The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-01-17
MUSIC THE AND DRAMA.
KEENE AS RICHARD III.

KEENE AS RICHARD III
Last evening Portland Theatre was packed
| to repletion with an audience anxious to see
the new tragedian an audience that called to
| mind with great force the theatre assemblages
of the olden time. The recent rage for the
trousers drama" SO called, has filled the
playhouses with one class in the community
almost altogether; the class that occupies the
high priced seats, and which has been The
cause of turning parquette and orchestra into
orchestra alone. The gallery boy, who used to
be prominent at all performances, has been
relegated to a very back seat, and, in many
instances has been left out in the cold. Last
evening however all classes and conditions
patronized Portland Theatre, from the gentle
man in broadcloth and the lady in sealskins,
to the unwashed, unkempt lad who wore
Cardigan jacket in place of an overcoat, or sat
in his shirt-seeves disdaining coat altogether.
The old familiar sound of down in front"
that has not been heard in years echoed once
again on the heated air, and, previous to the
performance, cat-cals and stamping was in or.
der from the stifed gallery.
Richard III, or "Bloody Dick" as he is
more Familiarity called, has always drawn large
houses IrOIu bu6 Uay tudb tHO olool A'ooVh
made the character famous in this country
While there is much in the text that betrays
the coarseness of the times the play is intended
to represent, still Cibber's version has so much
| that is admirable in point of effective business
| it will always be a favorite and keep the STAGE
| Mr., Keene who essayed the character OF
Richard last night had little but himself to de-
| mend on. His English nobles-as is too often
the case with stage nobies-could hardly be
said to fill the imaginative eye OF the specta-
| tor, and the spectacle of casket borne by
| men in chain armor halted under Mansard
| rooted house of the present century and over
| looked by the unpretending spire of an
| Orthodox church, was rather Homogeneous.
Whatever we may think of Mr.. Keenes
| conception of the character of Richard we can
| but admit the fact that he makes him interest
| ing His Richard is most decidedly of
| robust school. He rants, and he makes
grimaces without number. He takes his
| saws "see what fool 1 am making of
| this man or that woman" He
4 celebrates little, or not at all, over murder
He calls especials attention to all OF Gloster's
| physical defects and wishes the spectators TO
understand that he rather revels in them. He
brings in several bits of new business, such,
| for instance as his beating the air with his
| sword after Richmond has given him the fatal
| thrust turning and twisting like a teetotum.
With all these faults he keeps everything alive,
he is faithful to most of the traditional points,
and he gives many scenes force and point
that if only better shaded would be, and are
| still, worthy of high praise. Such we may
mention is the first part OF the scene where he
hears the clock toll the knell of the princess in
the tower; until the murderer avows his deed
the action and elocution are fine, but from that
point the scene is emphasized to too great de-
gree and made too devilish. To Richard muir
| ders were means to an end much as he hated
the princes he would have spared them If they
had not stood in his way, and he was not 80
bad man as painted.
OF the rest Of the support Mr.. Learock was
very good Henry and capital Richmond !:
did not formerly possess. Little Gussie Lea
rock was very cunning as the Duke of York.
Miss Georgia Tyler was fine looking Eliza
beth. The rest of the support was fair as
Shaksperian support goes. The play was ele-
| gantly costumed.
The audience was not intensely enthusiastic,
but they applauded several of the principal
scenes with liberality, and called the star be,
fore the curtain at the end of the third and
fifth acts. Tonight Macbeth, in which Mr..
Keene is highly commended.