The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1881-10-01
rHE TIIEATEns.


Sihf1hilti baNuito, ltpitHihf
The towu has seen Keene in Rich
arg, Hamlet, aud Richelieti, aud,
while his audiences have been large
and fashionable, the fever OF excite
illiehG, though stimulated by every art
known 10 he most skillful agents, has
MT become such as to be declared cpl
dehic. Cariick, we are told, set all
London acraze, and from his first
hight drew such increasing crows to
the little play house in Goodman's
fields that the greater theatres were
deserted, and though at first many
perverse or stubborn critics were
found unwilling to yield him in his
due need of praise, such, however,
was his genius that in the end the en-
vious tongues of rivals and critics
alike We're hushed, and we find
Churchill concluded his censorious
lines by declaring
"Hence to thy praises, Garrlck, agree,
And pleased with nature, must be pleased
with thee.' ..
1t was not by ten sheet posters of
colored prints, nor skillfully worded
interviews at SO much line iii the
daily reviews, and other puzzing
are resorted TO by medicocrity now
adays when aspiring to rise beyond its
natural worth, that he packed the
play house to such suflocation that
women were carried fainting from the
doors. 1t was his matchless interpre-
tation of Shakespeare's greatest char
acters. His chuckling eXultation, $50
much for Buckingham" even now Il
tradition of the stage, and his cry, as
critics tell us, of gallant, fearless
man us he called, "Give me another
horse" falling again into one of his
deep distress rs he said "Blind up my
wounds" the "Have mercy, heavenn
being moaned pitcously upon bended
knee. What is Tom Keene's Richard
H.? A bloody butcher, that as
Lamb says kills little children in their
beds, with something like the pleasure
which the giants and orgcs in chill
dren's books are represented to have
taken in that practice. He is n shall
low trickster, an ambling cunning
logue, cute and clever in his own con-
ceit, that turns and makes grimaces at
his audience, like low comedian, to
let them know that he Is "devilish
slyn and Is only shamming love to
Lady Anne, AS though any one would
ever have suspected such shallow
pated rogue of being sincere about
anything. This is contrary to all pre-
cedent and totally unbecoming the
dignity of the character. An all
absorbing ambition WIS the greatest
incentive of the many crimes charged
to Richard, and while history proves
the Richard of Shakespeare to he as
purely an ideal character as either
Miranda or Prospero, still there is no
warrant in any of the lines to make
him n grimacer or bufloon. Richard
II is said, was possessed of courage,
capacity, eloquence, and most Of the
talents which have adorned a lawful
throne, and the bard accords him such,
but Mr.. Keene, contrary to the primal
laws of the epic or tragedy, takes away |
his dignity and makes him bloody, |
ranting villain, villainous for villainy's |
sake, totally devoid Of any spark |
of the nobleness of the Plantagenets |
that, though linked with cruel, re-
le ntless ambition, was nevertheless
princely in its character. In
Hamlet, he is much more to
our liking. Beginning with his
which is the be-
ginning of all art, he has selected the
theory of assumed madness, which he
sustains most admirably to the end.
Mr.. Keene has faults, and many of
them glaring TO even the most lenient
Of critics, but SO had Garrick, and
Rosclus sauinted with one eye, but
though he might not teach Cicero
,ratory, yet he is a good, not to say
A great actor. He reads well, brings
)ut the prominent features of his
character his stage business, though
1t times faulty, is in the main excel
cnt he Is graceful and easy in his
gestures. but withal there is too much
IF tendency to rant. He seems to
ack the power TO excite real emotion.
He IL entirely too boisterous. With
lll of the physical properties so es-
'ential TO the graceful representation
n character like Hamlet, yet his
mind never seems to thoroughly COM
Drehond the fact that most of the
Jaws maxims and soliliquies were the
'orrowful outpourings OF grief-laden
leart, n sort of communion with
Hamlet's self, and not intended to be
at an audience as though |
hey were part keeper of his terrible
'ecret. With all his faults, however,
We have few better representatives of
lie melancholy Prince OF Denmark.
His meeting with the ghost is excel
entity done. The trailing of the
word by the point, and many other
title points, that, like Rache's pam
ominp, sometimes become more ex-
,ressive than words, spoke well for
lin as a careful elaborator of minor,
,ut ESSENTIAL details. Aud his inter
lew with Ophelia-could Lamb him
elf have objected to that? He does ,
lot storm nor scold at her, excepting /
hat IL begins to dawn upon him that
le is watched. 1t is clearly evident !
hat he has for her a deep and all alb
orbing love, only outweighed by the ,
duty that he is called to,
pd his seeming cruelty to her Is read ,
ly seen to be an artifice by which he :
eeks to dissuade her from a hopeless
owe. Mellowed by time, Keene's ,
Hamlet will be, We prophecy, one OF G
he best on the stage. /,
Last knight he appeared as Richie
leu, to n magnigcent audience, both /
9 respects size and quality. The late
less II the hour renders IL impossible :
o sneak at any length Of this most 4
ls borate of Bulwer's dramatic pro- .
uctions. Suffice It to say that IL is I
ne Of the best Of Mr.. Keene's parts, 1
nd will compare, without any great !
etriment 20 this gentleman, with the 4
Of any actor now living. {
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