New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-02-02
EDWIN BOOTHS PERFORMANCES.

EDWIN BOOTHS PERFORMANCES.
The engagement of Edwin Booth at the li'h
Avenue Theatre is at its meridian. Two "ceAs "a y
yone and two are to come. 1.-The APosia'o a
yiyed on Friday night 1t Is adarK anu s'i'e s,t,co
without such An actor as Edwin Booth Ia 'e
,o ~ pescaro II would probably have drllteu iH'o
,,,.,on Vat the story or the Pie0o "
sktlfully devised, and Is toiu ,.,.. 1n,arost
,,.v as 10 arouse and sustain h'o9 nv =,
s ,s,,,da. ,n the experience OF the lovers ana III
.ht ~ the old Moor Malice, are brought about ihsen
ously and aredspay ed with much ana pictorial r'piu
er,ent The amos acy OF Heteya anG his subsequent IT,
,.ion lead tn situations ofexcitng suspense ana oeVo
most effective weapons In the hands OF the itdroi '
The character of old Naiee is beautifully Drawn anu ~
sweet patience and filia relations between MIN "
Jemevu are conceived in the highest spirit OF roAo
II is Hepaeya who at the risk OF moro thah MS INC,
ues nl and it is Malice who at the close rescues pom
B,meva and Florinda. In the original piece 'e
of Moorish nse1uences resultant upon Hen'eyaS apps
tacv ia set at rest by his suicide In the stage
this remains unsettled But that is the only dsepaoc!
The play OF course, should be viewed as sone''nS S
closed through an ideal atmosphere The black shauo"
90 tho Inou,sitiop impend over it, and out of its sombre
background dlmly gimmers the seathy, crafty urlVe
dangerous repulsve figure of Phiip IL. Oh SPAIN
The tone may be ultra'romantic, put inns pay
has its positiye value in the illumination OF an historic
period ,,,,
pre-eminent-the faculty to assume the sweet p'''''
Of righteousness, yelling, but not eohceaihS' o'
airy Internal a.. depravity This IS seen III pun
his Iaoo and his Ri.hard III; but in those cases '
artistic hypocrisy is intended to deceive ana uocs u
oeiye In Peseaya the other hand, tAe luu iis" u
belIs allowed TO play freely just beneath the Smiles
and anability OF a simulated moekery oil knuhess'
i,tentiop OF Pescara is TO terrfy, even Wniie ne
nre,ends 10 soothe and in Mr. Booths acting TINS alt
bute sf ieering meRseing dupcity Is so Ter
ribe that often it mpels the spectator quite over lhe he
f tarror into sort of hysterical cOmicalty lie laughs
even while he shudders In the story or the dream anu
IN the onaJel with Hcsleya this predominant sl
of the character was made brilliantly visible Mr. boo9
proved entirely adequate at the nsuaI thiiis III I
This performance-the famous entrance 10 part the %
ers the equally famous There snail be mhsIc 700,
the bafed cry OF damnat ion and the scene OF ,hc
fure and rescue There effort made 10 feeohcle
the character any accepted standard d human "'
ture. , ry..,.,,, ard tho
mad infatuaton PeScagd the personality OF fIoLFn
ehond of course be presented by thtI OF yo.th an
Irresistible beauty. The part l. es>ehtli!! thIl VI
lovelness in distress. and its embodiment sho I'D,
The utn1oS strength that is resident III woman weak
ness Miss Annie Cla ke's mature manner ana STACEY
aid her acting though often ferven seem sincere Mr
Charles Barron presented Hcncya as HldGeasea anu
tame prlnce and in q strained ana artlnclaI sl4Ie
whereas this character is handsome, loNe-iOfh pof
vino for q wOuans sake will do ANYTHING, ana snnuiu
he "a derce as fire while also gentle a the summer
stature power deep feeling. dominant personality
dignity and defamation when Attributes VIZ
sbseut from the performance OF the Ola MOOT ny MI
Alfred Hudson.