, 1876-04-09
ADJUSTMENTS.
,,5.r;n Booths Theory of Shak-
speare's Richard IL"
ucvicker's Comedy Combination---Mrs
Murdoch's Shortcomings.
eurbank's Readings...Gossip from
the Green-Roo,ns.
THE DRAMA.

n1Y1, pn.uA
,u cttcaco-
-
..e ,o,sdAnce in
III Ea"!o D' - t.p,o,,ara Irn !,
bis ao1utx ~ taNso r r~-,,;.h-ar,a,k-
part o1 'ne s'1ooa.1 49, -. NV. teva tha an.
ins traeeolsne p'os.us. ~ tha , nao11s ~ tha
oon1ageoasn' 49, 90 H. t,,ao,r ia Tint tbe
ousse' " 30 ch.,.s,os~a ua1i hafore thev
peopio 'a4Ss ~1o ....... - .nr n.rt;nn,ar
can lo'e 1AAu ' r.,,;,;o- <r;tb tha atorc
Fis5 saet 164's s,...ata-s. hotora thav ran
sha 1an6oa6e ..,s dr,na+;c n,oremant
fuus ps'ae4sa.' -. -aoa s,,sa in +h;a
1hese u nuel 94osse ,e;sto-;oa1 ,,,,vz of
1ieH. Inc selaou-ac19o n1S'o"4
Shakespeare are to the large ma1ot1sS " a..
American audience, at first, mere maas OF
-~-,sa an, q confusion Of vivid colors. The
a;.,, +,,. o,,+ taa taken for granted IS
1Ac1s Tn'e4 @10 eoss AnN =: az. a.v ard
feli known are not "el kno"H III 'a!7 u"S "u1
reperation, and tha names which be gives Will
sh,,a indication of relationship are mere sounds
.:-.:f,;,,, ,o,hj,o converting no associations
Aem'3n6 Ao'a4s' :...;-,+;or md
1t hesolsm' tenoe'nes9 u An0p'S0
hiring no emotions OF patriotism or tholF'ooal
,1a1,.tion< But there are segeral linnitahons OF
~. hro.a .x,or attributed 70 Mr, Booth, which,
,~,.. - IN ha m pYinfn at
men eaAo'aea: m"s p.':o :o,,ota e+.tene,,t
Ill, but u narrow and incomp'ete s'@'eilen1
The application Of the principle. 90 lar
10 II ayists At all is to tho histor-
-, s1. - ch...ne,re and only to the
iea' p1ass y. po.t~r 10 -, m ,ca ~
narrative paris o1 Iaeae. oe"' ~
nation. No previous training ls reqolfeo 10
teach one how to enjoy 1.-The Tempest" or
.,U;n.a,,a T.,c mr. "Tvo,fth NIGHT" Pros
1.,s.., T;,7, ,r73ra1o ,e,r gohv yse1ch
p4o' e14.0 ~ pa.Saa .r, ~oo,,;r. NJ introdnct;on
Hernaaone, and ferdao require no 1nttoouc1lon
by master Of ceremonies. We know them. and
,ove or hate them by instinct. The enjoyment
- ths,. n,axa IL ia trne mav be more ar less
,sa ,oo.,,, -,,a-, 1,s n ma baarar +ha
cue''a'eo' Iae pooA1s na, W ~ wv 80. -. wv
other only beautiful story, pEettily told; but
in either case the effect it, IN general, the Same.
Enjoyment is produced without the employment
pf intervening media between the poet and the
people. Not 30 with the purely historical dramas
Of Shakespeare. In the course of years they
taye become in measure too obscure for use
On the stage. Those Of them that remain in
favor are, like Henry IT,. less historical than
dramatic, and commend themselves 10 the pub
opae II m Of events 1 aoa ny enter a ths hher
siors Of fancy. Henry w." We believe it has
psen decided, IL not history At all Tire seizure Of
aotspu,'s prisoners, the striking OF Lord Chief
Justice Gascolgne by Prince Henry, and even
t1A Nt1 4ICeEERa Q1 Lu8 1Tz3@CGs WHICH 1QlIU Lie
:e17 body OF tho play are pront unced By the
lest historians apocryphal. FalstoT Vas B
1lysh OF 1t best an honest and well-meaning
to!die1 transformed into clustering coward
Ind . knave. ''Richard L." on the other
land. is IS strictly accurate statement OF facss
1a could possibly be made in dramatic poetry.
The reader who shall take the trouble to COM
rare the play with anY standard historical ac-
c,nnt Of the reign nil be surprised 10 find how
closely the poet has stuck to his text
II there is anv living actor who can mako
"Rioha1d H." 4 popular play, Mr. Edwin Booth
il tie man. The youth and refined expression
rblch are required for tho proper representation
t: ths character are the least Of his qualifca-
tors- he has diguifed bearing. deep and
n.olodious voice beautiful elocut1on, and that
a-ute intelligence and spiritual insight without
chich no natural gifts can ayail Yet with all
tsese advantages We fear he is not equal to the
eaczmous task which, it is said, he has under
t1ken. He can never make ''nichatd H." d
favorite tragedy. The fault Is not IN him or IN
lis stars, but in tue play itself. Macready, Who
ruviyed '' Richard IL. and played it for the first
tine since snalspeare's nge, abandoned It after
few trials, and recorded his opinion IN bis
"Reminiscences" that it could never be made
s,:ccessful acting play. 1.-The characters al
sloax we'll" he said, ''put they do nothing else
t;;t speak" They could do nothing else but
6Iezk and remain true to themselves Richard
was not an actor in life, aud in death he did not
surrender his character. His reign wa2 remark
2t6 81 kuuE1l ~ 4OI WhUl VI
d. atnatic action in it. The one episode which
might have been separately and romsnt1cally
11o41ed-rhe insnr1ection OF Wat Tyler-uas ig-
pcrod altogether by Shakespeare, because it was
fe-eign 70 tho purposes OF the play
Ac was writing; hs Waa not at this time
writing nromantic drama, but thec chief historical
eysnts of reign. Another reason why it will
te difficult ever to mako this popular play is
tho fact that it wants hero. Lord Byron has
tod in one Of his naughty poems what an M
comfortable want this ls, and how difficult the
iEconrcnlence it causes is to overcome. shak-
q, care perer oyercame it in ''Richard H." The
i pe was not hero. Half his Life WEB passed
u.:cer tuteage, where he learned only how to boa
,tycaeherous tyrant; the knowledge he acquired
lp this manner he spent tue second halt Of his
tiis in applying. he was not me-ey tyrant
b~t q pubillanimous. yacDlahng, lying, and
n aan tyrant. Tie slight sparks Of genius and no.
bitty Of character which he emitted III the early
I'Is o1 hs felen' ano Hnlcn tol momeus mhoo
wt1a opanctad ~ a.rtS ~ ,oohn"d 'and 1aft -
hind onlv 3 noutterisr GLOW and stench. Bolin0-
M'oLe was scarcely more Of hero. He captured