Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-10-23

sheridan "a. "i.ou,s NJ"

ovation IN Lancaster, the second city IN
which he has played since his return from
Australia. Ihc fashionable audience which
filled Fulton Oparl house at OuOo accorded
him their hearty appreciation, not how
ever because vt his triumphs last week,
but from his intrinsic merit IA an actor,
specially recognizable III his superb pnr
travail ot thN character Of Louis ~ IN W
Il. Ntrkw Vita al dlptltiOn from the Frtu ia
IT CANmir do Llviguo's drama MIR,
sheridan has heretofore shown his versa
ttlty Of talent in the successful work
hn has accomplished in comedy, mclo
drama and tragedy, but his impersOnatinn
Of the French king is so uobly c1mpic
that ~ SEQ him in II is 70 see him ~ h
best. The one commanding stamp OF his
dramatic achievements is his intense
natuyainess, and his thorough subiec
ton Of personality. AS LoHS NJ little
may b, observed of the compact figure,
aud les heard OF tho full voice
which mark MIR, sheridan on the
stage. The role in which he appeared
last cycntng dos not call forth Wild
bursts Of rage and mltn,ss ~ IA say
!o,k or hing Lear, but the suppressed
passion, the assembling dumcauo' and
the drivciiug, inSluultlng words aud
actions Of the decrcpit monarch are prr-
%
gcucC that at once plaJo tho actor To
high point OF excellence. rh0re iS u COM
plexity of features about the title role OF
the play that are composed of tho worst
elements OF human nature bought into
strong light by the strength with which
they existed IN LJV.S' character This
Mr. Sheridan recognizes In all ttS details
aud presents the king IN tho full vtru'enco
Of his hypocrtlcal nature, iaisa Ia
bo.h his hatred and liking, for he
could not love, and ready - order
~ doath, even at his prayers, those who
fell under his irrational dispeIsure. All
the ahjcot fear, the short OutburS;s ol anger
that now aud then serve 10 reclaim his
tide as king, tho hprrIOo cpnt'mpAuOl
Of death AMI the rcmOgS3 whl1h iuUoWs
upon the murder Of - many OF his sub
jec.s, were deunCated with uAtnriln2sN
that was startling. while all through tho
impcrsDna'iun il demonstrated u hncnass
Of expression OF tLre and mriu'a'ion "l
voice that is p'easGgly apparent in
whatever phase OF the role NJ. Sl5rtihn
Grds hinsclC Tao rest whtIh th'
traguiian gained over sunday from
his arduOus business OF last we'k ouAbled
aim - appear las; evening with nothing
20 mar the splIudcT Of his persDnanon aud
the reception he received was Que OF the
| most stgnllly favorable that any actor has
gained in this city. The applause was
! tumu.tuous aud MIR Sheridan was called
| before the curtain At the close Of every act TO
! bc greeted wl'h still lou Ter dem Dustratl )nS
| Of approval. !; was pretty well known
! beforehand that the support of the tTaS
! edlu was not oi y very high order, aui
! with one or two exceptions merits no men
! tioO Miss Louss Davenport - NIrle De
! Com. .US is doubtless au able actress and
. cpmprcheuds the role, but Il Is
! only at times that she rises above
an uusympatheuc almost cold in
| terpIetatiOn of the part aud clothes II
with q httie grateful warmth. As Dyks
! De Ncm1urS Mr. Frederick Book wa
at times strong aud satisfactory, bat even
ho did not make ont Of the character what
is in it. J. +. MEDINA As Count De
Drsgr, and G., W. MircelIus as Tristan
Z Hsrmi's, were passable. but the roman
! der OF the company were rot oven that.
Another Critcs View
Mr.. Sheridan was recalled alter
every act aud both play anC
player seemed 70 be entirely accrpta
ble 20 the audience. We confess, how
ever, that w0 were not 10 lulI sympathy
ourselves with mis- feeling. The pay /
une entirely without plot and apparently
prepared splcly with the view 70 pOStur,
the leading character. There is little O
.u."Iest and nothing Of freshness in tn,
dialogue. Under these circumstances It
certainly argued considerable power ia
tho chief actor. who had the Who'll,
bUrthen upon him Of creating interest il
the play, that he made 1t interesting I,
the audience la the acting of tn,
Other characters there was almOs
. tv,rr Il,,E :. h., 1.l,,.
p"r'puatlun we could not deem great h,
lid not deeply move the feeling at au,
time. A marked merit in his acting Wa
that il WAS not oVcrstraiucd. He did no
ove5dO his part, nor rant, or tear his hair
We would say that his acting was natural
save that It did not seem 10 be natural [,
: king. Ii the part presented had bael
that of the low william of the population
scum, Mr.. Sheridan's conception woult
have come close 10 it. We undGrstInt
that Louis XI. Is intended 10 be poTtrayet
as a cruel, vindiCtiye, INSCRIPTIONS an,
generally weak and wicked man, broke
down in health aud full Of superstition a
of maleVoleuce. But still he was a king
and there should have been something i
the personatiOn 70 50 point him ont bu
il was not done by Mr.. Sheridan in hi
bearing or his makeup. lie did not eve
wear klngly robes, nor have clean face
nor was his demeanCr to those about him
or theirs to him, consistently that of kin
aud courtier. Doubtless tho weight Q
this criticism falls upon the weak an
jnanimate play as fully as upon the player
and as we have said, Mr. Sheridan Shove
manifest power in making its flatness CT
durable but we would not say from thi
persOnation that he is entitled to pass fror
| a FnnEg nf thp nnnI n n nf II
great actor.