The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-12-06

they were obviously ''stolen from behind
drawing-ro0m doors and under drawing-room
windows" One-the first and savagest-was
a chant OF the African numerals in an Ethio-
plan tongue; generally the dialect was an
argot OF negro French derived and corrupted
from the creole French. There were dance.
songs-some were sentimental, some merry
and sarcastic, one, and the straDgest, the
chant OF negroes engaged in astealing expedi-
ton out on bayou, and thus exchanging
signals with their confederates on the banks.
Nearly all were interesting, both in tune and
text, by their quaintness, their peculiar color,
or their race quality. Mr.. Cables account of
his powers as singer, was proved to be far too
modest. His voice is very sweet and flexible,
and he sung with exceptional correctness of
information, and in a style which proved the
fineness both of his ear and OF his taste.
HENRY IRvING's FIRST APPEARANCE IN
AMERICA AS HAMLET AT PHILADELPHIA, TUES
DAY EVENING.
Special Despatch to New York Times.)
During the first two acts Hamlet was not,
indeed, a mirth-provoking parsonage, but he
was unquestionably and without relief very
dull. The vices of his sing-song elocution, the
vices OF his galvanic movements and OF the un-
stable equilibrium of his attitudes were never
more apparent. There was really nothing in
his part of the first two acts but series OF
slowly changing poses in which his lengthy
and lugubrious legs assumed the function of
pair of flexible divide,s upon the one fixed
Ioot OF which, as upon pivot. he slowly re-
VOWED into one after another of the stained
glass attitudes, which did not, indeed, recall
any OF the more extravagant Hamlets with
Whlch amateurs and parodists have made the
New York stage so familiar, but it did bring
Bunthorne to mind. The famous soliloquieS
were not well done. 1t will be difficult to
a Gin OLE HANK tl,a+
blendid from Mr.. Irving's mouth. The "Tis
not alone my inky cloak, good mother, 'sthe
us 1t not monstrous that this player here,'
the ITO be or not to be-" were all more or less
monotonousiy mouthed. But we knew before
that Mr. Irving's talents shine in rapid and
rushing action, not in deliberate speech, and
OF action there is ia Hamlet very little in
these two acts. The apparition of the ghost is
not an exception. Besides that, the ghost on
this occasion was trying Illusion, with an un-
usually Tree and easy action for q ghost and
having apparently borrowed from a PRAYER
meeting his notions of the style of oratory
which prevail in spectral circles. Hamlet g
playing here, too, was quite Intellectual, and
tne applause at the end of the first and at the
end OF the second act was plainly perfunctory,
But this account Is after all inadequate, for
even In these two acts Mr.. Irving managed to
make manifest an intelligent and interesting.
view OF the character, although his defective
methods as an actor, his lack of com plete mas
terry OF the means of histrionic expression.
prevented him from making it manifest dra-
matically, so as to make that electric and in
Simultaneous appeal to the sympathies of an
audience which nsakes the difference between
personation OF Hamlet and an illustrated
lecture on Hamlet, and Mr.. Irving's Hamlet.
IN these earlier scenes. is in the nature of an
illustrated lecture. The evidence OF study and
criticism, not yet assimilated SO as co come out
at Tree expression, is what these scenes have to
show u.s.
The third act the evidence of studv ia sup-
planted by the results of study. The third
scene, Hamlet's interview with Ophelia. is one
to which Mr.. Irving has given much thought.
and upon which he has written a clever criti-
cal note Here he makes it evident, at least
he makes it altogether plausible, that Hamlet's
cruel repulse of Ophelia comes from his own
remorse; that he has permitted his love to be-
guile him from his duty Of vengeance, and is
consistent with-nay, in a manner proceeds
irom-the depth of his affection. This is a
subtle s conception to put clearly before an audi
ence by the means of the actors art,
but Mr.. Irving did it admirably we'll, and it
was promptly recognized by the first spon-
taneous burst OF applause, Hamlet'sl acting
had evolved. A still higher pitch was hit in
the action OF Hamlet during the progress of
tne pay Inc suppressed excitement with
which he watches the cheese of his smouse-
trap" until his excitement becomes uncontrol-
able, and at the crisis of the crime he rolls
and scrambles across the stage, and climbs in
70 tne throne ine King has abandoned, in or
der TO shout his delirious exnltstion-all this is
wrought up to one of those thrilling effects of
eccentric acting for which we are willing to
forgive Mr.. Irving SO much and after which
we have to forgive him so much. These two
scenes will remain in the memories of those
who saw them tonight among the most strk-
ing OF their stage pictures. The effect is the
less marred because in these TWO scenes Ham
let has only prose to talk and escapes the nit
Id us WHICH blank verse sets for him, and into
which he invariably falls. And this is the
case also with the advice to the PLAYER in
which the prophetic Shakespeare foretold MI
lrVng's vices, and which Mr.. Irving delivered
with coiioqoial ease and grace, as il he were
unaware of any personal intention.