New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-04-01
THE DRAMA-MUSIC.
Mr.. IRVING AT THE STAR.

their re-entrance and we're welcomed by a great and
brilliant company with acclamations. with floral trib
utes and In charmingy manifest spirit Of the hearest
admiration and goodwill. The scene, indeed one Of
unusual brightness, kindnes3 and enjoyment both bo-
fore the curtain and upon the stage. The ap-
plause, upon the entrance OF Beobfee-a
rare vision OF imperial yet gentle beauty =
broke forth inpstuousy and continued lsngi and,
upo" the subsequent entrance OF Benecs rose inoa
storm OF gadUes- and welcome.
Mr. irving and Miss Terryreceived here at tho outset,
six months az Old friends than as strangers
have now firmly established themselves In the admiration
and OF the American audience; and, whatever
difference ofOpnOn exist to the aptitude or fsci
ty either OF them, in specific character there IL
neither denial doubt of their sterling ability achev--
ments and merits. They have become po-ti"n Of our
pleasant instructive and valuable experiences and, sinco
the American ia cosmopolitan they doubtless will
long retain their place among the forces whence our
culture as people is stimulated and refreshed The cir
cumstances which attended their reentrance last night
were all fTmatory Of their permanent success aud
suspicious for their future.
much Ado had not before been given Ia Sew-10 Dy
Mr. Irving had been given by him in other Giles
and the rosy Of it sent from those cities had IN
pred the greatest anticipation to its general present.
ment and to the acting OF M Irving and Miss Terry
in Benedick and Bearice This anticipation largely
fulfilled The exposition Of the piece was elabo
rate and sufficiently correct and often beautiful Tho
inside OF a church., Shakespeare calls 1t with MS ef
Geent llfcFtne3S, was one OF Luc noot inpVSHo '0'
that have ever been displayed The east was the same
10 many features with which Mr. Irving revived this
comedy at the London Lyceun on October H. 1887 Ahd
the acting throughout, careful, even ana harmon
ous az well subsidiary parts a. In the principals
Extended comment on the comedy of " Much Ado VIII
scarcely be expected place To traverse that fan
lar field must necessarily be to walk again III the pain as
orr footsteps have already made The piece was written
at what seems have been the happest period OF snake
spcare's lfe-the period when also he produced MID
summer Nights Dream, and The Merchant OF Venice
To the analytic student the poet Much ADO i- es'
peciaIy interesting showing the maturity o. snake
spcares humo his power 90 contemplate life In tue OBJ
iectye point of yew ana portray it as II seen from
above with all its contrarietes and all ITS lights ana shdl
ows To such student the comedy Is impressive also'
"a showing ranshgurns power OF ShakespeareS AZ
isc skill and fertile wealth OF his invention; Tor In
This niece he made an old story by his treatment Of
H. and he invented B,Reicb and Beate, DIgberFJ and
We ccs and all that relates 20 thcm-a very remarkable
feat, surely, OF literary creation.
Upon Mr. Irving's mparionaon of BsHedicf u Is not
easy to pronounce prec3ejuigmtnt The performance
interesting and charming. TIE actors personal SlnSu-
arity and the pecuarites of his hri0nic method do
not detrac from ii. charm Oh the contrary, they giyet
Diquancy and make it unique His way Is MS own way
and IL Is richly fraught with hghbred ease, intellectual
repose aud demure gravity. He speaks the sohioqhes,
to be sure, more with the authors appreciation
Of them than with the air of tho tnpersonatori
olt he blut,rs and fences nimbly with the provoking
ece AMI his demeanOr in the challenge scene Is resO-
ute dinined simple, aud rightly touched win tone Oh
dangrou. menace II certain moral and mental ex-
atation his ideal Of the part combined with sequeh1
1iclde or lack Of dash his execution that perplexes
Judgment and makes dcult FOR an observer to deter
nina whether his is Shakespelres Befck or gOrihca-
ton of It, whichever be- it rich display OF the art
which an actor should peculiarly po'seSsthe art 70 IN
vest fapcf conception With natural body-and 1t Is
lul of pleasure for those VINO see 1t.
The manner characteristic Of B>edck, "a Shakespeare
has drawn him. is a buoyant brilliant dashing aggressive
manner largely ased on welLnurtured anmalism Heis
not man sentiment and there is no roance In MS ma
ture OF mis- saca perception and amused contemptOI ho
romantic love-Orn swain, his " Poor, hurt FOWL! now VIII
he creep into sedges" exceedingly significant Before
he loves Beatrice he has avowed the ideas and feelings
and he has implied the customs, of sensual rover;
and when at last he docs really 10 love
herbeng antazed nettled and stung into the passion
by her haunting Indifference her Ddomitable mrth her
bold brilliant physical beauty, and her almost insoent
wit his love stands furthest possible remove from
anything like spiritual rapture or any sweet tumut
whatsoever 1t jubilant, militant selfconhdent love,
and even were IL scorned and repulsed, the lover
would still remain uuhurt. Henry v, IN his
wooing Of his French Kate ia not further away
from the mood of ROMEO than Bsedteki Is In his woong
Of Beatrice. the OF his head to the sole OF
his foot" says Don Pedro, "he is all mirth what his
heart thinks his tongue speaks" The thought which
should inspire caution to positive definition or Behe
dies however-Or to positive definition oL bedtr'ee
cher-is the thou hit that they may peril ps have bn
designed as preteuders To heartlcssues each ntuvay
suspectng the Other in this particular They are very
similar
Mr.. Irvlags Lumor may, perhaps, be best defined as
subtle pay funess In LOUIS XL 1t the grisy playful
ness Of the panther. In Do,icout is the hooking
payfuness of the accomplished and fastdious gentle
man In Richard III it is the heartless, sard0nc, cruel
plavfulness of the astute, hypocrcal william. In De
bose It the cold deprayed hdeous PlayfIness OF tho
insensste staggering rutan In each case II Is play
fulness-which, Of course, Day be either
amiablo or baleful-ani it is invariably subtle.
1t is not the that laughs and lhakes; it is the
humor that smiles; and whether the smile shall be pleas
ant or unpleasant must depend upon the quality OF tho
character out OF which the humOr Is derived Such
humOr may surprise and crafty spectator but 1t seldom
OF never can rejoice him. The word amusing" seems
strange word apply to either D6oSc or Louis AL but
the most amusing that have been provided by
the acting OF Mr. Irving thus far in America have been
provided In those characters.
His Beneiek to be sure smuses, but It is less amusing
than charaing In this part his playfupess reappears
under still another gise and Is the playfuiness of
odd quaint fellow, eccentric although elegant and al
though volatile and nimble occasion, mostly obser
want quizzca fond OF sagacious minatOn, and slightly
saturnne If this Is shakespeares Beedek, Mr. Irving
has exactly reproduced him. II not he has exalted him,
Intellectually and By personal traits to place among
tho gentle and sprishtly satircal thinkers Of the
Shakesperean world. And this We think, expresses his
real achlevement-that he has substituted complex
nature based on goodness, mcry pretending TO cync
ism and having rich for the dashing, predomi
nant sonorous, gallant known since Charles Kembles
day as the BeMedck OF the stage 1t may cot be as te
TO Shakespeare but forbear to say that We
decidedly prefer IT, Mr. Irving was often specially ap-
pauded and recalled.
There are certain lines OF the play which spring into
the memory OF every reader of Much ADO the mo-
ment Beartce mentioned; and they help TO eucdate
her character. "a danced" ske.says and under
that was born pthank my heart poOrfeclt keeps on