New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-11-20
THE Play on ms FIRST NIGHT.

y.
Mr.. lrving's production Of " The Merchant of Ven
ice on SATURDAY AT the Lvceum, there can be no
doubt that II viii be popular. IL is put upon the
stage with every attention 20 the requirements of
modern audience. II is So dressed and mounted as
To he. if one may be- pardoned for using such
phrase In connection with play Of Shakespeare a
very beautiful spectacle. The puriss say tins ought
not 10 he done, and they tell for the hundredth
time how little attempted ~ Shakesneare's own
day IN the way Of scenery and decoration. They
might as well urge that the playhouse itself should
he no better than It was in those davs; that
we should 90 back to the uncovered court
without seats and bare scanlds of the Globe, with
It's rush-strewn stage and immovable scenery, TO
which our ancestors locked at early hour of the
afternoon. We may De certain that shakespeare.
who was a clever man OF business. put his plays on
the stage as well as the OF that time per-
mitted. or as well his audiences wished IL ne bad
lived in these tunes, he would have followed the
more splendid customs Of these times. Otherwise
he would never have returned rich to Stafford Mr.
Irving now that he is manager as Wen actor.
knows better than tempt fortune with one string
TO lis bow when be can have two. His unexampled
popularity Is quite sufficient TO fill the house were
he 10 pay Shylook az Garrick did OeiO in topboots
and full-hottomed wig or were he 10 appeal to the
imas ination with canvas screen wherein was writ
the legend "This Is the Doge's Palace" But
the number Of nights during which the house
would be Il led would surely be limited. Looking
at the matter from purely artistic point Of view.
1 have never been able to make ont why more
reverence should be done to Shakespeare by repro
dncinr his plays in meagre and sl0venly manner
than by mounting them with care II they are III
acted, hisironic DEFICIENCIES are not less but more
I conspicuous amid brilliant scenery. II the acting
IS good the bril- ant scenery Will not hide II, nor
NJ her
than argue such question with these lovers Of
antique iuperfections, should recommend them
TO pay visit 20 the Theatre Fraucais, admittedly
the hrst theatre IN the world. and see how they
manage matters there. The minutest attention to
historical accuracy goes hand Ia hand with an IN
disguised sohctude for scenic magnifcence.
In thea0pcintments. then OF The Merchant Of
Venice ~ the Lyceum. there is 10 my mind great
deal TO praise and little 10 lnd fault with. They
are the mcse crcdIiable because-as Alr. Irving
told Us IN his speech al tie end-on the sth of
October for no one of the scenes had brush been
put 10 canvas nor stitch taken in of the
monts the actors wore. presume the truth 90 he
that the preparations and rehearsas had been hur-
ned bv the failure of " The hon Chest with which.
for some .uscruiable reason, Mr. Irving had elected
20 open his SEASON If had been writing at that
time, / should have had To say that that perform
auce was deplorable one IN almost every particu-
lar MIR Irving had no more business 20 be playing
sir E7,rqrd Mortimer than 10 be playing Claude
Nelnotie The Iron Chest too. eiab0rately
put on the stage and appealed strongly to what
called tine vulgar instincts Of the multitude But
that did not save it from general condemnation
and an early withdrawal. The catastrophe
may serve as an excuse for the roughness
in the first representation OF " The Mer-
chant OF Venice" AlT. Irving has hitherto
Justly prided himself on the perfection Of
his Grst-uight performances. But on Saturday
there were Deficiencies of all sorts. Tie machinery
bad not got irlo working order subordinates were
in-uticlrutv trained points were missed speeches
broke down iu the middlei Miss Il EN- Terry her
sell was not perfection ia her text ana MI irving
bad % see one Of his most energetic passages
married by the blunder OF a nervous actor All
which dad not chill tie cnt lusiasm OF tie audi
ence. Tie play was applauced r1pturously from
/ beginning 90 end. Max IL every allowance Tor tie
D..r,orlal goodwill winch 10 has become the custom
% manifest on FIRST nlghfs. there can be 10 doubt
that a great part OF the delight So Joyfuiiy uttered
was genuine delight In the Representations Win
a.. It's faults, 10 deserved the applause II got 1t
must however be said of the great BODY Of actors
that they are not up o. their work. They had had
some drilling. but few Of them are made OF teacha-
bic stuff.
Mss Enen Terry's P0rtia was much praised when
seen four years aro, 10 my mind much overprased,
- usu ID this ladys case It's seen 70 much better
advantage with her present surroundings. but still
is not completely satisfactory. The trtch Is that
this artist with all her talent. has out TWO or three
notes o. her Tyre. and they end by becoming nonot
onous. In BIER lighter business she is yvacious; IN
the grayer she Is wanting alike in nobility Gnc
power; in both she IL wanting irreincmcnt. But Der
audience derived al unmoasurcd Enjoyment from her
performance and she IL tie subject of such general
pane,ric the part ~ the critics professional and
other that the three dsseu lag voices hardly
make tlcu.clyes heard. IL most companies 10 il
unsafe 10 HINT al aIy deficiency Whatever IN the
I am l,
ouly say this much IN the stuctest confidence.
Mr. Irvlng's Shylock shows both Irving and Siy'ock
al their best Much discussion. mostly Of an I'M
profitable kind, has been spent upon the character
OF the Jew. and many attempts have been made to
state with precision what Shakespeare meant when
he drew him. will not enter upon that. but may
say that from NY earliest reading my sympathies
went mainly with ALyook. and that when l have
seen the play acted. there has been manifest feel
ing IN the part Of the spectators that ehylock was
hardly dealt with at the end. They say Biackiin
used 10 play him with d red wig and huge false
nose. aud | have seen actors Who without resort
ing 10 such tricks. bent their energies to max
Ing him both ooiOus and contemplate. Even
then, the inuats sense Of justice in the
house was too strong for them. 1t will not
do to forget that the feeling about Jews was very
different Two centuries ago from the more humane
view which now preva ls--sAve, rrlaps az certain
hotels III Sarat0ga and Manhattan Beach. Ii
was necessary 10 portray Shyiock covetous aud
viudctIve, sink the father the miser. TO make
hun the prey If base passions, and 10 deny b III
many OF the better qualities o. his race. NOne the
less does lac stand Out man Of angular force of
character. lie has immense courage, uncOnquer-
abe enaety OF purpose periret LOYALTY t. his re-
lgiln aud people, AID Il guilty winch
touched Dy the INSULT heaped Oh hiu.
These great qualities are tue qualities which Mr..
Irylng has chosen % bring out and 10 bring them
out he has put upon h'mseif sort Of restraint
worthy Of high admiration. Save IN one Or two
scenes be- EXHIBITS but little Of Che ylolencea v0-