
to heTosm in bis art easily invests bis Rieheher WHO
| the grand strength OF potential virtue and
| the mild loyeness Of humane and belief.
| cent spirit; but he does not haow HIM
| with the majesty OF great nature that has ma
tured through great deeds and sufferngs, upon field
| Of action and experience high as ambitions
and broad the world The iDcfflbIe quality OF pa
thetic grandeur which, apprehend the authors
design, intended to glory Rchelieu In this play
lifting him out Of the domain OF history and above the
level Of fact-is lacking to this personaon and there
fore lacks the essential heat that alone could use
all its paris into burning and thrilling WHOLE and
make it that entire and perfect chrysote" Of roman
tic and fascinating vitality which is drawn aud sug.
gested in Buwers text To miss this quality
| was to miss something that words canDos
clearly define and that only intuition can supply.
should be about Richeiteu potentially OF car'
acer and magnetism OF spirit TO make him tho fore
Of all his world and these should rest on
temperament thoroughly saturated with sadness and
thoroughly protected by grim humor Mr.. McCulough's
idea-f understand it's lower than this. and SIM
per yet 1t is perfectly distinct, and 1t is executed with
admirable precision and thoroushness. The physical
health Of the actor indeed robust that he cannot
wholly simulate,-however well he may suggcst-ths
nhrmity Of His action, voice. ne and spirit ara
all redolent Of the Summer Of life. There is no Decem
| Der in his blood and no dead leaves have rustled
| in his thoughts. Age. however, like everything
else. must be idealzed when shown upon the stage
whose conditions are so fictitious that physical
weakness only be shown there by physical strength
A little muscuariy in Riehelieu, therefore, does not
oendthe especially since his age is represented
that of whose youth has been prodgiousy pow
erful. serious defect in Mr.. McCuoughs execu-
dinal. when he tells Julie that he will blot De Mauprdi
from the list Of his foes, thing TO her. and
appears to quite another to the audience Not to
this expedent of grim humor is once more to go
astray for lack OF intuition: and this,
after all, is the sum OF the whole matter
that Mr. McCullough's mndandlheart not sponane-
ousy and fully In accord with Bulwers complex weird.
and intensely theatrical conception Of Rcheeu and,
therefore, that his performance OF II Is broken series
OF splendid eecs-resutant fine character painting
and vehement verbal expression OF phases
Of feelng-rather than o continuous aud coherent
sumption Of magnetic and electrical identity. IL s .
splendid piece OF acting-because it s full Of the fne
and winning traits Of enthusiastic mind the earnest
ness Of q sincere heart, and the carefully finished
method OF honest artist who does his BEST and leaves
nothing to chance but 1t is not yet great Reheieu
Last night and to full house. Mr.. Mccullough repre-
sented Hamlet this piece like its predecessor being set
In that elaborate and gorgeous scenery provided by
| Edwin Booth for former revivas The effect that WAS
| wrought by Mr.. Mccullough upon the popular fancy
may be inferred the fact that he received three
genuine recalls before the curtain, and that twice
in the of the great third act be so affected the
feelings OF his auditors that they broke forth into
| enthusiastic plaudits. The critical verdict we
think, should be equally whoe-hearteds
| but not equally reckless Mr.. Mccullough 10
man OF strong and winning temperament, and that
irrespective OF artistic ability and achieyement-goes
great way toward securing and explaining the popular
admiration In Mr. McCullough's Hamlet the thought
fu observer the Kemble tradition, somewhat modi-
fed by the influence OF Edwin Forrest It's spirit 10
| lovely; its form Is symmetrical; Its execution 10 ~
times robustous There Is nothing new about IL, ex-
cept its total lack or hlagree ornamentation;
| 10 is severely, studiously, and Intentionally
| simple. Such defects as occur IN its execution
result from the fact that Mr. Mccullough has not yes
fully acquired the power make the passion that thrills
his mind thrill also his action. In the climax OF the play