The New York herald., 1875-12-07
ADJUSTMENTS.
MRS. EMMA WALLER AS Mxo MERR1LEs.

MRS. EMMA WALLER AS dEo MERRILEs.
Tne return OF Mrs. Emma Waller 70 New York is =
espechl pleasure to those who remember her admirable
performances several years ago and Booths Theatre
was thronged last night her in OF her finest
parts The FIRST act Of Guy Mannering is probably the
longest and most tedious known 70 the stage Il is
Anoss without action, and devoted TO elaborate
plantations OF the story, with photographed reminls-
cences oy the rather uninterestng people who meet in
Mrs hcCandish's inn. 1t is indeed like the preface
70 one OF scotts novels, and bis introductons are
always like very long grace before meat The dra-
matte interest begins only with the second act but
then there is no lack Of situation and effect
Mrs waller IS an actress OF great power and
thorough art, and nnds an excellent opportunity In
Meg Merriles The character is but a sketch IN the
drama, and its effect depends altogether upon the man
in which is filed up by the artist No one in this
generation speak OF Meg Merriles without
reference to Charlotte Cushman. She has made
that character her own by the force OF ranscendent
genius and has carried It's supernatural beauty and
terror to unapproachabe heights If Mrs Waller does not
rival Miss Cushman, she has al least rival herself
Forget Charlotte Cushman and he would be hard 60
please who would not be delighted with Mrs Walier's
personation. The tenderness Of the meeting
with Bertram, the weird passion which follows, and
the triumph and agony OF the death scene we're all
finely expressed She was called repeatedly before the
curtain
One Of the best performances OF the evening the
Dandie Dinmont Of that sterling actor Nj. Warde
Dominic Sampson, but created much amuse
ment, and DIRK Hatterick forcibly given
by Mr. LeClercq Miss Rosa Rand, whose Little
Emily successful last week, made charming
Lucy Bertram, and sang the pathetic air, which
Mrs Waller afterward repeats, with feeling and
taste The rest of the music of Sir Henry Bishop,
excepting that sung by Miss Annie Kemp Bowler was
not we'll rendered The chorus very weak and con-
tnualy out of tune and some OF the singers were like
the young man among the ''supers" who cried
"Hurrahl" in the wrong place The scenery was
good and the picture OF the particularly beautiful
MR.. GEORGE FAwcETr ROWE IN BROOKLYN.
Tho Brooklyn Theatre was filled with fne audience
last night which applauded from the rise OF the
until the fall thereof Mr.. George Fawcett Rowe's per
sonation OF wilkins Micawber. Mr.. RowO's Mcawbcr
is admitted to be unequalled the stage Whenever
the dramats takes characters from the novels OF Dick
ems and paces them upon the stage there is double
danger to the First there s the danger that he
may fail TO reveal the ranscendant humor OF the great
novelist and come amely of and, second there the
danger that the attempt present fully the humor
Of Dickens, he may overstcp the bounds OF ART and
substitute carcature for character II is difficult to
say which of these dangers is the greater. We
remember the difference the dramatist and tho
novelist Shakespeare did not describe Hamlet He
merely presented the character, leaving 1t to be
planned by the action and the dialogue. Hamlet is
recolect only described twice by the other persons
in the play, once by ophelia when she speaks OF him
the glass OF fashion and mould OF form y and
by the Queen in the last act when she says that her
is 'iat and OF breath" He occasionally de-
scribes himself but II is done dramatically under the
influence of passion. The result that the reader
forms his opinion of Hamet's personal appear
ance, OF his behavior and costume and even OF his
character and the spectator OF the acted Hamlet gen
orally more influenced IN his conceptions by the
than by hio previous study of the text But when We
turn to such role Micawber the conditions
wholly unlike Micawber has been fully described by
the author, and with such care that we know every
detail of his Dress every peculiar attitude almost tho
such character contend against conception
already formed in the minds of his auditors If he
does not oppose 1t he must realize It. He has vague
field of creation, but is forced realize type prev
ously recognized the only true This Is the
why have many Hamlets widely
different those of Mr.. Booth, Mr. Davenport, Mr..
Fechter, Mr. Barry Sullivan and Mr. Barrett and each
be accepted the true Prince by different classes OF in
telligent minds And this is the reason also why all
people UNANIMOUSLY agreed about the merits
faults Of such characters Mcawber. The action
be true TO Dickens description or he must fail to satisfy
preconception. 1t is the highest praise that Mr.
Rowe could receive to say that he realizes Micawber
so that the portly figure, with all his dignity
and majesty, all his follies and fun and eccen
tricities, seems step out living from the
pages OF the novel He neither below the idea
winch Dickens gives exaggerates IT. It Is the real
Micawber have learned to live and laugh with and
place it among the best OF modern eccentric per-
| formances 1t is not creation, as when the actor
originates character solely from the words and situa-
tions OF play but IL is realization OF previously
described parsonage and such could not easily be
equaled The performance generally was very good,
and Ltte Em'ly' will evidently be successful in
Brooklyn as il was In New York