The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-01-27


OF shylock's appearance at the close of the
first act when, IL he did not come, an
nouncement was 10 be made Of the fact TO
the audience. 'The much dreaded time ar
rived, says Mr. Booths daughter, Mrs. Asa
Booth Clarke, "and still no Shylock. Messen-
gers had been dispatched to various locali
ties, and the theater had undergone q
thorough search. Mr. Fredericks was in
most unenvIable state Of excitement Tn the
apologst was Ie ldy with his speech, when,
at the exact moment Of time, the door Of a
shylock mysteriously emerged there
from. gently pushed Mr.. Fredericks
aside, and walked slowly and in
deep reflection upon tho stage"
Booth, Mr.. Murdoch says Twas the most
natural Of all the actors in his delineations,
while he exceled all his contemporaries in
the vivid intensity Of his emotional express
sion. His acting was characterized
by strictly austere method, 30 far rs 1t
related 10 tho requirements of vocal
delineation, TO which the mere phys
ical qualities were always subor-
dinated. His author never suffered at his
hands, but on the contrary, the soul of Ian
guage IL might DO said, poured forth with
an afiiuent readiness, reminding one Of the
pictured ideal Of eloquence expressed by the
painter in ancient times, where streams Of
amber were portrayed as flowing from the
mouth Of the orator into the delighted ears
OF the enchanted hearers. The most irregu-
lar form Of voice in obedience 10 Booths
elooutionary skill became smooth and mu.
steal as the hum OF the bees OF Hymcttus.
In this respect he may be said TO have been
vastly superior 10 the elder Keanc.
His literary tastes and abilities were
OF high order and his mental
qualities were remarkable for clearness and
range. Booths face before he met
with the accident which disfgured his nose,
was of SURPRISING beauty. and speaking in
the spirit of enthusiasm, to my minds eye
II always realized the ideal of the characters
he essayed." He was intensely real and al
ways made n profound impression upon
those upon the stage as well as his audiences
OF Mr.. Edwin Forests Shylock but little is
ever said. Mr.. Murdoch tells that when the
great tragedian was r young man acting
shylock. he was in the habit Of carrying in
his gnbcrline a small milestone for sharpen
ing the knife with which he expected 10 cut
the pound of flesh. Here was enough Of the
material for the most matter-oi-fact mind,
and quite hs palpable Misrepresentation Of
Shakespeare as the action Of certain other
Shylocks who whet the knife by sweeping
II in wide reaches over the stage, for Bassa-
MO says;
BdAsdRio-why dost thou whet thy knife 10
earnestly
shHoct-To cut the forfeiture from that bank.
rupt there.
Gd'tiano.-Sot on thy sole. but on thy SOUL harsh
Thou makost thy knife keen.
Certainly no s,age-dircction Is needed here
TO show that the sole OF the shoe Is indicated
for the sharpening Of the knife. The
deep tones OF Mr.. Forests voice, mingled
with tie peculiar harshness which generally
marked his uttcrnnoe, gave great intensity TO
his expression Of rage and scorn. and even In
his ordinary conversation not unfrcqucnlly
suggested a degree Of bitterness which he
probably did not intend" Forrest was made
by his early instructor. Mr.. White, an excel
lent elooutlonist, believer In Keane's meth
DDS, and thus lost the power OF the early i'm
prcssions received from Cooper. who Il Is 10
he noted here, played In Jackson, Madison
county, sometime before 1880, probably In
1927, when West Tennessee was still an unre.
claimed wilderness Coop,r was 20 the
American stage what Garrick had been 90 the
Elglish-the master and conceiying mind
which gave the first and best impressions Of
the great tragic characters that In The begin.
ming OF the century held the stage. Mr.
Junius Brutus Booth. coming later, did
something 10 fix the color aud stature Of
many Of these characters. into which there
entered great many Of the points that Ed
mund Kcane knew how 10 mako 10 we'll
Gusiavus Brooks Shylock was a great
performance, equal 90 his Sir Giles Over
reach, which stamped him one Of the great
actors Of his time. OF Herman VEINS
Shylook, nothing much has been said 10
dignity u NJ an exceptional performance,
and Of Samuel Phillips in the same character,
Il has been said that he was correct and Judi.
cious, but not remarkable or striking"
Bindmann, the great German trngcdian.
made his debut In this country rs Shylock,
at Niblo's. New York, In 1868, and created a
very favorable impression. The elder Wal
lacks was n fine and finished shylock, and r.
l.. Davenport was scholarly In the part
Lawrence Iarrctt's Shylock Is "a fine per.
iounancc. and Boguemil Dawison's was nota.
bic amid 10 many here mentioned
Henry Irvings Shylock. according to
Mr. William Winter though true and
fine was not incompatible. ole takes the
high view u the part His Jew feeds Cat
the ancient grudgc against Antonio until
the law Of Porlia. more subtle than cquit.
able, steps Ia 10 thwart him: but also be-
aycngcs the wrongs that his sacred nation
has suffered. His ideal I. right. hi grasp Of
u j. firm. his execution oi II Is flexible with
skill and aillucnt with intellectual power
II memory carries away a shuddcring
thought Of his balcful rnzc upon the doomed
Antonio and Of his horrid cry Of the sum
mons Como. prepared II also retains the
image 81 father conyul-cd with grief
momcniarily. " you like but sincerely
aud 81 a man who at least can remember
that he once loved II T. most nustcrc
Shylock. inyctcraic Of purpose yindictivc.
malignant cruel, ruthless; and yet II h hu.
man. No creature was ever moro logical
aud consistent In his own justification. Il
Is only nj certain points Of the execution
that Mr. Irving leaves his auditor
unsalis6ed The street ScsBe demands
uitcmncc. not repression. The Jew
raves here. and no violence would
seem excessive Macklin, Kcane. Cooke