New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-12-24
THE DRAMA.
MCCULLOUGH AS vIRGINIUs

great and peculiar pleasure to come upon a subject
which at once captIvates intellectual respect and
exacts thoughtful and earnest treatment Mr..
Mccullough appeared at the Park Thea
tre in Brooklyn, Monday night.-a night of
worse than storm. in its wet and chill
ing dreariness,-and acted Knowles puginNs.
Ii is great performance. 1t not only possesses so
ldity, roundness beauty of form and movement.
various and exuuisitely modelled eocution. steady
and symmetrical growth to climax, and these with
an even pose of continuous identity; not only
upon the mind as q perfect reproduction of human
being in an IDEAL form; but it is. at more
than one point, thrilled with a strange, illumina-
tive fire. which is the essential life of genius. This
time as often heretofore the extraordinary
felicity with which this actor prepares the back
ground of his tragic works was splendidly exem-
pIified and quite in his accustomed way he
wrought up the towering passion of the Roman
father at the outrage offered toward his child,
and carried through the heart-rendng path0s
and horrible frenzy of the dread of sacrifice
and death nor was he less thorough than of old in
his delineaton of the 81 moody madness laughing
Wild through which poor Viygiains passes to the
rest of the grave. But through the whole work
there seemed to be- If possible amper realization
of the interior spirit of this tortured parent, finer
sense of every fine shade of meaning, a frmer
grasp of every salient point. The tone. during the
frs act was-as it should be-all sunshine; and.
down TO the tender aud lovely moment of the be-
trothal of Icilias and piygiRia, there a happy
humor mingled with q maaly gentleness of bearing
most elOquently expressive of nature IN absolute
harmony with the serene. cloudiess, affectionate
home-fe-so beautiful in its virtue and inno-
cence SO soon to be shattered and despood
Mr.. Mccullough was the first actor interpreting
VirgiRus who ever gave the sense of vague pre-
sentiment to the words in which the heroic father
refers to what may chance to occur before the war
is done. This touch of genius was again given !;
but even better than this the faint. far
of, involuntary thrill of apprehensiveness just
a Tone but full of heart-break and agony
which mingled in the current of apostrophc to
jupiter to break the lowering clouds and there TO
stop the rain These excellences of execution arise
out OF the mans perfectinvestture with his ideal
Of the character. His nature does not struggle up
ward toward q superior identity. but merges natu-
rally into mood that il loves and at the same
time descends easily upon its welltried and entirely
governed means of expression. No audience
can ever have heard anything sweeter, with tie
truth of natures hottest affection more richly
musical with the tones Of the heart, than his de-
livery Of the passage which is the most
affecting in this noble play-because of the crcum-
stances of its introduction" never saw thee look
Ike tuy mother, III al my lue
spring of such effects is in the genuine
soul. Innate virtue is something that no man can
assume. 1t must be there, or the assumption of it
will show the mean heart and crooked. writing
spirit.-as through transparency,-in such
character as Virginius. Nothing has been more
significant in all Mr. McCulough's patient
studious. honorable. and of late years famous
career than the absolute thoroughness with which
he has borne the test of this exactng part.
If there were defects in the work, they
consisted in q lack of deep and all-absorbng
sorrow, in the speech over the bier of the
murdered DeRfdtas Uncommon things make
common things forgot is the keynote
of this scene; and in a lack of repression
and intensity in the first speech TO Appius, in the
Forum. Mr. Mccullough is an actor of extraordi-
nary force; aud this. at times, takes its own
way. We are to remember. though. that
Tirginius is distinctly described, in the text
of the piece. as "over-quiek in temper" and
that the trials to which he is subjected are OF
the most tremendous and fearful kind. Those who
study subtletes in acting will view with equal
wonder and delight Mr.. McCulloughs treatment of
the attributes and tokens of madness. The
awful, imbecile stare, the wild laughter,
the fearless. stony misery. the soft, tender play
of affectionate feelings, acting through the
memory-all these cannot be described The
tragedian is using. more than of old he
did, his low tones-which are exceptions
ally sweet, and of potent effectiveness upor
human sympathy. The audience was deeply
moved, and could not fail to show it, Mr.
Mccullough received no less than six cali
before the curtain. The subsidiary parts wer'
carefully acted-those of NumitoriHs and Dentats
being especially fine in spirit and treatment. Thes
were given by John A. Lane aud J. =. Sutton. Mis-
Kate Forsyth. the rkgina. exhibited 4 sunssin,
temperament and aspect Of merry grlhood
rather foreign to such trial comes h
this afflicted child. and therefore. after tho be
trothal, she seemed out Of harmony with th