, 1879-03-30

round, strong, and musical, particularly the
lower notes, but it needed government
All his adjuncts to greatness were utilized in
clumsy war. He could not select from OUT
the variety Of expression within his grasp only
those that could be harmontously subordinated
to general whole. His passion was intempe-
rate; his mind was not in yigilant supremacy,
controlling expression and directing every in.
tonation, look. and gesture. And upon this
docs fine acting depend. He had too much fire
md too little sense he had yehemencc with.
out real emotion. lie was loud, turbulent. cx-
egacratc3, betraying the inexperience Of one
who has not yet mastered the art OF acting.
No later than three or four years ago this
would have been the criticism of an unprecedented
mind.
An impartial man or woman who has attended
the series Of representations of the present en-
gagenent cannot fail to be astopishcd at the
change which has taken place since that time,
and those who have watched closely his 9ladia-
tor, his Brutfls, his Viryinius, or even his Hing
Lear may well pause before they fix the ulti-
mate limits Of John McCullough's histrionic ca
reer. lie is not yet the actor that he will be in
few years, when the California diamond ~
has been thoroughly polished. The ruggedness,
uaganlincss, and etfectlessness in such roles al
luGrd to has departed, aud in their stead ap-
pears grace, skltlfui precision and effectiveness.
His Trginisks, the heroic centurion, the out
ragged father, is Ronlanesque in its grandeur,
and can rank upon the American stage as pre-
septa1ion in every respect equal to Booths 1dQo.
He exhibits an intellectuality, and pathetic
power, i loftiness OF Imagination, rcpose and an
Intensity excelled bv no actor with whose ability
SIC are acquainted. Indeed, the same may be
said Of his Spartacus. It is picturesque and
powerful, and his Brutus in .'Julius Caesar ~ is
personaton which leaves its impression on the
memory On Thursday night last be played
Hing Lar, and we must repeat our opinion
Tint the personation Was the nearest approach
to Forests greatness since that artist died.
Faults there are, undoubtedly, but they are
faults which eau be overcome to great extent.
They lie in the stimulation Of age, which is too
youthful, and in OCCASIONAL vehemence, without
emotion, which amounts 10 rant John McCul-
lough is too good an actor to do ANYTHING alb
solutely bad. unlike some Of his brethren Of the
sock and buslin prominently before the public
So his Richard III, his OtheVo, his Cardinal
Volsc4, are all creditable efforts, but they can
not he Judged and live by the highest standard
pf tragic criticism.
One thing in his engagement has struck u.s.
that is, the variety of characters in which the
star has appeared, and, considering the physical
Strain imposed by the person7tion OF such heavy
roles, the general cxce!lency OF the perform
nnces is astonishing. Nearly every night Il diff
ierent play his been given, and every evening,
Including Sunday aud two uatirees each week,
the house has been open, thus making nine per
lormances 4 week. SalViu1 upon no considera-
ton could be induced 10 pessonate characters Of
such calibre more than Three times week.
Nlagni1iccntlr endowed as he is physically, when
ia this country the Italian tragedlan said that
otheao three or four times a week would Kill
hin.
With few exceptions the members OF the SUD-
port are competent people, and AIr. Charles Bar
ron, for his Idgo, his Cas- u.s. and Ptarsdrins, has
1nade reputation in Chicago which any actor
might he proud OF. Hiss Emma stockmnn Is an
actress of great promise, possessing youth, in
tcligcuce, beauty, and dratna:ic impulse. John
L. Lane will be favorably remembered as an
tony in the cast of ssJulius Caesar" and Miss
Ella Wren as Seyra in "Virginius~''
The oat ah Of yoap e. IS pszhaPs
vas the performance of last night. In him we
recopnize Roman in the uarb of the Sco.ch-
man ue is too deliberate His conception lB
that of the conventional stage coward who
goes skulkius through the tragedy Macbeth
IS brave man IN & tue beginning who Is
led to commit for political motive crime at
Which his whole moral nature slckens. After
the commission Of the first deed, aud when he
has surmoun:ed the shock, the rebound is great.
Then the security OF himself anu his power is
paramount, and to accomplish this he sacri-
tices Until the land groans with his victims.
Perhaps the finest part OF the performance was
In the scene with Lady -Mdc0th Immediately be-
lore the arrival Of the Arg. Has lmag!nau ton pre-
cents all the doubts, olfflcultles. anu dissuaslVe
motives with force which makes you believe
how true it is, II dare not'' waits upon ~
would" But after the murder the actor
scarcely wakes up. to the 1mag1natlve
horror of himself which possesses Macbeth.
He does not lmpart, either in his voice or in his
action, the incarnation OF despair, The e; despair
Of spiritual hell when he says "sleep no
more; Macbeth doth murder sleep" It was
delivered with a quictness and delioera-
ton entirely foreign to the hollow, ghastly;'
hope-berett experience OF olood d-sta1nca SOUL
ac1A It is no disparasement TO the lady when
we say she was physically and intellectually un.
able TO cope with tins the greatest Tragic pafs
for woman In the whole range OF me
drama. Her effort was laudaole
ope,-uothns more. NJ. Charles Barron rem
dered the sympathetic 4udc4uU IN most enect-
I'VE nauucl. III. ou'us, y. .s .IIs'
,rat-a.so.,. - ue ~ 047 -"A
,,on,par.
What e,,1l ,ra en- ~ IF tha 1,o1feh act ress Nod-