Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-11-05
THE THEATER.
The Engagement OF the Tragedian
KeeEe Success, NOtWithstand-
ing the Political Scarry.
His Views rs 10 the Present Condition
OF enc St'ge-The ''8andit
King" in IIiinois.


Memphisi and the people have noted with
pleasure the manifest progress be has made
II would be a useless 90 we'll as Insinosre
compliment to him to say that his imper-
sonations were all excellent. Most of them
are unequal and need the true finish of art
His "Mscbeth" Is unquestiopa5y his besi
part; his "RicheIieu" and nfs HR1cbsrd1
are very creditable; his ;'Hsnletn shows
traces of close study, srd 4 subller grssp OF
the part thsu vas noticeable a year sgo.
Yesterday afieruoon be esssyed the foIss Of
"Beztuecion ia the Eaols E,srsa<e.-. 2.sAs .pAsl
wac uneven, but fail OF striking merit In
no essential point docs Mr.. Keene equal Ed
win Booth's splendid performances; bat the
APPEAL can cite no other ACTOR on the Amer
lean stage than these two who could play the
pHrt at all. John Mccullough when outside
Of "Virginius" and "Spartacus" is about IS
uuiheresting an ACTOR as you can and. Hi.
'Olhello" is heavy, his Hamlet" is a CON-
edy, his "Richard' q brute and his "Riche-
lieu" a burlesque. Capable actor as Law
renee Barrett is, it is hardly conceivable that
he could play "Bertuccio." In the light of
all This, Mr.. Keene's jester becomes A very
meritorious part. 1t was sharply 10 eres;ing
throughout. The fret and las. acts
need only the correcting touch of
decidedly weak. The scene wherein the
jester comes home 10 his daughter could be
IN many respects improved. In the first
place it is but natural that, leaving the pest
itsroUs atmosphere Of the court and the 20.
UIety Of the noblSmep, the lister should be
soitened In the presence OF his daughter;
and any expressions OF revenge upon his foe
would be subordinate to his tenderness. Mr.
Keene forge:s this and makes his revenge
prominent before his daughter, instead Of
casual. In this way splendid contrast of
pathos is missed. His hatred of Malaiesta
should be expressed in monenis OF forget
fulness, and the ac-or should EN-
phas'ss the relaxation he would nat
urAlly feel in being at home with his
child. The exquisite acting OF E Twin Bootll
in this scene is fresh in our memory. In the
third act Mr.. K-ens was al his best. His
acting was marked with a liYid inierchsnEe
of passion. The rapid substitution on con-
cern for revenge aud OF NJ r;b for concern
was wildly msde. The audience was
thrilled with enthusiasm Mr.. Keene's
"Bertuccio" demonstrated that the actor more
nearly approached Edwin Booth in versa
tility than any other on the American stage.
Manfred" p. G. Hagar as "Del Aquiila,"
w. G. Beach, a. "Ture'li;" Carl Ahrendt, So
"Malatesta,n and Mitses Anna Warren Story,
Constance Hamblin snd Katie Baker, and
Mrs. Baker in their respsci able parts were
acceptable.
IDtervIem with Ide sra edI an eene az
20 the Present COsdtiiSo Of the stage
Mr.. Thomas w. Keene, the tragedian, now
playing bis annual engagement in this city,
was met by writer On this paper yesterday,
and, 10 the course OF conversation which
covered a variety of topics, touched upoo
the movement now. going on in London to
establish dramatic school. Mr.. Keene
expressed the hope that such thing would
succeed, although he doubted If it would
even with the able CO operation of d. on
Boucicault. The writer asked Keene If be
did not think the time would cotne when the
Ems nslish-speskiog governments would follow
the example of the French and subsidizs
certain theaItrs, IN order that there migtt-
be schools where artists could be trained to
that state of perfection shown upon the
French stage.
'I do not think such thing will ever be
done," replied Keene, "either in Engl and or
In this conntry-certainly not in this couu-
try. Our people, like the EngIIsh, have a
deep-rooted conviction that such things as
theatrical entertainments are best left 10
private enterprise. Taking of the perfec-
tion of French acting,p continued the ira
gediau, many psople doubt whether the
high finish and minute impressveness of
French acting has been brought about by
state aid, snd whether the same qualities so
constantly lauded in the French actsr would
not have been developed all the same under
the influence of social and literary surround
ings if the Stage had been left unendowed."
