Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-03-10
WARDE.
The Favorite Trsgedian Appears In New
Roie, Which He Has Already Made

Famous.
An enthusiastic audience greeted Fred
Wsrde in Gslba. the Giadistor-one OF
his greatest roles-st the opera house
last night, snd the trsgedisn appeared at
his best advantsge. Coming so soon
after Booth, his work was u pleasing con-
trast to the almost passive intellectually
Of Booths Brutus, and st times the en-
thusiasm of his auditors WAS unbounded.
Gsloa is 3 strong play heroic play
and is peculiarly adapted to the magnif-
cent physical powers of MIR. Wsrde. Filled
with lofty sentiment, its lines are very
powerful and deserved the highest order
Of emotional and physical powers to pre-
sent them IS he does. The bulk of the
play falls upon the shoulders of Galba
and in the character Warde lowered 80
far above his support that the contrast
was at times painful.
A markell improvement in method and
finish WAS seen in the performance LAST
night over the last appearance Of Mr..
Warde in the same role In this city. It is
perhaps as strong as his presentation Of
Virginius, in which he has no equal on
the American stage. His portrayal of
the Dscian slave and gladiator, in whose
breast ran riot the hatred Of
his oppressors, the burning desire
for revenge, and the tender love of his
daughter was grand. In the first scene
mis- fierce declamstory eloquerce e,ectri-
fed the audience, whose intense sympa-
thy was with him throughout. In the
forum Of the amphitheater was seen his
pest acting, and there he ,quslled in
strength and power the best effort Of the
late Mccullough, and had he not at one
or two critical points have been con-
scious of the sudlence II would have been
perfect picture OF heroic art.
farming from Mr.. Warde the play was
scarcely more than entertaining. OF the
support it may be said that Mr.. Clarence
Handyside and Mr.. L F. Rand accepta-
bly, filed the parts of Fiavisn, q Roman
NOBLE, and 0rigen, q Christian priest.
Miss Eugenia Blair, as Neodamis, did
some very creditable work, and in the
second act where she successfully impor-
tunes Galba not to kill her, she divided
the h0nors OF q very powerful scene with
Mr.. Warde.
At a matinee this afternoon the COM
pany will present the romantic play, Gas.
ION Cadol, and tonight Mr.. Wards will
=
In this connection IL may be stated
that the four Leading tragedIAus OF the
American stsge-Booth, Barrett, Keene
and Wsrde-hsYa appeared before Fort
Worth audiences this season, and COM
parison Of the actors and their methods
die close come interesting contrast.
The four men represent three distinct
schools, ard msy be classed SIS follows:
int q
IS physical, and Barrett 8 combination of
tn intellectual and physical. or course
IN each there is more or less Intellectual
ity and ali their roles are marked with de-
grees of intellectual art, but in their sep
arate distinctive aspects their individu-
alitIes are as stated above.
WaIde is when upon the stage, the
physical superior OF the others. He has
50 heroic air, and superb stage pres
ence, ana his muscular motions have
thss massive graCefu!Dess that eppesls
strongly TO that Inherent lJVe of the ply
sicsl In the bresats Of his auditors. He
Ia Of the school msde prominent by the
lamented Mccullough and probably no
American actor Is so well qualified to
wear his great mantle. In such plays as
Vnginius, the Gladiator and others re-
curing portrayal OF great physicist
strength coupled with great passions,
WsIde is by nature more thoroughly en-
dowed for their delineation than either
Booth, Barrett or KeeDe.
But intellectually, Wsrde Is scsrc ely
their equal, and Eis cltme1es are only
made such by the great physical force Of
the man. Contrast him with Booth?
Watch how a. the end Of each strong
spo sive applause. Then note the almost
cold manner Of Booths intellectually in
similar places. Booth never seeGs sp
plause by physical means. He ignores
the audience, while Wsrde is often
conscious Of it. Booth is Hamlet; Warde
personates Gslba. Booth appeals to the
Intellectual; Warde to the stronger pas
sions ard emotional faculties Of his audi
tors. Warde has 8 wonderful fund Of
stage methods at his command. Many
an almost lifeless pssSsge ha- been made
to thrill the audience by his skill and
method Of presentation. HIS hysterical
emotion seen in the last act Of Damon
and Pythias is the CLIMAX of his physical
aud emotional power; it is grand, out
strained to an unnatural extent.
Keeue is intellectual and methodIcsl.
His roles bear tee impress Of IT.
tellectuality, and hls pm sic'l force
is hidden except at rare intervals. His
rec ord Is 8 grand chArscter-perhsps too
bru'sl-and is erjoyed almost as much
through the aveuu= Of memory as it is on
the stage with his leering mobile face
peering over the foothghts. He is not S.
we'll adapted to such roles as VrgiDius
es Warde or Barrett. Even IS Otlello,
he is scarcely equsl to the ply ical re-
quiremeRts of the role, but his Ricatlieu
Is grand and flo shed intellectual
char6cierlz4tio His Hamlet seen
here several years sgO-resembles Booths
great conception OF that part. He is evil
IDENTIFY pursuing the same methods and
may be rsrksd in the same class
with Booth. Keene occasionally seems
CONSCIOUS Of auditors, but this Is only at
rare intervals. He lacks the iotense
earnestDess of Booth and the emotional
power Of Warde, but in his facial ex-
preston he is the superior of either. He
is always in command of his powers, and
the reserve force Is always seen In his
actions and words. He is second only to
Booth in the common characteristics Of
both. His Richard and Richeleu are
roles in which his finished acting appears
at best advantage.