National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-03-08
AMUsEM ENTs.


BENEDICR.
Mr.. lrving's company played much Ado
About Nothing" at the National theater
last evening, and, notwithstanding the driz-
cling rain, a large and brilliant audience wit
messed the performance. The character of
Benedict is one of shakspeares finest and
purest comedy creations; one whose brief
stay on the stage is nothing deeper than to
excite love and to provoke banter, mirth,
and good humor. His railery at woman
and marriage is tho thinnest of his DISCUSSES,
and it needs but the glance Of fair
maid to show him to DO q man of heart and
deep emotions. There is nothing complex
about the character of Bonedick; he wears
his heart in his sleeve, and those who fancy
may take minute inspection of 1t. He has
no morbidness, no desire to be moody, but
Mr.. Irving would have us think that Bene-
dick was at somo moments almost veritable
Hamlet. We had expected an imporsonation
which would have been replete with the de-
licious flavor Of the purest comedy act
ing, and far BIO it from us to say
that there were not scenes in which
the actor caught tho spirit Of the
master poets infectious wit and humor but
as an entirety his Benedick was not the ideal
characterization of Shakspeares hero. We
confess that Mr.. Irving's defects of enuncia-
ton, absurdity OF pose, and mannersms of
action were shockingy apparent in his
assumption. In an eccentric character, such
as that of Louis XI, Matthias, or oven Shylock,
his power as an emotional actor overshadows
these tricks Of the voice and body; his Won
derful use Of the facial expression,
and his studiousness after the best possible
result, divert the attention from the sober
fact that these 'Irvingsms'-if we may DO
allowed to quote word coined by others, but
which admirably expresses our exact mean
ing-are partially and oftentimes completely
hidden by the magnetic action of his imper-
sonation. His Benedck is by no means o
strong, nor is it a satisfactory creation,
weighed in the balance of some of his other
assumptions. We perceived thorough re-
finement and nicely Of shading-s certain,
almost indefnable, delicacy of treatment
and shadowy tracing of delicious
humor-at number of points in
his performance, but, as whole,
the impersonation was the least satisfactory
of any given during his engagement. In the
second scene Of the second act, where con-
cealed by the shrubbery he hears Leonato,
.
love for him, Mr.. Irving's Benedick found the
most oongenial situation of the entire play.
The complication of emotions at work within
Benedick's breast, his discovery of his own
passion contending against his well-worn
prejudice, and his confidence in the sincerity
of the speakers, brought us for
short time into the sunshine of
tho actors intellectually. It was
wonderful use of the facial expression, where
in was mirrored Benedick's very thoughts.
The lines following "There can be no trick
the conference was sadly borne" were su-
perbly rendered. Without desiring to say an
unkind word, or to offer sarcastic or super
J fluous advice, wo give our opinion for what
f it is worth, and no more, that Mr.. Irving
should retire from any participation in
"Much Ado About Nothing" to the fields
where he is undeniably and unapproacha-
bly, great. Miss Terry's Beatrice
was the great feature of last
evenings performance. The character as the
poet describes her, "a pleasant sum-" was
most admirably portrayed, with bewitching
frankness, brilliance. and tenderness. Above
everything else she has made Beatrice a
creature fascinating in her vivacity, full of
animal spirits original in wit, and whose
tartness is well-nigh merged in srchness
Her acting in the Church scene" was the
greatest in the entire representation of the
comedy. Her expression Of the phrase
There was q star danced, and under
that l was BORN" was accompanied by
singularly appropriate gesture, aud her in
junction to Benedick, first named scene, to
kill Claudio" sent an electric shock among
her auditors. Hardly less inferior to it was
. the scene where Beatrice reluctantly but
Z with exquisite grace gave full surrender Of
4 her heart. These were but a few of the most
q artistic bits Of acting given in the pro-
duction; suffice it to say that more
gracious and enhancing Beatrice has not
0 trod tho boards within the memory
+ of the present generation. Tho remainder
D of the cast played we'll as a rule, although
| there was no striking excellence outside OF
tho characters which We have mentioned.
Mr.. Terriss was even more unsatisfactory
" than he was as Bassanio. He seemed to
g think his chief business was to stand about
r the stage and look pretty Without adding
Q an excellence to the general usefulness Of the
4 acting of the entire cast, no looked sweet
enough, but with that ends all the words OF
praise, If such they may be called, which we
i have to bestow. The stage setting, especially
Q the church scene, was very elaborate and
n effective. At the risk of being called captious
: We would call attention to the fact that all
d the characters on the stage on passing before
; the altar simply bowed the head instead of Civ
ing the genuHexion. This was the only point
in the stage arrangement to which we can
o take the slightest exception. "Much Ado
q About Nothing" will be repeated at the
# matinee this afternoon, and tonight "Loui'
. XII" arranged in three acts, and "The Bellies
" Stratagem" will DO presented.
- "YoUNG MRS. WINTHROP"
The Madison Square theater, of New York
o will present one of its greatest successes
is young Mrs, Winthrop at Ford's oper'
IF house on Monday next, with a powerful
!. artistic ensemble especially selected by til,
- Madison Square management, consisting o
Mr.. L. j. Buckley, Miss Fannie Reeves Mis-
ii Enid Leslie, Mr.. William II. Gillette 9TH
original "Professor"), Miss Jean CLAIR
l. Walters, Miss Ada Dyas, Mr. Edwin Arden
v and MIR, Frank Colfax. young Mrs. Win
throp" was the dramatic sensation of last sea
son at the Madison Square theater, where l
- ran uninterruptedly for period of nearl,
" ten months. 1t is a brilliant society comedy
OIL drama, powerful in portrayal and absorbin
re in interest. 1t is written in Mr.. Bronson