New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-12-20
MITSIC AND THE DRAMA.
MCCULLOUGH AS BRUTUs.

L. 80 Daarad az BrHtas in John Howard
Pavne,s well-known tragedy of The ran OF '"i
upny The part-which in its possibilities lor "'V
Inc ia certainly greater than the piece-coihPiiS
some of the attributes that constitute the chai"o
~ V;r,ipins. and thus ii lindes in this actor liie
karne robust manlness splendid dignity ana hciIlo
exaltation that make him the perfect ldeai ol 'i0
Roman Father. Both men are depicted as l'' '.-
Lar smnle nlarranimous and just; both are pa'ri
lot;c. both sacrifice all for the public welfare eacn
Aastro,,s his only ehlld: each perishes oil Drokeh
beort undcr n weight of misery so terrible thso
human nature cannot bear 1t ana III eacn case 'ioi0
& .lo .Ionent of insanity that of Virgnias being
wi and that of Brutas assumed. But, while GER
tain of the attributes of character are concideht
and certain lines of the experience are parallel th7
identities of these two Roman heroes remain as
ainct and Mr.. Mccullough shows the fine intuition
and the conscientious thoroughuess of his artistic
study, in giving 20 each distinctive Individuality
Brutus is not made by him delicate IN fibre or as
sweet in temperament as Pirgiaias for the
life of Brutus has had sunshine IN H.
but only wrong and violence and dlseoTd
Renressed passion has wrenched il suffering mas de
spoiled and blighted 1t; long brooding over the p
pose of revenge has embittered and hardened III
long stimulation of madness has gwen 10 III u s'ii
donic light All tins the actor makes perlecuy
clear. His VirgiRias, the very threshold OF the
story has already won by the fascination OF love-
His Byuts. beginning at once in bitter and aifct
ing affectation of geeful derium, wins by the las
rination of terror 1t is not till the thundercloud
has burst and the lightning launched its bolt that
The spell of human tenderness begins TO make 1t
self fe-through the workings of the fathers heart
aud in that awful climax of heroic misery when IL
at once his victory and his DEATH MIR. McCulough
has never exhibited more unerrlng lnteiiec'-
ual purpose than in thus ndividuaiizing Bruf"s so
rs to make terror paramount above pathos. ana 10
rroyn life of re,nedless suffering and consecrated
struggle with a death of awful snhllmlty. Ills
iropius lives in the affections; his Brutus IN the
Imagination. The one burns with steadier hight
and is more massive and more lovable; the other
shines wi IN the portentous glare of the midnight
beacop and is the more rugged, wild and brilliant
Together they show the ragedian in the variety, as
hEcll as the amplitude, of his extraordinary powers
If the crime upon which the story OF faynes
s Brutus is made to start were not OF such SIM
lister and odiOus eharacter-so foul, ana ha'eiul'
and altogether shocklng-this tragedy would no
doubt, be held in higher esteem. But In this re-
spect its suggestions are very horrible. The piece
spffers. likewise. from a defective constitution
Paynes Brutus," as theatrical students are aware,
is. to some extent. a centO of different works, and
for this reason it produces the effect of series OF
episodes of Roman history rather than single dra
matte narrative The story of BrHus, the story OF
Iacretid the story If TGrquiaia and Titus, aud the
ptory of Taia are all knotted together IN 1t. and
the latter half of its action Is almost dlSolned
from the former half. The consequence is that IN
the reading Of the piece, attention is somewhat dis-
tracted from central figure, and that BrataS seems
to be several persons rather than one. To neutral
ize this diffusion of interest the actor must, in
representation so dominate the part as to
weld all its elements and phases together,
10 n n uuit In 10 DerfOTmauce
Mr. MCCULLOUGH gave a more than usual direction
of his efforts 10 tins end that there was no longer
any variance of nature between the BtNtvs who ar
rests TlIia and the Bratus who has cursed the Tar
ouin Tc show the steady radiance OF reason behind
the glare of unacy, to reveal IN htful gnpses the
majesty of iron virtue beneath the vacant aspect
of jocular imbecihty. to be always one splendid
and terrible persOnihcation Of ideal herosn wulIe
seeming TO be a broken and needless wretch, was 20
offer great and thrilling embodiment and this
Mr. Mccullough presented. The execution, also.
WAS invariably that of thoughtful artist. fulfilling
definite purpose. Nobody could go through the
3e,npest-scepe of this piece without violence; ii
hyas devised, most evidently, for a tremendous
sntburst. but Mr.. Mccullough, even here,
subdued the tumult of the situation, and greatly
augmented its power, by intense. concentrated emo
zion. and low, restrained, but incisive aud most
righteously vindctiye utterance, whitening,
ominOus and dread nj, and set OIL by action that
fully conveyed the delirious ecstacy of triumphant
vengeance The brilliant climax of the play is here
bat it is in the Judgment scene that Mr. Mccullough
REACHES 10 the crandest altitude of his embodiment.
The situation Ia broken-hearted father condemning
his beloved son to death for the good OF the com
nnonwealth) would of itself do much to allure the
Epity of mankind But only manly and tender ma
fure could undeyiatingiy sustain the burden OF TINS
scene an keep the Illusion uDDr0kcn. MT. McCuI-
5ough bore this test entirely well that no listener
could have remembered that this was only stage
snectacle and the painting OF sOrrow." Volumes
III reasoning could not be 50 eloquent this single
work 10 avouch the dignity of dramatic art and the
social beuetcence Of wel-OFdered stage.
! The beautiful delicacy OF Dir. McCullOughs acting
In the first scene that Braas has with his son mus
cast upon hsaudlence the glam0T OF most impressive
soemnity. be sudden access OF tenoerhee5 at once
restrained by prudence and then the resumption OF
levity made up image OF such pltiabie ana Tor
lorn misery as no heart could resist. There was q
hush of suspense throughout this scene, and at Its
close a tumult of enthusiasm. When the Storm
ended the tragSdian was tnTee lines td
that Of painful grief. Not touch OF
,ne ai fame Of his deep and tender voice
--inost melodiously and touchiRgiy sad-but found
its way TO every heart Never before nave we seth
mournful gcnteneSS. certain physical lassltude,
resultant from illness and fatigue, so FAR iIon
marrinp ONLY increased the effect OF simple nature
The most notable of the subsidiary performances
MAS that Of COtlatiRus, by John A. Lane-a an actor
kyhO has real tenderness anu Cois.dhI SidSS, anu
whose by-play, like his direct action, Is that OF a
true. yigilant, conscientious and thorough artist
1his was the full cast;
Tarquin--- Fsui,lu NVileL
$4,000
CoIatinus -
$1,000
$500. -
IucTttius. -
sesSenS Miss Kate Forsyth
NJ ANN "a EnaInr