New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-01-20
THE DRAMA:
EDWIN BOOTH AS IAGO.

EDWIN BOOTH AS IAGO.
In the stately procession OF great uraHa'ic
.,soos whom Edwin Booth viii now once more oo9uio
~ and display upon stage. the first that comes Is
ssakespeares Iogo This awful type oil colo YET Dr''
cnty was last night set before an eager ana appre-
.iative audience at the Fifth Avenue Theatre whefe
NJ, Booth making his re-entrAnoe had weicome
orthy of the great actor and OF the foremost american
,,v snch demonstration Of popular hdety-so spon-
..ors and 40 affectiOnate--has seldom been seem
and it never is seen, except when genuine worm III
sp,res the response of genuine homage Euwm
BOOTHS acting is not trial here. He Is known ny MS
,nbiic and they glad to do him honor III" ""9
The sprit Of the occasions and In the glow ana ooo anu
sustained intensity OF his performance the actor eVhc
So icr and grateful sense Of the public kindness IL
., LONG since any play goer has an Interpretation OF
ya,o 40 brilliant terrible. so instinct WIN inc as
Of penlus so ahiuent with dramatic art 50 profoundly
and entirely true this with which MI bootn mas e
nazed his return 1t might be questioned whether '"o
performance OF the whole tragedy OF "otheho was
GOOD nerformence and there is of course room LOT III
ouiry as to what resultant oeneht sPoV'
tor derives from any performance OF o'noiiO'
however good; but OF the serpeathAc N"''''
and internal spendor 81 Edwin Booths presehtmen'o
Iaoos wickedness there can be no uoao~ HiS
summate piece OF work and whether we've" as " ~
n, exeou,iop of one entire and perfect chrysolye'
linn IL n man without either heart or CONSCIENCE "uu
without subservlence to even animal passion VINO ~
evil for its own and who revels In the commission
n, IL hut Shakespeare has elevated him. ana SET MN
apart from other men, by investing him with cer.'"
iurld and hideOus grandeur-the wlckea power VI an
sdeauate proud, audacious, unoonqueraoe mtehec''
He Is not like Lucifer-" whose front the thnhuer
scars were craven for the angel though Iaen Is All
angel still immortal In suffering not less thah III roNo
But Iaqo Is devoid of the soul Is incapable OF feel
ing Is codiy speciousy sweety rancorous; anu 'h'e
ia uohing in him that deserves one spark oil
oomnasson "For this wretch" says Lor0'1co.-and no
one ey er dreams of dissenting from his grisy
thore be any cunning cruelty that can torment MN
much and hold him long, 1t shall be his NeVertncosS
Taoo does and should. inspire that sort OF admiration
which attends monstrous gitterns' henisn' SCH
oentred strength Tits the felicity OF Edwin booths
embodiment OF the character that he arouses '"'s
admraton aud he does this. not only by techhca pro
aciency Of execution every point. but by certain
1.-The clean raperke elasticity both physical ana men
tai and by a cool quiet, saTdOuic involuntary, cruel
yelled humor, which is made to play Ike Iamoeh'
name OF he'll. throughout the whole structure oil inc
work In his saying Pleasure and action MAKE tne
hours seem Short in his of devotional e'treaty at
"Do not rise yet" In the specoushess OF ns teusi
soetude and bland sympathy at " Is my .OTa "nSy vi
in serenity and inex9rao!e purpose oi ekn
with which he r set down the stops mat make
this music in the horrible power of his final speech
sFrm this time forth never will speak word; and IN
tho sudden glare OF hateful gee ana oxa.tlion Nun W.,
suicide and death Of Oheo has made this prodigy Of
rickedness live in tho actual form ol nature even u"
hyee in shakospeares page, -, ..-....,,
At all these points, furthermore; the treatmehh.
ia Whatever
has followed is that which ought to be ioloweuas iG
example delivery OF lagos ironca speech
Of Johu Henderson I'm Garricks timel the nrst actor
that said those lines a. Ii they were pei u, %
moments Twin has supplied exemplary Ou mess
Ills making of Iago suddenly 70 stip' 20
well a. RodTiyo. and so making an ehd Oh DON III
ihs DARK street scene exponent OF this; and has
been adopted by actors as 1t shonld be- Tor sa
representative aud excellent touch me S eeOd%e ai
night with ncessant and brilliant energy ana n1eht
grace and naturally 1t left an Impression VI s'i"
IN his spontaneous contempt for goodness and sim
plicity-which he regards without compromising the
o. the attributes OF an ass-Idgo undetvanss ooh we
strength Of Oheos nature AMI the strength OF virtue
In this world 1t would be an error however, 70 dGqnce
Okeilo lagos ideal Of him Tie Moor undouDcdy
as Kemble said of him" SLOW man.. but he IS not a
weak He must 90 made ioraaine N oIu1r 70
justify the enginery OF dia0oc Intellect that Is put III &C
lion AGAINST MIN. 49, -. -. .,.h,
and welcomed, an old friend Tor ne was once
well known here and he has not been iorgoltJ du no
make Olsio weak; yet there was In his performance
lack of massive personality ana Of continuous t Of n eT
cation, while the mechanical treatment Oh Oh. OK ~,
posed certain roughness; and the eoe ,o 81
II was marked by a peculiar monotony. diverslhed
., long intervals by sudden stenorian bursts or vC1
being iraasht With simplicity c OF 5a S sna
great third act but he gave the ncre1oanee
Of Uncommon WORTH and It's defects OF e *. |
ecution could not, and did not obscure i,s |
right intention and it's deep feeling Miss Blanche
Thompson appeared Opheia. and succeeded In sug
gesting the sentiment Of the character without ATTAINING
pesture are bemishes be discarded by this actress
Miss Annie Clarke had a special greethg r,s az
ard deep affection Of spirit in the hnal scene |
evoked hearty response OF public symrathya Ine Bos
ton Museum is well chosen evenly balanced oIeamza
ton and capable OF doing excellent work II la6ored
more or less disracting anxiety. The setting OF the
tragedy IL except the fth act was more than good
Aycnue. remarkable. Mr.. Booth aud Mr. Barron were
both recalled at tho close