The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-11-24

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fore us In dignity aud majesty, until the
when be dies, still "every inch
king" liking Lear Is the most stu.
pendous Of the shakespearian dramas"
says Charles Lamb, oneoi the most dis.
eliminating critics who have written upon
the tragedies Of Shakespeare. II is, aswe
have said, dramaiull Of great characters,
In which Lear is the grand conception to
which all others are subordinate. The
actor then who Is adequate to inter
pref such character, and Is able, properly,
to representa- to US on the stage, Is the one
who can alone teach Us the meaning Of the
whole drama. Much study and perusal
Of the text will not certainly do this, for
It ia like what Holmes says Of talking
aloud, It Is In most instances the only
way to find out what we really think
about things. So even after much
study OF these great conceptions Of mas.
ter mind, they are only revealed to US by
MISREPRESENTATION, and II Is only then that
we can decide whether or not It Is the true
Interpretation. More frequently, perhaps,
We are disappointed, and feel that they
have been misinterpreted; but when We
can have brought before us the true con.
ception, maierialized, 80 to speak, when
reason, Imagination and emotion all are
satisfied, then we are indeed fortunate to
have realized, II only once in a life time,
the creators own ideal, and to have for.
ever exalted our own.
Those who saw Mccullough in King
Lear, on last Friday evening, must have
felt this rare satisfaction in carrying away
with them one OF the most lofty and noble
conceptions otone Of the grandest fguresin
shakesperian tragedy. From first to last,
as it appeared to US, 1t was Lear himself
as Shakespeare created him, and certainly
in such grandeur of proportion as to
make 1t for US almost new creation
From the rising Of the curtain upon
his kingly presence, enthronsd about with
all the trappings Of royalty, to the falling
Of it upon the majestic and still kingly
close, the character is wonderfully sus
tanned, consistent, and powerful beyond
the most exalting demand Of Imagination
As King Lear, Mccullough is OF a noble
and majestic presence. The abundant
gray hair and long white beard which
sweeps his breast, adds venerableness Il
majesty. Even in the lettering OF age, hi
tread is that Of a king, and his Who'll,
visage bears that look oil authority" or
account Of which Kent would lsin cal
him master" His voice is full, deep ant
sonorous, suggesting reserve Of powel
and managed with an easy mastery O.
purpose which never fails in the swiftes
transition Of emotions. This same fnO in
sttnct controlsall his motions to the slight
est gesture. These are indescribably simple
and majestic throughout. Nothing coult
have been finer than the simple involun
tary gesture OF the mad kings hand
which holds the straw sceptre as he OK
claims, "Ay! every inch king"
Among the great scenes We can scarcel,
decide where SIuCullough's best acting &C
CURED, but we think lie reserved his deepes
tenderness, his truest pathos for the clos
ing scene in which he brings in Cordelia
dead in his arms. We can never forge
the tones which rung out upon the ear a
in bringing Cordelia dead from the prison
where she had been strangled, he ex
claims: Howl, howl, howl, howl! 0you
are men OF stone" Such tones nigh
awake the dead, or make the stones CRY
out.
Without saying moro in particular thai
might be said upon this impersonation o.
Mccullough as King Lear, to say that he
has set forth from first TO last in its true
and grand proportions the wonderful crea
ton ola master mind, is to say all, and the
student and lover of Shakespeare, as vel
as the public who listen 10 be entertained
must feel that to Mccullough is due the
grateful homage which admiration de
lights to pay to true genius.