Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-11-04
THOs. w. KEENE.


THOS. w. NEENE.
Some Press Opinions of the Coming Ira
gcdian.
Baltimore Gazette: Mr.. Thomas w
Keene made his appearance last nigh
at Albaugh's Holiday street thentcl
To- n crowded house in liking Richard
HIP and achieved decided success
His performance was an excellent on,
throughout, marked with originality
character and force. 1trecalls TO MIND
the elder Booths personation of this
great role. In the scene with Lady
Anne, In that with Buckingham and
the civic authorities of London, and
in the battle and death struggle with
which the tragedy closes, he displayed
versatility and just comprehension
of the subtleties OF the character he
was called upon to depict, and was the
brave, cruel and defiant king even Ia
the last The final scene was vivid
and striking In the extreme, and was
perhaps the fullest evidence Of Mr..
keenek powers NJ n tragedian. He
was frequently enthusiastically APP.
plauded aud called before the curtain
at the conclusion of each act. What
ever difference of opinion may have
heretofore existed as to the merits of
Mr.. Keene, last nights personation
of King Richard established his popu-
larity In this city, and IL Is safe 10 pre-
diet for him successful engagement.
st. Louis Republican: Mr. Keene
appeared last night at the opera house,
and his reception was of the most en-
thusiastic character. The house was
crowded. He played Macbeth, n part
in which he Inns been ranked second to
none In the country. His conception
OF the part differs slightly + rom ira
dition, but here and there he has re-
vivcd some now obsolete readings with
excellent taste, Judgment and effect.
Viewing the embodiment altogether,
IL was Il symmetrical and thrilling
one, and saturated-as n pcrsOnation
of Macbeth ought to be-with the
haunting dread OF awful spirituality.
Keene's Macbeth, when first seen, goes
forth spiritual intimation OF the pre-
ordained doom of horror and ruin,
which marks IL OF from ameng living
men. IL was the haunted man of
Shah ospoare's. tragedy: the image of
awe and dread and fiend-drivcn virtue
which Is drawn in the text. II would
10 which his performance attained. In
the scene of the murder IL became
both terrible aud piteous; in the ban
quet scene, IL was thrilling and ter !
fible; and in the combat he |
fought like n warrior hedged around |
by enemies aud driven into conner. |
Keene's Macbeth would give him !
fame IL he never played another role |
MS long rs he lived
81. Louis, post-Disputch When
Tllos. w. keene appeared before us
before In Richard III he gave us II |
Shakspearean picture which every !
play-goer who witnessed IL will re-
member and one In which tho critic
could give him unstinted praise. He,
last night, in the role OF Macbeth,
gave us an enduring evidence of his
greatness. The theater, we need I
scarcely say, was crowded 60 the door,
because IL has been generally known /
that the demand for seats has been
unusually great. The audience was
of the most enthusiastic character. {
Time and timn again, during the per-
formance, was he called before the eur
tain. His Macbeth Is worthy of n far {
closer analyais than our space will per- ,
nit, but in u few words we Will en-
deayor to give those who We're uniort-
llnato enough TO miss the performance,
an iaea 0. Is character. His Macbeth
IS tho Macbeth Of Shakespeare. II u
presented with n weird, strange, en- ,
ticlng, awful charm, such aB makes
him longed for when absent from the
scene and watched with terrorstricll- ;
Ell compassion whenever upon II. In
demeanor toward Lady Macbeth he
was coiloQuid, not that everyday |
'naturalnessp inharmonious with no.
,tical tragedy, but IN keeping with
,he language and character of The ,
,lay. In the dagger soliloguy he was /,
unconventional, and the despairlng |
Try, Wake, Duncan, with thy knock, j
ng," was delivered with terrible pa. 4
hos, and, indeed, the whole murder n
Gene he played with wonderful effect. /.
me banquet scene WAS magniiicently I,
'onderedi and ut its close he presented :,
! terribIe image of terror; while the IA
,omhat scene was fought with n realis-
ic power that lifted the audience 10
heir feet. In this part kesne demon :,
'trates the possession of rs subtle nm Il
Intellect AS any actor on our stage. q
Chicago Tribune: A magnificent
'reat for those who admire legitimatc
ragic acting was afforded last night q
y the Macbeth of Mr.. Thomas w. Z
l<eene. This characterize understand. y
aas only been recently added TO his i
'epertoire, and II Ia likely to become i
lhe foremost feature. We make this a
statement, even recollecting his vivid | Il
picture of Richard Ill. His Macbeth q
y - me truest representation OF the
character that could
possibly be. He does not act the par |,
NC gets into the body and bones of the n
'oie, anu Is the living. breathing. :
courageous, morally weak, n
sutnu'uous bloody Thane of Cawdor, :
~ wonia be impossible to set before
our readers the many magnificent n
9oin,s, presented with multitude OF !,
ie'aiis, OF this great performance. h
Opium Smokers. 81