Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-01-20

pieces OF character-paintiDg the stage.
1t is finely colored picture, bit of historic
| romance made living. What a fine inter
/ play of qualities there is in the old fellow
The sense OF the fox, the courage Of the lion
! and the heart of the lamb are his; to ten
derness he does not often yield, because ne
| finds it Improbable, lettering him from
action and clouding the clearness Of the
mind. He has what might be called practi-
cal sympathy and not that of show. He Is
! never outwitted for long. At one time cour-
age comes 70 his rescue; at another craft :
acter embodies the might OF intellect,
armed with justice and the right in
contest with injustice and wrong.
Such is the character Mr.. Booth assumed last
| night. OF all the "Richelieus" upon the
stage his If the nearest complete. We can
see no place where the touch of an artists
| hand is wanting. His conception is invul-
nerable. He pays consistency TO common
/ sense, to the demands of passion and situa-
| ton, to the fine intellectual flavor Of the
role; and seems to have thoroughly assimi-
| lated the old minister OF France What
makes Mr. Booths "Richelieu" great Is his
difference to quiet methods; at no time does
he sacriice the artistic requirement Of the
part to a desire for applause. There are
numerous fine passages in the play that
have become as by-words, and which the
usual "Richelieu" thinks it necessary to
interpret BY rant. Mr.. Keene's delivery of
the Course Of Rome" for instance, is done
with that splendid, elastic elocution for
which he is noted; but one moments rehec-
ton will convince anybody that the aged
cardinal was denied the lungs of youth, and
that Mr. Booths livid, singing anathema.
enforced by the tottering wrath Of old age. is
not only the more natural, but the more
artistic and terrible. The scene in which the
curse is delivered was made a memorable
one last night. A succession of most irving
climaxes, delivered with such telling effect
by the tragedian, will never be forgotten by
any of those present 1t as
the just anger of intellectual
giant bursting through the prison bars
Of an infrm body. On "Baradas" it might
well seem to fall like blight. The whole
conception of the actor was permeated with
a delicate attention to details, and art was
never surrendered. The old style of tragedy
is clearly departing, and the greatest Eng
disappearing actors are striving to realize !
the fine effects of the French school, with its |
unchallenged superiority over all others. |
There was time when Mr.. Booths "Riche- |
lieu" was stilted; now it is warm and strong !
with humanity, and may we not attribute |
this change with some degree of Justice to |
the change going on almost imperceptibly in |
the style of our oratory and the char |
acter of the plays that delight the |
audience OF to-day? The greatest orator be- |
fore the American public to-day is merely |
an expanded conversationalist, and are We
not learning every day that power is not
noise? Mr.. Booths "Richelieu" is an in
stance. Take from it the curse scene, and it
IS reposeful performance; and yet with all
its quiet charm it stands alone-the ideal
'Richelieu." Where another actor would
give us much ado, he gives us thought, fancy
and poetry, and that, after all, is what the
stage is cropping after; it is seeking to take a
step higher, at the same time that it 10
not above contributing to our amuse-
nent. Mr.. Booths support is very
lair. Mr. Barton Hills "Baradas" was not
4 graceful performance, but it was acceptable,
and was marked at times by quiet power
Mr.. w. A. Whitecar was a good "DeMau-
pratt" indeed, above tine average consider
IDLY. Mr.. Robert Pateman was funny
'DeBeringhen." Mason Mitchell made
rank and manly Francois" ID. C. Ander-
ION was the usual disreputable looking
Joseph" Edwin Cleary made good Louis
KILL" Miss Bella Pateman was the best
Julie" seen here for many day; she gave
fine rendition of the part. Miss Eva Gar
lex was acceptable as "Marion DeLorme."