, 1881-05-15

of his majestic organ certain it was that only nc
trnincd ear could follow the conclusion Of his Is
| sentences. When the voice sanK into what III
| OtI1er theatres, might be decp nnd penetrating
I hass tho actor was nil but innudlblc. There +
| tremendous strength and there Is tune ~ THESE
lower notes. but they # fned IN , enGif 2, tn1s T. M
dienity and quiet. We say i'll LUCK only so far as
the effect was s Is gooa and
| iucohcrency to which VirJtntns has been SUD
/ tccted. But the more quiet. the more dignihed,
and the 1nose subtly sarcastic the actor became
| the less he succeeded on this particular stage.
| His finest points were lost or neglcctett ny the
majority Only bis great wcli,1ened LIE and sharp r
| audience. The mingled sarcasm. rage, and
forced quiet Of tho scene where Vir9thiis
= w sII 1e So he curse Of ppx
Claudi,ts, the thrilling sneer at his puntncss MI
| these broAd effects told far better fhnn those
delicate lights and shades In the first domestic
scene with Virginia. tue aRony Of the murder, or
NIL the varied and beautiful points IN the mad
ness and siranK'ing OF the lmprisoneu ! ppMs. us
cessity the most theatrical: but there was that
in the performance as whole that made many
Stranger to the theatre: It Is easy TO see thar
alr. Mccullough could hush an audience 10
silence with those deep tones to which tho voice
back OF the stage, and were lost. Only at titful
intervals the actor seemed to master tho apathy
of his audience: but he WIS ut his best us All art
The London Times Is not quite SO favor
ably disposed. "A1r. AlcCullough's perform
ance." it thinks, twas Oil the whole a pow
erful if not alwavs pleasing performance.
His appearance was manly and impressive:
his voice, where he did not strain it too far,
full; Ills gestures often stngularIy natural
and striking. Ills best scenes we're with his
daughter, anu after his daughters death
where his reason has for time given way.
+ fr, In, knc
more impassioned passages. that A[r. MeCu!,
Tough failed. as almost every actor must fail
III the days when the art Of speaking Is {: lost
art Here Ills manner became labored, his
appropriate to the text. his speech ut times
almost a song without words aud {: song
somewhat harsh and unmuslcal.
But regarding the performance generally,
recalling it afterwara as q whole. it left
sense Of power and intelligence not always
very highly tutored, and here and there !?
little too violent, too extruvagant for real
Greatness; but on the WHOLE welghty aud
The London Pau 1lall Gazette SAYS:
Mr.. McCullough's performance is picturesque,
intelligent, and vrilc. Possessor of IL tine phys
iquc and voice OF noticeable range and COM
RIFT d ns trs 1's sors 30 m
striking pictures. delivers the lines Of the
tragedy with socmnity and sonorousness Of
dorructed from the first performance that the
capacity Of the housc had not been fully tested,
and that some Of the speeches intended by Mr.,
Mccullough to be most impressive were bnrely
audible. This drawback, the effect of which was
enhanced by the fact that some Of the subor-
dinute actors were actually unheartl, is likely TO
disappear when the acoustcal properties nf the
theatre are understood. In tna expression Of
passion subdued and self-contalned Mr.. McCul-
louEh's chief success WAS obtained. His manner
Of addressing his daughter during the carly
scenes. in which no shadow Of approaching des-
tiny was sensible, was admirable IN Its blending
Of pleasant banter with affection and content.
AS the climax approached there was no induI-
gencc III violence or rant 1t seemed as if tho
idea that nm action, SO base as that OF dppi,s
C|dndins could NOT be put into execution with
out calling forth SOME direct interference Of tho
gods could not easily be grasped. When with
crushing certainty q m tie fact 1hat he was power
home tn him, there was still no explosion of
rage. Pity for the victim who must die by a
thought Not until he held in front Of the dis
mayed -1ppius the smoking knife, and uttered
the famous sentence with which The play Of
terminates. and which, according to tho dcclar1i-
ton Of Livy, was tho means Of destroying the
power OF the decemviri i'll kome- - BY this iu-
gods. did he once with full effect tho spien-
did voice With which he Is endowed. The deIi,
cry OF these lines stirred deeply tile public, as
did thut Of one or two previous speeches. nota;
bly, OF the lines demanding Ut Appius, who huti
objected to the fashion Of bis address, what |
tons to adepl In the scene Of madness III the
fifth act. Sfr. Mccullough displayed power |
enough to win forgiveness for scene which Is |
in fnct an excrcscence upon tho play, The |
method OF the latest tragedan who has ap- /
peAred ON Drury Lame boArds Is not unlike that |
of Mr.. Booth. II is admirable in many respects. |
and, though deficient tn electricity, its power |
over all audience is strong.
The Standard, Daily Nc1cs, the Echo, and |
most OF the weekly papers are highly coni-
plimentary. In a letter to Manager j. H. |
llnverly from Ar. William Foote, now i'll |
London, received the other day, that gentle !
man says: Mccullough bids fair to be the |
greatest success Of any American actor in |
Europe fur years. lie has received the e1u-
phatic approval OF the critical English |
public, lnany remarkillg that |
his success was so established that they re- |
gret that they cannot have MIN in England |
longer"