Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-01-21
ADJUSTMENTS
.The Fool.s Rnxanrs.s

i've Auulence OF nearly 1UUU persons
witnessed the much admired Mr..
Booth in his intensely powerful and
artistic delineation of Bertuccio, the
jester, in Tom Taylor's absorbing play
Of THE Fools Revenge" at Leubrie's
theater last night. No such an audi
ence has gathered here for years, every
part Of the house being closely packed
with people, representing all classes
Of society, but mainly drawn from the
best and most cultured portion, not
only from the city, but from interior
towns a hundred miles or so away.
In all the range of the drama no
more difficult character could be i'm
agined than that Of Bertuccio, the
twisted, withered, hunchback court
bufFoon, a thing to make mirth, and
be made mirth Of" yet a veritable
hyena, terrible in his passion and his
veins, swelling with desire to wreak
vengeance upon. those who wronged
him. Victor Hugo, in his absorbing
story of Quasimodo, or the deformed
Of Notre Dame, delineated the sadder
phases eta deformed mind, and nearly
thirty years ago the late Peter Rich
ings represented the character, aided
by his daughter Caroline. who died q
few days ago with smallpox, as the
sprightly, gay and tuneful Esmeralda
in the same drama, both together be.
ing quite successiulin this particular
play. In some respects the part Of
Bertuccio is similar to that of Quasi
modo, while in motley garb with gibes
and jokes it resembles Touchstone, as
Shakespeare pictures him in "As
You Like It." William Winter
truly says: ut is a gloomy piece, but
it is full of power. 1t is adroitly
constructed, vigorously written and
animated by a swift, exciting, propul-
sive and indomitable movement to.
ward a climax, and tells a terrible
story of good and evil passions. 1t de.
picts the love, the suffering, the
rage, the hate, the frenzy, the min
Cling Of angel and demon, and finally
the awful fate Of man Of austere
mind and tender heart, shut up in Z
deformed body, and burdened with
a tremendous experience Of cruelty
and anguish.
The first act Of the drama presents
the deformed Bertuceio as the court
fool to Count Manfredi, the Lord Of
Faenza. He wears the cap and bells
Of the jester, garnished with asses ears
and carries bauble in his hand
laughs vitriol" and is "a king Of
tongue fence" He has suffered q
terrible bereavement, his faithful
wife having been torn from his
happy home by a ruthless noble
and having recovered from the crazed
grief, he determines on a fearful ven-
geance, hence Stimulates the fool to
counsel his wicked employer, Man
fredi, to abduct the wife of Count
Malatesta, the man who wronged him.
The first act represents festal scene
in garden, with gaily dressed mobiles,
courtiers and fair ladies moving about,
and the dialogue unfolds the plot.
The second act pictures Bertuccio at
the isolated and lonesome home of his
beautiful and innocent daughter
shows Bertuccio in his true character
in plain costume, develops the love be
bears for his child, his hate for his
wronger, and the purpose of his re.
venge. The third act depicts his dc.
moniacal glee when he believes he
has accomplished his end; then
his psroxysms of anguish when
discovery that he has aided ia the abb
duction of his own daughter, instead
ofas he supposedh is arch enemy's wife.
The scene Of the play is laid in Italy
the time near the end Of the fifteenth
century, and time Of action less than
forty eight hours. The plot of the
play is highly interesting and is un.
folded by the company in a very
artistic manner. In the last act
the Grenzy of Bertuccio al
his inability to rescue his lovely child
from those who were trying to de.
bauch her, and the sudden transition
to an affected mirthful and jestine
mood, when in agonizing supplica.
ton before a party Of courtierS he
thought it possible to gain admittance
to the banquet chamber, where hi:
daughter was unWillingly held, as de-.
picted by Mr.. Booth, was a marvel.
GUS and intensely thrilling emotional
picture, while the affectionate scene
with his daughter in the second act
was played with charming and well
sustained earnestness. Miss Bella
Pateman acted the TESTERS daughter
with exquisite feeling, grace and
beauty, and at the close Of an act wai
led before the curtain by Mr.. Booth
who, by the wayi was called out at the
end of each act. 1t will be many
long day before we will witness so sen
| sot;onal o,d ,,o,yarFoI n Jro,o q, A. -; =.