The Portland daily press., 1881-04-06
MUSIC AND THE DRAMA.
YORICK'S LOVE,

| YoRIcK's LOVE-
!. For the second time in this city Howell's
version of Estabanez's old play, under the
title of "Yorick's Love-" was produced at
Portland Theatre last evening. What was
said of the tragedy year ago is especially APP
plicable now. The language is poetic and
| graceful, the conception of the author digni.
fed and elevated, the intensity of the scenes
| irresistible, and the pathos natural and impress
sive.
The play is Shakspearian in date. Yorick
the comedian of the Globe Theatre, is married
to Mistress Alice, the leading lady at the same
play house, who is very beautiful woman,
and much his junior His foster son, Ed
mund, also an actor, who owes everything in
life to Yorick, falls in love with Alice, and she
returns that affection. Walton the leading
actor of the Globe, discovers their love- and.
being jealous of Yorick professionally, con-
cludes to acquant him with the state of affairs
Master Haywood, the manager of the theatre,
also has noticed that the two have fallen in
love, and endeavors to keep the knowledge
from Yorick. Master Woodford has written a
play in which the chief characters are low
ing husband, faithless wife and an migrate
full ward. These characters are taken by
! Yorick, Mistress Alice and Master Edmund,
and gradually the truth is unfolded until the
| end OF the play. The last act is ON the stage
at the Globe Theatre, and during the scene
Walton hands Yorick letter written by Ed
mund to Alice. Yorick becomes Infatuated,
and in the fencing scene actually kills Ed
mund, then goes mad and kills himself
!, 10 br;o of A.
be seen that the tragedy is exceeding sombre,
with little to relieve its shadows outside of the
first act, and the slight scene between old
Gregory anil Mistress Dorothy in the
second The play is we'll developed, but the
monotony of some of the scenes robs them of
effects they might obtain. The scene in
which Master Haywood discovers Edmund
and Alice together, and forces them to tell
their story, is really treated in novel manner.
The erring wife and the ardent lover make
their confession in series of broken re-
sponses that has been, not imaptly, compared
to litany. The second act is a seething caldron
of passion. The closing scene of all, where,
after Edmund is killed, the manager, Master
Haywood, steps forward and announces the
play cannot go on owing to the death of the
actor, is intensely realistic and carries out the
idea OF a play within play with great drama
tic strength.
Mr.. Barrett is not yet free from those man
nerisms with which he has become identified.
His peculiar nasal pronunciation, rapid enun-
citation and rising infection at the end of SEN
fences are still marked features of his acting
together with a certain stiffness and lack Of
grace. In the character of Yorick these
blemisheS are more prominent than in his other
assumptions. We may, perhaps cavil some
what at their Obtrusion in the first act last
night where the actor is supposed to represent
the light-hearted, loving husband andIfather;
| where he is, in fact, presumed to be the merry
Yorick that Shakespeare drew. in order to con-
trast the phases of home life and love all the
more strongly with the gloomy, passionate
scenes that are to follow. And yet Mr.. Bar
rett does not lack many of the qualities that go
to make the kindly, simple nature of the actor
OF whom Hamlet speaks in plying tones, who
feels within him capabilities for something
| greater than the mere jester. He carries with
him the warm sympathy of the audience
| throughout all his Affections The scene with
his son Edmund in the second act, where he
first suspects what fearful calamity has befal-
| len him and demands the name of the betray-
er of his home, the final scene of the act, and
| all throughout the last act, Mr.. Barrett's i'm
personaton was marked, notwithstanding his
mannerisms, by power and passionate in
tensity that fairly carried away the audience.
| Mr.. Barrett's support was in several re-
| spects, change from that of last season. Miss
Marie Wainwright made pretty, graceful
Mistress Alice, with good conception of the
part but with hardly the strength to give it the
d
Master Edmund Mr. Mosley looked the char
acter of Master Walton, but did not bring to
the PRESERVATION in like degree the Iago-like
| characteristics that marked Mr.. Grisme'rs in
| depreciation of the part. Mr.. Plunkett was
very good as Master Woodford, and Mr.. Rogers
an excellent Gregory. Miss Plunkett was a
| vivacious Mistress Dorothy, and Mr.. Book a
fair Master Haywood.
| At the close of the first two acts the tab
leaux were very effective, and the curtain was
rung up, once at the end of the first and twice
| at the end of the second act, while at the lat
| ter time Mr.. Barrett was also called to the
footlights The costumes were very rich and
| appropriate, the stage settings to be commend
ed and the music good. There was large
| and brilliant audience present.
| Tonight Mr.. Barrett will make his last ap-
| pearance in Merchant of Venice and Garrick
l. EDGEwooD FOLKS.
| Speaking of Sol Smith Russell and edge
wood Folks" the New York Express says:
| The dramatist has succeeded admirably and
| Mr.. Russell last night appeared to excellent
| advantage as Tom Dilloway, the hero of the
| play. Every sketch was received with hearty
applause and honest delight. Mr.. Russell is
surrounded by an excellent company promi-
mont among its members being Mr. Charles
Rockwell, who has one of the best parts in the
play.
The piece will be produced at Portland
Theatre Friday and Saturday.
WEBER CONCERT.
Tonight City Hall will be filled by bril-
liant audience to listen to the concert given by
the Weber Club, complimentary to Mr.. n w.
Pratt. The programme is an excellent one
and the talent employed is of the BEST.
BARNEY MACAULEY.
The World, speaking of ''The Messenger
from Jarvis Section,'' to be produced at Port
land Theatre Monday next, says:
"Uncle Dan'l is boldly sketched character
| of simple goodness and faith in human nature,
| but great shrewdness and cool management
when business calls upon his intellect and en-
ergy. Mr.. Macauley takes this part and plays
it with force and effect His dialect is broad,
his manner countrifed without rudeness, and
perfectly natural; his affection hearty sympa-
thetc with all sorrow and Distress and indig-
nant at all meanness and corruption. When
he gets into the hands of the gang who threat
en- him with death his conduct takes on an as
pect of heroism, but in the simplicity of per-
feet honesty.
"Patting never made a horse win a race"
sold Boucicaut the other evening. at is the
horse whose sides show the lash, whose flank
is bloody from the spur, that wins. Just so
with actors. Praise hurts them. Criticism,
no matter how severe, provided it be just, is
the only thing that spurs them to do their
best. Don't spare them"
Still Alarms.
Yesterday morning about o'clock, the house
of Robert Davidson, on Vaughan street, took
Hva Ill - IL