New-York tribune., 1876-12-05
THE DRAMA.

LAWRENCE BARRETT AS KING LEAR.
1.-THE pOor distressed Lear is i the town."
He presented last night at Booths Theater by Law
renee Barrett, and he was seen by great multitude
The surroundings amidst which he appeared were or
most appropriate dcscription-beng composed with
suitable regard both for poetic atmosphere and correct
OF historic accessories The public greeting that
accorded to him ardent with attentive
interest. with excited suspense, and with tears
He did not in a shape OF imposing
grandeur or of exceptional majesty; but he was
bodied forth in honest earnest, and noble spirit he
bore the authentic seeper OF and his tremendous
anguish and frenzy neither tred with nor belttled
simply permitted to melt the heart with pity and
hush the mind with He is not as presented by Mr..
Barrett, terrific overwhelming figure whether OF
shattered royalty. distracted reason, orlamentabe sunei
ng he is rather the medallion than the colossal statue
but he figure just in suggested ideal ana so SYM
metIical in artistic execution that he readily arouses
sensbity to enthusiasm and heartily merits the respect
OF thought Beyond this limit he does not pass. The
Imagination stands before him unsatisfed and cold
The elements and attributes of Lear are not obscurely
furnished lie before us, at the first an old man,
but not decrcpit-a who is beginning TO break but
who not yet broken. He is venerable massive, and
majestic in aspect He still wears dominion in his couf-
tenance. He is exceedingly tender in heart and mag
unanimous in disposition. His age is that of simplicity
and goodness but his mind is bndly suspicious OF Its
decadencc; and he will prove exactng irrational
fiery, caprcOus, and uDpeasant-aier the fashion oil
chOleric and selfish senility In the fiber OF his char
acer however in his essential personality and interior
spirit. he is, above all things. large. He is not
a grown old. He must, all his
life. have carried with him the stamp and the
magnetism OF great end charming nature.
He have captured hearts and ruled minds by some
thing beautiful and strong in his fate He does not hold
royalty by lineage human law but by divine endow-
mcnt He Is born to the purple. He is mountain III
mid ~ fhp ling nf
like the fall of the avalanche. Unless he be supplied
with this immaculate and charming excellence, endowed
with this innate majesty and invested with tins personal
grandeur his experiences his Sucrugs, his frenzy, his
senie insanity, and the whrwlnd OF agony In whcn he
dies will all be-in comparison with what they ought to
be-non-se and puny II must not be old Brdbdnho
or old Cap that goes mad: it must be old Lear; and
wien mis- iul presence tOtters with streaming white
Ia aud bla1 ng eyes, the tunder-riyen heath
under the night and tempest, he must break our hearts
alone witt 'fcting Of the torment into when
Dee has en bn Of the lOyable nobility from which lie
fell % felicity If mechanism III the pcrsonation OF
KIM Leaj-neither appropriateness Of dress nor dignity
or t.aring nor ponp of rocuton overOus excite
ment nor minute and accurate portrayal of the physical
consequences OF mental disease nor deft use OF theatrical
cXprdiens IN the great moments Of the pay-wl atone
for the lack Of this august and splendid personality
Mr.. Barrctt's pcTsOnatOn OF King Lear may, indeed
make the observer think of this personality but 1t does
clearly enough through the cold, white light OF tie intel
lect it does not blaze upon through the gorgeous
ptsm of the feelings. II it he work OF genius at all
1t is "a work that genius which walks VII difficult un-
certain steps along mountain pathways unfamiliar un
coDgenial. and oppressive.
Uniess Lear be greatly embodied. and the embodiment
be sustained upon key of grcatness-i goes for
LITTLE splendjd points and fine outbursts will not
irraliate it with the indispensable magic charm. Mr.
Barrett presents as 30 outward sembauce venerable,
picturesque, old man. his poses are broad ana hne his
Identification with his ideal is consistently kept mis- per
fornance is steadily competent in intelligence; and par
tculary in the third act bis portrayal OF the old
monarch's huctuatiDg moods is truthful. animated
and telling. But the ia youths obvious
stimulation OF age the eOcutiOn Is monOtOnous;
the voice Is Osteuer qucruOus than tOuchhg the ny
sique slender. nervous, wiry, and compact-wlen II
should be massivemess shatercd and the quality OF the
spirit Is thin. In the first aCt-w!Iich was beautifully
arranged aud ably playcd-thcre was an absence OF
weight. The CURSE though effective, did not spOll-
tapeously find It's own way. but forced and huricd,
and the emotion Of it was more angry than terrible
II we say that here, at almost every later poht
compact brain dominated the situation and clear art
purpose failed TO conceal It's mechanism we shall ird!-
cate the significant truth, Lear does not sh
through Mr. Barrett, but Mr. Barrett siren
uousiy abors with Lear. He will be honorcd for the
nobencss Of his effort for the correctness OF his IDEAL
for his obvious scholarship for the magnificent art Win
which pictures the faded, wasbcdOut aspect OF brood
ing sorrow rcnor the halfsuspected wrong TO
Cordelia for three such tender touches as the
speech to Goner Mend when thou canst :" and for the
peryadinr tone of reverence for great subject which IS
visible in his treatment Of the character But Mr.
Barrett was not found strong in the mad scenes, or
terrible in the u delirum that prccedes them; NC ei
far short of greatness IN the mprecaon upon the TWO
danghters-te thrilling shr yell of frenzy which ends
in "the terrors Of the carth;" ana tho nature
that he revealed, as the basis Of his creation,
though sweet was thin. This word is not happy one
hut the reader understands that Lear ought 10 possess
enormous capacity OF suffering and of the eonine display
OF pas and that the actor III TINS Instance gave hc
mprc sion OF inadequate depth. IL Is not uhuI man
has plunged into the abyss Of suffering which Hes uhdf
sin as well afction-nOt until heart Naturally deFp
has been torn all mooIngs and driven out upon the
ealc-swept ocean wastes OF misery-that such moments
OF torture and frenzy are wholly possible to him In art
They cannot be reached by the process OF the intellect
alone. Mr.. Barrett uses his powers In Lear win re-
arkble skill but the character too much for his pres
ent capacity expression and those who most admire
his genius will find themselves constrained, In any
thoughtful estimate OF this effort 10 pause upon details
and specific exceences. and regret the lack OF round
and finished grandeur. The ideal that Mr.. Barrett
always expresses that OF Drydcns lines lana mere
1t will not serve),
A fiery soul that, working ont It's way,
Frctted the puny body TO decay.
And oer Informed the tenement OF clay.
Tbere ia scant space to speak Of Mr.. Barrctts CO
workers. Mr. Davenport carried the difficult part OF
Edgar easily and with power The mock madness was
I4iv dome and the by-pay very delightfully."- artistic
Kcut was noby acted by Mr. W. f. Sheridan and GioSer
fecngy acted by Mr.. Weaver II the ofwere juvenile
adav commissioned 10 prick the King with tart truishs'
We couId commend Mr. ". Seymours ideal ana executoh
mere was merit in OF the act on, but the perform
once lacked that freedom, eyty grace ana spor'e nu
cpcy which, perhaps, may be secured by overcoming
-, i,,,sness and nervous cOnstrant and by closer