DO you think the superiority Of French
acting due TO the fact that their theater is
"Not entI ely. No amount Of training or
stage management could work an E glish
up TO the finest French artistic
pitch, for the reason that the raw materials
for the stage are not the same in this coun-
Try a. they are in France. Tne people of
that country are more demonsirstive than
We are; their organs of expression, voice,
lea tures, limbs, The aciors' instruments, are
IA ade more mobile and flexible by constant
practice"
Mr.. Keene went on 10 say that he did no;
at all Believe in the coussrvatoire system
nor in the French school Of acIing They
sacrificed nature for the sake Of art, and
turned out puppets instead Of actors; lrutb,
nature and sincerity were sacrificed Tor mere
precision. However, the TRACE
dian would like to see in some city some
home of the drama where the traditions of The
stage could be garnsr, up and the COM
ing generation OF actors could find them |
The writer remarked that Mr.. Keen wa.
credited with presenting some Of hts tharsc-
ters in some essentials in an original way. |
"Ths word original said Mr.. keene, "is
mics pplied. My imptrsonsiious msy strike |
the presen. generation as novel, p rhaps, in |
sonoe essentials; but l. is utterly i'm possible |
TO present anything uuiried or original in a |
Sh hakespeSrisn character. Every piece Of |
business that every sc'or has done, at least |
for 100 years, has been dOns before him. |
Every schOol OF sc'ing represented hy any
actor has been brought out by some actor
who lived before him. Edward Kesu had |
his predecessor in Darid GarT-ick. Forrest, |
Macready and the elier Booth we're ,ucce, CO.'S |
ID d.
K4mble and Others. When you hear snv |
actor in legitimate fOteS called original don't |
believe il; i but by study aud long stage ex
perience an actor can, out of the traditions of |
The stage, give such novelty t. any character
"a presented b. other actors OF his time |
that he may succeed in imposiug upon
he public sense OF originality. The |
charm of Adelaide Neilson's impeIs s)uations
was that rh4y we're pitchwork. As some one
mas said, bite from Nell Gwvnue, Sarah
Lid lon'+, L len Tree aud ojhers, and hose
bits OF trsdiliou wre oieui' together in
lerieci harmouy. She used 10 be cIiled
,ciginal. / remember the critics used TO dis
ant unon orig nal hit OF business in the
platform scene ia Mr.. Boot h's "Hamle :" By
iccid mt he stuck his sword into :he stage
70 iar IN A. II could not be elsiiy taken out.
lt looked like crjss, sud when he asked |
he oath OF silence it's appropriate ness was
II onae IN 'nifest. / saw in Chicsgo paper
hat ex-ciergvman WAS about 10 spps ar
n that city as "H amlet." He published an
analysis of his "Hamlei," in which he al
uded to tbe use of the nlsdailions in the |
,loset scene. Since the DAYS of Bsiierton sc-
.Ors have used and rel -cted, ami Re- jected rud
lssd these med4lliOhs, and hand ed them 10
every way possible"
The subject was changed, and the writer
asked Mr. Keepe iB regard to his reception
his season.
"Fhe public" said he, shave been xc-ed-
ngly kind every where, and the criticsl gen
lemen seem to find new beauties ~ The exc
,ution of my conceptions. In Cdicsgo my
DusIness wss larger Ihan il has ever been.
The IS me can be said of St. Louis and Gin
;iuusti.
"T4lking about Cinc nna'i," the Nriier re-
marked, see you are going TO pl y at the
Festival in that CITY mex; Apru?'
Mr.. keene said he aud mis- coU pany would
AXE part in thai affair, but he would cay
nothing further tbs that the opening pIec@,
be had heard, was to- be Julius Cesar, in
which he would BE- he "Mark Antony"
Mother Goose. srI,ieism ON the s'Hani-
iei'' Audience.
"Oh, myl"
Ia NJ chico language of Mark Twain,
lad he "Ob, my u very badly after visit 10
! Lsubrie's 10 hear Thom kseue in Hdaslef
am sWsrp that criuci u lsterly il given TO
oscillation ber-ee1 the * remeS Of virulent
Ibuse or fulsom> da,tery. Unless some
,ody does something 10 make the critic very
mad, indeed, he is apt to pat everything and