New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-04-25
The DRAMA-MUSIC.
MCCULLOUGH AS KING LEAR.

III mr.. McCull0ugns Interpretation or hng
LeGr-given Monday and Tuesday evenings. at
Booths Theater and there received with tumult of
csiIn-is not in all particulars the highest and fullest
embodiment Of the part that has been within
tme assuredly ranks with the highest and fullest in
Of the best attributes that performance OF King
Lear possess To the eye 1t is beautiful, reverend
and majestc to the It is sonorous, sweet thrilling
tender and amentable TO the mind II is grand fruitful
and varous to the heart Is woful Iagic and pathetic
In ideal 1t fellows Shakespeare conception closely
that student Of Shakespeare reject 1t. In the
presentment Of the madness 1t is profoundly and MI
nntey true 1t has, physically, all the requisite size,
weight port, and power. 1t ia developed by imagina-
tive means, out of deep and loving heart 1t is thor
oughly imperial in the great moments. 1t shows enor
reserve power 1t sounds almost infinite depth
OF grief And it is nodded and shaded with remark
able artistic skill Tn general statements indicate us
character and worth Upon the other hand II is some
what hard in execution during the early scenes It's
several parts phases do not impress the close observer
an being welded together and made into continuous
BY entirely natural process OF denfcaon and,
upon whole IL allows thought 10 perceive that the
aciorin his for great subject and In his IN
voluntary dstrus of his powers to achieve stupe-
d0us work in perfectly competent manner-reaches
toward the character rather than descends upon
IT, Comparison-though the worst means that critical
study can use just estimates-may, neverhe-
less here serve to explain and emphasize distinction
Mr. McCullOughs King Lear is neither so massive so
spontaneous free that of Edwin Forrest; ald
in these respects falls short Of the Forrest stan
dard it is just true and tenGer 1t is just as
a u in the essential element of lonely, wrecked desc
lated. and broken grandeur; while, as TO method and
finish, its is OF distinctly finer STRAIN FORESTS
Lear was beyond all question, work OF mag9incent
stature-n mind and emotion not less than personal
presence but it always deformed by an exaggera-
ton the of physi vgor aud physical decrepi
tude. the artistic method of Mr.. McCalioughs per
Torrance all this toned by imaginative suggcstiveness
"a quality which take to be- the perfection OF ara
matte art. II is less upon splendid unity however,
than upon splendid phases that the reminiscent
thought VIII pause. in reviewing this performance
There was for instance, what will call an Autumn
sunset light ali the mood and conduct OF the King
IN the ar-t scene with the FOol-that touching scene
wherein incipient mental decay AMI vague misrust OF
the future arc FIRST darby inGicated and nothing
could III closer consonance than this sweet
and almost forlOn manner is with Ledrs
condition. The gem OF utterance-
was made a. affecting with thwared and delrieus ten
derness as il was terrible with frenzied passion me
Outburst Of impOten and hrokenhearted 'corned
and selfeOntemning love, win which the King hnaIly
breaks away from all human ties. was given with over
whelmmG power and with beauty OF yocalism seldom
eQualed within long remembrance OF the stage Inc
apostrophe Let the great GODS, made the frame
work of as much majesty Of state and pose as
ever was aud this entire great passage was thrilled
with an imaginative, portentOus exciteehent, In the
highest degree poetic. have part in my heart
that's SORRY yet for thee" was spoken i'll that manner
which the suggestion of innate greatness and mitess
love makes memorable. II in the mad scenes. how
ever that MIR McCuOugn entirely reached and kept tho
hight of ENG LedYs naI.a and experience The stage
can have presented anything more true or more
pathetic than-n the first mad sccneths actors present
nent of the gradual breaking up e old mans MUD,
ACCOMPANIED IL it, for part Of tue way With It's own
piteous and awful sense calamity that in pro-
ress The undcrcurrent OF sweetness, the outward de-
notemon of bitter misery the madness OF the eyes anu or
the whole figure and the abject lunacy Of the action Ill
the talk with the Bedlamite made this perfect scene
Better il never was the Interpretation OF any actor
The next msd.seene though less touching was not less
true and 1t denotes keen study in the actor WHO ths
deals with the characteristics of lunacy. that he now
offered a condition OF simple madness. peTmeated OF
course idea OF al cruelty. but DO longerhar
rowing with the element OF conscious mental dslnesr
ton. After these. the recognition Of CordeG and the
death passage seemed somewhat dim. 1t is not how
ever. hard % understand that the actor IL well aware
of the colossal difficulty of acting Lear and that
bTance OF himself. in professional emergency might
little check tie OF the hearupOn which the
character of Lear enormously e1actng We do not
now pause TO get forth the ideal OF Lear by which
have tred 90 test Mr. McCuli0ugh performance II
infinitely given, very long Innate majesty per-
sOnal GRANDEUR and lOvabe nobility make the original
na,ure OF the monarch: and hence his experience III
cruelty and misery il almost uhcarabiY terrible and
affecting Mr. Mccullough gives tEr stage TINS interprc-
taton Shakespeare and though b fs sbnrt an GER
tain pactiru!ars execution that nave indicated, ne
tn gives the great image OF royalty and Woe
The public received tins work with nuCn ntflsasil
Mr. Met .il0ugl repeatedly called before the eur
The tragedy was gwen with tiIS east 0i Tie parts
nl,n Mc(eu