New-York tribune., 1889-10-29
THE DRAMA.
MIR. BOOTH AND NINE. MODJEsKA.


shaIespeaTcs comedy Of The Merchant of Venice"
viewed BY Itself is no longer spell to conure with
No one OF tho great plays Is widely known and so
well understood The announcement of It can no
longer stimulate curiosity imp4rt the thrill of ex-
pectaton. In measure, no doubt this Is true of
every one Of Shakes peares acted plays but OF
them is so hackneyod The Merchant of Venice"
The importance to tho public, accordingly, of pro-
duction Of this piete must. in a special sense. be
estimated by reference the ability that IS displayed
in tho acting Of It, and TO the taste scholarship and
brilancy of effect with which it is dressed and
lcally displayed. Last night, at the Broadway
Theatre IT was presented under circumstances of ex-
ceptiona interest. Edwin Booth played Shylock
Nine Modeska-for the first time in this city-played
Portla. Otis Skinner played Bassano. The dis
trbution Of parts In general had been carefully made
and 1t proved sufficiently potential. The comedy, fur
thermore, attlred In appropriate garments and i'm
pressive scenery For these the attention OF
play-goers ought especially be directed this re-
vival. It IS an achievement which is Of value to
them, because 1t places within their reach Of
Intellectual benefit and inspiring pleasure.
Mr. Booth, who is in excellent health and spirits,
Is acting with great mental force, with rcsoute
energy, with ahiuen emotion and with exquisite grace
Of art. Those censOrs-always numerous along the
track of great man-who him of lethargy are
unjust in their disparagemen and probably they intend
to be so. Formerly, when his company included,
among others, E. L. Davenport, Edwin Adams, Law
renee Barrett, ]. W. Wallack, Jr, Mark Smith, Mary
Wells and Mr.. and Mrs. d. W. Waller, It usual
with these censors deplore his alleged propensity
surround himself with incompetent actors. That
cient cavil has died of weakness, and the voice
of detraction mourns over Mr. Booths alleged indiffer
ence. II IS idle chatter. Time has rpened Mr..
Booths art, and he never resorts to exaggeraton
for the sake of emphasis His embodiment of shylock
Is fraught with explosive and tumultous passion in
the street sceneas It. ought to be-but everywhere
else It is as solid as adamant His Identification with
the grim, selfccnrcd, revcngeful, implacable per.
sonalty of Shakespeares Jew is absolutely complete,
and his expression of it IS so entirely spontaneous
and smooth that 1t produces that clear and rounded
and final effect Of nature which the of perfect
Illusion No impersonaton has been set before
the public In these times that con-
vncngy demonstrates the authority and distinction OF
a great actor In Mr.. Booths IDEAL OF Shyl0ck the
Intense malignant, ferOclOus maevOlence Of vim
dictve Hebrew prcdominaes over everything else OF
human nature that there is I'm the mans constitution
Sbvlock Is not made the representative of the Mosaic
deity neither is he specially urged as the champion
Of the sacred nation. He Is Jew, beyond all Ques-
tion. but more particularly he is man. and while he
hates his enemy for being a Christian he hates him
even more for being fair and benevolent person ID
his deaIIngsthe foe Of usury and the friend of cheer
sIl ways. In Shyock's envcnomed hostility toward
Antonio Mr.. Booth indicates something OF lagos
loatbing for Cassio There is daily beauty In his
life that makes me ugly" This ideal of the part
moro clearly expressed than usual on this OCCASION
IS simple. direct, and aGgreSSively effect
i've Douglas Jer0ld Hkened Edmund
Kcan's embodiment of Shyock to chapter out OF
the book of Genesis. This means no doubt that 1t
was aus,cre and Notwithstanding the Idea OF re
llgous retribuon and the doctrine Of an eye for an
cvo Edwin Booths assumption of 1t is iend-lke
otttvr roplc
impelled by the pentup fires of human hatred malice
and cr,ctv The humanity IS vitiated, but T. IS
humanity: II IS not religious frenzy TO the expires
sion Of this ideal Mr. Booth brings the intense feeling
the wonderfully expressive countenance, the power
NJ eve and voice. the Ion rcpose and the capacity OF
sudden electrical action, for whlch ne nus long oeeh
ro eminent In the street scene his acting is abaze
~, 49,. ,rsnIritinr exctement-that delirium which
,t l., aoverned and directed-which has always given
d,e,irc,ive vitality 10 tho ART OF the Booths'
=, ,he Trial scene his presentment OF Shyock
No. r,orlted by that awful composure OF inherent
Iii rhicb NAV be noted in the observant stiffness OF
,,;,, rontile aware Of its own potency and in no
Io,,a sltbouch unalterably determined to make use
"a,.'' - tte performance, likewise, as In all Shake
VI '' - ,orr,ances of Edwin Booth, the text OF
-, IN 90 far as it is spoken at all, Is spoken
,, beautiful precision and purity IL may w "or,n
IN 70 mention that no one OF shakespeare
, l., eyer acted, anywhere or Oy Anyway, pro-
-, ~ n stands I'm Shakespeare Nr' boo'h mas
.o toxt with great freedom in making MS play
hooI, of The Merchant Oh Nc"0',
doom u odcsta IS noble TO behold in Portia and Der
"'"' l dcmeanor are charged with sweet dignity
acuo" r,',,n, az" variety The sentiment Of the char
and sparkmms, emphasized by her than the playful
accr Is uoUd she i convincing In rs serious
mirth OF ~ - In it, ralcry and banter. That Porua
moments om very much in love, whose passion Is 10
IS woma2t brIlgh her careless elegance and CHEEKY
reveal tanncr no actress except Ellen Terry has
grace OF ,Hnrorth while to indicate. The Porias
Thought tunSeiyes for the Trial scene and release
reserve VIZ weight I'm the OratiOn on Mercy. Nine.
ihrr WloT os appropriately eloquent ana touching az
Modlcska and She was pleasing from first 70 last.
THIS poiu, Enrlish verse more ilrnly and nuently
She slcahh1 and with less OF foreign cadence. The
than OF VpIumc Modleska difusss at all times the
actlhg " gne Intelligence and gentle sensiby, AMI
charm O M cypressive mechanism that IS guided with
OF supuo,,r and mpelled with unerring skill.
dehnte puRaractes that stir the springs of feeling
There ar ,nre more deeply than Portia stirs thom,
~ her no rnorc real TO her mind and made more
thai seI ,rratment. But all that she does is inter-
real IN csuse t Is marked with the quality Of encing
estlhg, and romantic grace Mr.. skinner gained
persOnass1, s,or FOR his ardent and gay and manly em
liberal ls' ~ passanio. The spacious stage OF the
bodnrm, Theatre affords ample room for the sumptu
~ sceneryincludng especially fine Views ot
Gus as and OF the cour-that used In this pro
me eau Gaai The Merchant OF Venice" win be PLAYED
utor, uucuolt' the week. but on November 81 1t VIII
.haousiiSS hI,o lace TO a revival of Hamlet"