The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-03-31
MUSIC AND THE DRAMA.
HAREBE11 AND RICHARD III

+ Saturday afternoon Mr.. Barrett appeared to
good sized audience at Portland Theatre, in
character that he has made his own, "James
Harebell, or the Man O'Airle," in the play Of
that name written by Willis.
The plot is simple A local Burns has COM
posed volume Of ballads, which have been
adopted and sung by the people of his hamlet.
This poet is James Harebell He entrusts
all the money be is worth to his foster-brother
Brandon, in order that the latter may get the
publisher in Edingboro' to bring out his poems
The foster-brother uses the money to pay bis
gambling debts and poor Harebell loses his
house and home. His wife dies from the shock
and the poet obtains o situation as amanuensis
to Lord SteelmaD, whose daughter Kate the
scoundrel Brandon wishes to marry. Sir
Gerald Hope discovers the unpublished poems
in drawer in the room he occupies, and thus
learns the lie Brandon has told, since he, Sir
Gerald, was Brandon's creditor at the gaming
table. Sir Gerald exposes the fraud, but the
exposure hastens the calamity that has impend-
ed over the delcately organized Harebell from
the time he finds he has lost his money up to
the loss of his wife, and he becomes insane, and
wanderer by the roadside. His child grows
to manhood, aud finally statue is erected to
the memory of the poor poet by Lord Steelman
and unveiled 10 the presence of Hareoell's
son and the villagers. They slug one Of Hare
BELLS ballads on the occasion, while the tat.
tered, crazy bard stands by in wonderment and
unknown to all. The song brings back faint
glimpse of the past to the wanderers mind
He supplies and sings the last stanza himself, is
recognized by ALL and dies in the arms of those
assembled to do honor to his memory
From beginning to end the drama proves of
absorbing interest. The second act is a charm
ing p3turs of rural life 10 Scotland. The last
two are among the saddest we ever saw. The
dramatist has done his work well, and has Gre.
ated play so pathetic 10 itself that even an
artist lacking magnetism would not fail to
draw tears from his audience Mr.. Barrett's
conception and renderi e of the character of
Harebell gives Us more pleasure than any in
winch we have ever seen him. 1t was a most
artistic representation from the opening to the
close Of the play From tue blithe, happy Scot
who seeks his cottage for the MONDAY meal full
of love for his gude-wife and BARN who jokes
his friend Saunders so broadly; who sits him
down to watch the sleeping child, and the din
ner cooking, YET, poet-like, full of his fancies,
and so pleased and hattersd by the chOruses of
villagers singing his songs that he let's the
haggis buru; to the crushed man whose hopes
and aspirations have been blasted, his wife
dead, his once happy home gone, until, as a re-
suit OF his misfOrtunes, his mind gives way; all
of these were depicted by Mr.. Barrett with a
suotlety of imagination. power and grace of
expression, delicacy of treatment that were
instinct with the sentiment of the play
MISS Tyler was sprightly and Very attractive
as Harebelps wife and rendered the part admir-
eby. Mr.. Martin did not fnd Brandon es-
pecially suited to him, and Mr.. Graham was
too careless aud staggering in his manners and
good as Saunders, Mr.. Hudson fair Lord
Steelman, and Miss Martinez an acceptable
Kate Steelman.
In the evening an audience of good proper
tions witnessed Mr.. Barrett's Richard. The
PRESERVATION was excellent and much better
than Rlcheleu The inter est of the audience
was sustained by him from the beginning to
the end OF the play, instead of being conferred
on single act, and the faults of elocutiOp that
were noticeable at times in his Richelieu, were
less 70 10 his Richard, although even here he
occasionally dropped into staginess of tones,
and said "um" instead of s'them.' Mr. Bar
rett Is close student, an actor of ability and
emlnence, but-as an able critic of this country
has said-no one who had seen Mr.. Barrett's
Richard of few years ago in its wretchedness
would ever have believed he would have made
it SO strong today. 1t is not yet to our taste
the Richard of Edwin Booth. any more than
his Richelleu compares with that of some other
great actors we have seen, but it is head and
shoulders above that of many others who stand
at or near the head of che profession His elc-
cution, as we have said, is not, at times, in such
plays as Richelieu and Richard, what we could
wish. There is an occasional infection of
voice that is artificial and unnatural. He will
pitch his voice at the commencement of aa i'm.
portant situation little too high, and then has
either not the breath, or the force, to finish the
sentence at its climax. He has got as much
steam on as the vocal engines will bear, and he
mas to Keep on at that pressure until the lungs
can do 70 more, and the end of the sentence is
almost insudibie. This is not a fault peculiar
to Mr.. Barrett alone. He bears it in common
with, many other actors of repute, but it is
fault none the less, and it does detract les
pecally when the actor is cold and lacks mag
Detism) from the effect of the rendering of a
pa s 'ge, even when the presence of the artist is
commanding, his features noble, and his acting
forclble and appropriate. La Mr.. BarretL's
Richard there were many places where a sen
tence was given naturally and the effect
was Immediately noticeable in the round
of applause that followed. Notwithstanding
these CRITICISMS, Richard as whole was very
fne The parts We're elegantly costumed, the
actor looked the character, and the sceres with
Lady Anne and the Lord Mayor of London and
the dream sceDe before ths battle were very
realistic, With decent Richmond the COM
bat scene aud death of Ricnard would have
been for more effective.
The support Gu Saturday night was medic
ere. Mr.. Martin was good Berry vi, Mr..
Smith had good conception of Buckingham,
Hudson was a fair Lord Stanley, Miss Sallis
Victor delivered the few lines entrusted to the
Prince OF Wales with good Infection and pleas
ingly. The other ladies of the company do not
SHINE in Richard LII, neither do we believe
they enjoy being cast ia the characters there
assigned them.
NORTH AND SOUTH.
A brilliant rehearsal was had Saturday eve
ming of this beautiful military drama. Toe
members of Bosworih Post are determined to
eclipse all former efforts in its production. We
bespeak for them generous patronage from
our citizens Resf rved seats for th9 floor can
b. fouud at Thomes', and for the gallery at j.
K. Stargis'.
NOTES.
The Portland Choral Uaiop are 10 give a con-
cert next Thursday evening in the church at
Ferry Village.
The entertainment for the bsnefis of Mr.,
Dopghto at Ferry Village netted 800.