New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-19

set thai triumph OF mat immortal IDterlde
Pyramus and Thsbe,, which Is the father Of all the
buresques In language, and which. for freshness
pungency OF opposite SATIRE and general applicability
to the foble OF self love In human nature, and 10 H.
norance and folly In human affairs, might have been
written yesterday. The only faults In this play are q
slight tingc OF monotODy In the third act concerning
the lovers I'm the wood and excess VI rbymed
passages in the text throughout. Shakspere had
yet cast aside that custom OF rhyme which was In
vogue when he came first upon the scene. But these
defects are triiles The beauties Overwbem them
1t would take many pages to enumeraie and hily 10
descsnt on the fecitIes OF literature that 70
this comcdy-gems such as the famous passage on
the course OF true love-" the regal picture OF Queen
Elizabeth as "a fair vestal throned by the west'
the fine description of the stormy summer chat OF
1904 in England, according to stoves Chronicle and
DIR. Simon FoImsns Diary the vision OF Titanas
asleep upon the bank OF wild thyme, Oxlips, and
viOets the eloquent contrasts OF lover, mailman and
poet, each subdued and lmpcllcd by that strong I'm
agnation' which bodies forth the forms Of things
unknown; and the wonderfully spirited lines the
hounds OF Sparta, "wIth ears that swept away tho
morning dew" In character likewise aud In those
salutary lessons which the truthful portraiture Of
character invariably teaches this piece Is exception
ally strong. Helena noble and loving. YET little
perverted from true dignity by her sexual lnfatuson;
Hermia,' shFewish and violent despite her feminine
sweetness and possibly because of her impeuous and
selfish and fierce In his love, but manly, straightfor-
ward fellows, Astounding more in youth and desire
than In brains Bottom the quIntessence Of bland,
unconscious egotism and scfconccit aud Theseus,'
the prncely gentleman and typical rmler-these make
up, assuredly, OF the most interesting and Sig
nifcant groups that be found In fiction The SELF
centred nature the broad minded view, the magnanl'
nous spirit, the calm adequacy, the fine ana high
manner Of "Theseus,p make this character alone the
ms pirauon of the comedy and a most potent lesson
upon the conduct Of life. Through certain oi DIS peo-
pe-such a. "Ulysses' In "Trollus and Cressda"
the DukeD In Measure for Measure and Pros
pero" In The Tempest'-the voice OF shakspere him.
SELF speaking personally, Is clearly heard and II IS
heard also In "Theseus." "The best In this kind
are but shadows says this wise observer of life,
when he comes TO speak Of the actors who copy II,
and the worst are no worse, If imagination amend
them.' There is no higher strain Of prnce-lks
courtesy and consdorate grace, I'm the perfect
breeding Of Hamlet" than IS visible In the prefer
of rheseus" for the play of the hard-hanaed
men Of Athens:
"And what poor duty cannot do
Noble respect takes 1t in might, not merit
For never anything can be amiss
When smpcness and duty tender it.'
With reference to the question of suitable method
In the acting of "A Midsummer Nights Dream 4"
may be observed that much stress can scarcely 10
laid upon the fact this comedy was conceived ana
written absolutely in the spirit Of dream 1t ought
not therefore, be treated as rational manifestation
Of orderly design 1t possesses, Indeed, coheteh'
and symmetrical plot and q definite purpose ou''
while it moves toward final result of absolute ORDER
IL presupposes Intermediary progress through realm
OF motley shapes and fantastic vision It's persons
are creatures of the fancy and all effort to make them
sodIy actual to set them firmly upon the earth, ana
to accent them as realities Of common lie Il iaoof
III bestowed.
To body forth the form OF things Is, In TINS case
manifesty difficult task and yet the true course IL
obvious Attors who yield themselves to the spirit
OF whlm, and drift along with 1t, using dehcate
method and avoiding inslstence upon pro>y realism,
will succeed with this pIece-p divided also maj 'ner
audience can be fanciiu and accept the perform
ance not as comedy Of ordinary life. bur as VISION
seen in dream. Tho play full OF intlna'ions mat
this was Shakspere's mood Even " Bottom me con
summate flower Of unconscious humOr Is al MS heien'
Of significance in his moment Of supreme .uusoni
al have had dream,-past the VII OF man ~ say
what dream It Man Is but an ass II he 20 ABOUT
70 a, pound this dream. MethOught was-there Is no
- oan ,au ,rbat Nethoucht I was. and me
Thought had But man is but patched fool IL
he will offer TO say what methought had Inc eye
OF man hath not heard the Of man hath not
seem mans hand is not able to taste, his tongue 10
conceive, nor his heart to report. what my dream
was, The whole philosophy of the subject, comlcally
stated Is here. i serious statement Of II IS In thf
words of the poet Campbell:
"Well may sleep present us hciions
Since our waking moments TEEN
With such fanciful convictions
As make life itself dream
Various actors ia the past-althoueh Midsummer
Nights Dream has not had great currency upon the
stage at any period, whether IN England or America
have laid a marked stress upon the character OF
- Bottomn Samuel Phelps, upon the London stage
was esteemed excellent In It, He acted the psr' IN
his own production of the Dream, a. sader's Wells,
and he again acted 1t in 1870 at the On ems lhcatrc
in Long Acre-now demolished. on the American
stage william Z. Burton was accounted wonderfully
good in it, AS Mr.. Burton renders the Character
sav. Richard Grant White its traits are brought out
with a delicate and mastery hand its humor Is ex-
| ouislteo And Mr.. william l. Reese. ~ MS cAeihi
and very servceabe b grsphy OF Blu ton mahe1 equal
X cordial reference TO this achievement ~ the great
! comedian: How striking II was IN sustained ihui-
yduality. and how finely exemphcd was the poter-
tisl vanity of Botiom!' What pleased us greatly
was The vein OF engaging raliery which ran through
the delivery Of his speeches to the falrlfs b"ron
produced the Dream at his own theatre III ie'a' "ith
such wealth If fine scenery as In those days "ss &c
couned prod gious. The most notable imlesohabon
~ Bottonl- that has been given here since Burtons
time was probably. that Of the late George L. Fox
olresdv mentioned In this preface. Self concelt NJ
tho essence of the character, was thoroughly Wei
understood and IMPRESSED by him lie wore the ass
! head but he did not know that he was wearing IL
and when af;erw ard the vague sense OF came upon
him for an Instant he put II by as something neon
ceivabIe and inioerabe. His " Not WORD OF nie''
-srokeu 10 the other hardhanded men OF Mhehs'
a,cr his rcu,rn To them out of the enchanted palace
wood"-was pei haps, his finest single point Ter
tany it expressed the utmost the colossal sell love
and swelling pompo,ty of this miracle OF bland ana
! ouaaue sapeuce But Fox was stronger III pahto-
mime than In 4 consistent character OF snsta"" CON"
edy. The essential need of acting IN por'Fa!" =,
colff lint
| exalted By poetry WILLIAM VIII I'm
| GPTDGTNG THE GIFT
From The Washington critic
nav Congress man made his first and only soclcty
ali rostordav He got along all right until he caho