The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-03-11
cOGHLAN AS HAMLET.

Tho occasion OF Mr. Coghian's benefit drew a large
and fashionable audience to the Filth Avenue Theatre
last night There good deal OF curiosity felt as
to tho kind Of Hamlet the favorle society actor
would make. The general impression evidently
uniavorabe, as was witnessed by tho coldness
with which his efforts in tho first scenes
were received. Whatever else may be charged
against the audience last night no one can
accuse tho people composing it OF enthusiasm
too great Partially toward the actor cssaying the
principal role Nor was the impcrsonation OF a kind
likely to win applause by panderng to the
preconceptions or prejudices Of public
educated to regard tho true and typical
Hamlet as poetic, lackadaisical parsonage, such
school misses dream OF In thor earliest visions OF love-
Mr. Coghlans Hamlet is Ilade OF different
stuff. and has in his veins a fair pro.
portion OF the old viking blood which
naturally look for In scion Of Denmark. From
tho opening line he cut loose from tho traditional
Hamlet and gave series OF strong and eiec-
i've pictures, which will long i've In the
memory OF those who witnessed his performance
HIS impersonation was marked by originality and
virllity. IL was learned, polished and vigorous Per-
haps its most striking quality was iis spon-
the character a human interest quite foreign TO
tho cold and bloodlcss Hamlet OF the philosophers.
In this was tho great innovation OF Mr. Coghlans per-
formance. He made or the 'meancholy Danei--a
man-and man. too, with warm blood and
fierce human passion, as we'll as a cunning
notions OF Shakespcare's Dane IRON the coloricss
Hamsts who have glided over the modern stage,
sartod ut seeing an actor who rejected
the etherealzed phantom Of those commentators and
actors who have insisted on squeezing all the
life blood aud manhood out OF Hamlet to make him
poetlcal abstraction. When tho curtain Tell on the
first act the audience rather astonshed than
pleased, but as the play progressed It began
| TO be recognized that tho Hamlet something
than "a novel performance, that II was a strong
powerful one and by and by, II 1t should DO
repeated, The public may DO won to regard
II having claims tn be considered evon great.
1t had certainly all the qualities that should
mend performance to Intelligent mInds Singuariy
free from aiiectaton, It was marked by sorupulous
! com panimcnt 10 tho words spoken, anu yet
ordered that tho impression was left on the mind
that tho action was spontaneous. Mr.. C0gklan's
reading OF the most noteworthy fea-
lures OF tho performance II clear, cor.
rect and sonorous, and Its elect
accentuated by tho weakness OF the other actors in
this particular Indeed, so thoroughly and completely
actors were OF little moro Importance than the
stage settings lie threw into the speech, ''Oh !
that this too, 100 solid flesh would melt, an amount
OF passion and lire that lent tho speech beauty
and force But his delivery OF the speech
"Oh what rogue and peasant slave am
! - and his acting in presenting tho thoughts
called up by tho words he uttered made OF the
the audience. Into the delivery OF this speech lie
threw Infinite passion and variety Of coorng 1t
was q whole series OF dramatic pictures compressed
into few moments of time. Miss Davenport gave
excellent support the character OF OphcIa and Miss
Mary Wells as tho Queen, made very strong and
favorable Impression. Tho remainder Of the does
not call Tor SPECIAL mcnton