New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-01-31
THE DRAMA-MUSIC.
EDWIN BOOTH AS BERTUCCIO.

The gloomy and terrible play of 1.-The FOOLS
Revenge was brought forward, last night in Booths
Theatre and Edwin Booth unprecedented Bertucco This
character has in his Iepertory Tor nearly fourteen
years and his performance OF 1t Las several tmes Deen
set before the New-York public, and several
times reviewed in this column "The Fools Re-
yenge." though, is piece which comes but seldom
and STAYS but little while time 1t is very dark,
play and for that it is Objectionable Yet 1t can
not Justly Dc condemned as the presentment OF n
Doisome subject exciting attention simply because II is
vile This bad cmnence is left to such plays AS Mr.
Rouecaults Dead Secret-which is mere unreeved
md unredeeued depravity. "The FOOLS Revenge /"
does at least fulfil the first conditions of tragedy. since
it oyerwhems the mind with terror and the heart with
pity, and therein tends TO elevate the moral and
spiritual tone of mankind. 1t thus exercises
as much Denefcent force as can be expected
to flow from this form Of art. 1t Is neatly
constructed in three acts and strongly written in
prOsy blank verse; Its author Tom Taylor claims 1t
substantially an original work, but he names Victor
Hugo's "Le Roi SAmuse" its basis. The drift OF it
Is rebuke upon the wicLedness Of all human quest
for revenge The lesson Of it Is the Bib
Mcal lesson that vengeance is an attribute to
God. Its central figure ia deformed man
in mind, but tender in heart-who first IL en-
Uttered ~ the reactonary force Of his own de-
formity and then Is tortured and inamed into orally
demonao condition, by foul, treacLorous, OPP
pressye and cruel spOlatiOn Of his domestic
peace. The exceptional type OF man it pre-
sents under the stress Of love, misery. wrath and
hatred and, ultimately, OF torture OF the feelings to
which vvisecton Of the physical nerves would be pas
time The wretched creature has been crazed by the
forcibe abduction his vrtuous and faithful wife, and
thereupOn he ustgatos ruthless vllsin-by whom he
is employed MS Jeser-tO abduct the wife OF his enemy
In this hesh work he personally assists and thus
in series OF strange accidents, he becomes nstrrmel
tai IN betrayiug his daughter into the hands OF
lbdinOus and detested swine he rescues her, indeed
at the last but I'll he has passed through the tor
meuts Of hell AMI only when the star OF his own life
down in a storm Of frenzy and OF murder. This
parsonage and there actions and emotions Mr.. Booth
depicted last night, with tremendous vigor and appa
ing sincerity The first great situation OF the piece
occurring at the end OF the second act calls for tumn
tuous utterance Of sardOric exutation and demonac
gee over the success OF O scheme OF wicked ven
geance. This is O night-scene: aud the defoilned
eJcster Is here like rayiDg mend The next
"a more terrible crisis occurring the end OF the
piece-calls for q commngling Of gleeful fry with
delirious despairthe quick agony which laughs, and
tho laughter which flows in tears In these situations
Mr. Booth yields up mis- mind TO the splendid fires OF
natural human passion body, soul, action voice. all
the accumulated feces Of art and all the resources OF
goodness and sensbility, cOmningled and poured
out in one concentrated and indomitabe food OF eO-
quence and The observer gets with shudderng
ave. one Of gimpses into the deep foundations OF
human nature which on make hin wiser forever in
knowledge Of the strange material whereof We are all
made and the illimtaDe possibilities OF spiritual life
which stretch away before us
The Fools Revenge was produced with the follow
fpCc