Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-10-22
ADJUSTMENTS.
KgRSE's RIcHELIRU.


published a year sgo-that Thomas W.
Keene would take and that speedily, q
lofty place among the foremost tragic
actors OF his time. In physical anu
mental attributes he is richly gifted ior
the exposition OF the great figures in the
standard drama and, above all, for pop
MARTY, he has that very quail
ty which many OF our leading
actors have net-msgnetism; that per.
sonal magnetism which made Edmund
Keane, the elder Booth, &. V. brooke'
and which in spite OF the lack OF nnlsh
in their work enthralled the multitude
and left their empress indeiibly upon
the dramatic history Of their time.
Keene has fine commanding nsure;
great physical power, his head Is wen
poised upon muscular shoulders,
his face has hexibility capable
of depicting every passion
he has q magnificent eye for the stage,
a large mouth, but not out oil Keeping
with the rest of his features, and voice
possessing the true tragic ring OF re-
markably wide range, aud well trained;
and his elocution is devoid OF the OBJ
fashionable mannerisms that spoil the
work OF many OF our actors.
His method of acting is happy
blending OF the old aud the new school;
il has the vigor OF the old with the finish
and delicacy Of the new. Above all, IN
his delineation OF great characters, he ID
natural. These qualities are nowhere
better shown than in his performance OF
Richelieu, performance that was re-
caiyed by a large audience last
night with an attention and with
an enthusiasm that few actors
ever receive. In that tragedy OF Shakes.
peare's, least worthy OF his genius and
therefore most popular with the masses,
we have evidence how powerfully a
dramatist may stamp upon his genera
ton false idea OF historical character.
We mean Richard Third. Bulwer in
his Richelieu has done precisely the
same, with this difference. that while
Shakespeare has created Richard who
IS worse morally, mentally and physl-
cally than was Richard Plsntagenet.
Bulwer has created Richelieu almost
the moral autithesis OF the true one,
preserving OF the latter only his grand
attribute OF intellectual power, and at
tributing virtues he did not possess.
As a faithful portrait his Card.
nal Richelieu is not true. This
ground, however, has so often been
gone over that we will not enter upon
it here, but merely say that the merit oil
Buiwer's play lies in its wonderful 0ra-.
matte structure, and gothic beauty OF
language more than its historical
value. The magnificent structure OF
the language, the wondrous
dramatic construction which be-
slows upon every scene an independ-
ent climax, every climax being a grad
uating step TO the final scene OF triumph
are all Bulwer's own, and these have
never been equaled since Shakespeare
wrote, save by Maturan and Taliourd'
Keene thoroughly grasps the mean
ing of the author and repre-
sents the character with a breadth
and subtlety and light
and shade, and dramatic intensity
which certainly cannot be equaled to-
day. Every interpreter oiths part may in
certain scenes excel, but no one brings
out so fully and effectively the dramatic
points in the characters history. In
our Judgment Keene, although he shows
marked improvement in his treatment
OF the early acts Of the play,
here and there, his stimulation
OF age is a little too vigorous, but this
defect which occurs to the critic in
these acts do not mar the performance
at all. His fourth and fifth acts are adj
mirabIy treated, and in the former act
he reaches pitch OF dramatic power
which no actor on the American stag G
to-day can reach. He seems to have
scared beyond mere human heights and
rises into the protecting priest, in whom
ito curb the great" was conferred the
authority OF the Almighty's prophet on
earth; grandeur speaks from attitude,
eye, hand, and voice; his whole bearing
is in keeping with the situation; his
words coming slow, in deep notes seem
to thrill the very soul as he launches
the curse OF Rome upon the
head of Baradss; the magniticence
OF his attitude carries the
audience TO the highest pitch OF enthu.
siasm. Time after time he had to APP
pear in front OF the curtain after this act.
The contrast between his broken condi-
ton as he enters in the fifth act, and
that after he has discovered to the King
the conspiracy ia finely made.
The might OF France seems 10
have passed into keene's Richelieu
at the restoration Of his power.
He delights to give it room. He is the
trumpet voice OF the hero OF Rochelle
as he gives ringing orders to arrest the
rebel duke at the very head OF his army
his is the form that could have welded
such a sword as Charles Martels; his is
the frame that could have cut through
steel corset, through skull and collar
hone, through cuirass and jerkin,
down to the waist OF the
stalwart Englishman. In our judgment
this is the most difficult scene the artist
has 10 interpret. 1t is full OF nice detail,
subtle business and requires perfection
of training and the natural resources OF
a great actor properly carry it out; this
Keene does. Keene's work was received
not merely in the kindliest
way, but in the most
enthusiastic manner by the entire au.
dience. His Richelieu is not merely
the Richelieu Of past actors, but he
shows much original thought through
out the work. In our Judgment the
performance will stand as a model in
dramatic history.
IA