Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-03-28
Metropolitan Theater.

The Metropolitan was filled in every part
last night. 1t was such an audience as in
size and character is but rarely assembled
in theater in Sacramento, being more
largely representative of the intelligence
and culture of the community than the
usual theatrical audiences. The people
were more promptly seated than on any
occasion that has drawn large congrega-
ton here for years. If this promptness
would but become a habit, theater-goers
would suffer less discomforts during first
acts" The general arrangements of the
management for the occasion were excel
lent and we'll executed. The aisles were
kept well cleared and less crowding was
observable about the exits than we have
seen on many occasions when the enter
tainment was not dramatic and the audi
ences less in number. The only annoy-
ance resulted from the failure to preserve
quiet in the lobby. There was no fine
scene of the play in the first three acts that
was not marred-so far as the sitters in
back rows were concerned, by tramping,
talking and the slamming of doors in the
lobby. A regulation should be posted and
enforced to prevent similar nuisances
in the future. Edwin Booth has made
Shakespeares Brutus his own, and the
interpreter to-day. 1t affords less oppor-
tunity, however, for Booth to manifest his
greatest powers, since about it all there is a
sombre and mournful atmosphere. Mr..
Booths Brutus is that of man who has
reasoned himself into action that his nature
abhors, and who in all the subsequent ac-
tivities is oyerburdened with a sense of
the cruelty of the necessity which
brought them on. He is in a
constant mental struggle to fortify his judg.
ment that in striking down Caesar he was
justified by the duty he bore his country
The play of his features reflected con-
stantly the remorse of his soul, and vet the
stern conviction that filled it-that he had
done his duty. The Brutus of Mr.. Booth
therefore-masterly portrayal that it isis
not such dramatic work as presents him in
his finest readings or his strongest acting
parts. The quarrel scene with Cassius was
by all odds the most finished of all the
scenes and showed the strength and art of
the master actor in holder relief than any
other. 1t was in this scene that the brilli-
ant quality of his art was most
manifest. Mr.. Barrett's Cassius was
faultless. 1t was an Interpretation
of Shakespeare's text as near to
perfection as is approached-a realization
of the ideal Cassius, fiery, great-hearted,
loving, impetuous, patriotic, yet not moved
by such high purpose or lofty motive as
inspired Brutus to make assassination
heroic. E. ]. Buckley as Marc Antony
certainly deserved the hearty applause he
received, and the first call " of the even
ing. He delivered the Grafton over
Caesars body with such spirit and careful
thought of the true meaning of the lines,
and with such intensity and depth of feel
tr,rr hot thn yirlrr Nf IL L..
eloquence appeared perfectly natural-in-
deed inevitable, and his hearers were led
into that degree of sympathetic enthusi-
asm in consequence, that all but accepts
the mimic show for the moment as reality.
That he should have failed by action to
close the last act so tamely was surprise
to all Certainly the opportunity offered
on the discovery of the body of Brutus for
such manifestation of surprise and regret
as would justify the lofty tribute of the
closing lines of the tragedy, and which he
read in a perfunctory manner.
The very few words given to Miss Gale
by the part of Portia impressed her hearers
with the conviction that as Desdemona to-
day she will give a fine example of dra-
matte art Both Mr.. Booth and Mr.. Bar
rett were honored with plaudits that sent
the curtain up twice on two occasions
sincere and hattering. but there was no
such ovation of cheers as greeted them at
the Baldwin Tteater in San Francisco last
week. Sacramento audiences are not less
sppreciatiye but less demonstrative even
towards the greatest of American TRACE
dams. This afternoon at o'clock Edwin
Booth will probably appear for the last
time in his life upon the stage in the CITY
where he made some of his earliest
efforts and achieved his first really great
success. For it is unlikely that Mr. Booth
will return to this coast again. The play
to-day will be "Othello," with Mr. Booth
as Iago a character offered by strongest
contrast to that he assumed last night, and
in which many hold him to be greater in
the subtitle quality of his art Mr. Barrett
will personate the Moor, Miss Gale BESIDE
mona, Mr.. Rogers Rrabantio. Mr. Lane,
who last night maintained with dignity the
character of Julius Caesar. will to-day ap-
pear as Cassie with Kendall Weston AS
Roderigo, Miss Gertrude Kellogg not in
the cast last night, as Emilia Laurence
Hanley as Lodovico, Charles Cullins as the
Duke and Frederic Vroom as Gratiano
The play is deemed by many critics the
strongest in which this combination can be
cast, and there are many reasons for that
view. 1t will probably command as full
matinee house as has ever been seen here
for any company at all comparable with
this one. In San Francisco "Othello, " it was
noticed during the three weeks engage
ment drew the largest audiences that gath
cred to see Booth and Barrett, and the
most enthusiastic ones. The box plan, ii is
understood, offers desirable seats The
general admission to dress circle and par
quet is 81, with reserves s. while the up
per circle is placed at 81, with reserves at
81 so.
PARAsoIs Of exquisite workmanship in
the most desirable styles and at the lowest
prices now on exhibition at Gattmann &
Wilson's, col J street.