New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-22

iRs. LANGTRY AS LADY MACBETH.

accounted the greatest representative Of the part
In GaIrcps time, made her simply terrible. Her
iron composue In contrast with GarricRs tremendous
agitation As Macbeth. produced. in the murder scene
az overwhelming effect Of awe and terror. Her voice
In the scene of somnambusm was drearly sleepy. and
the horrid sigh that she gave seems 10 have been
vcry potent in its sinister and agonizng influence
Mrs. sid6ons whose opinions Of the part may be read
In the essay that she left upon It, appears to have
Intended to make it both fascinating and terrible
but to have chiefly succeeded In producing the eact
o: terror. combined with wonderful and thrrGie
majesty. Her dark tesses. her piercing eyes. Der
inpcriarexme,h her stately port were all Incompatible
=" she herself thought and saids-wth the ideal Of
mat essentially feminine and fascinating woman
whom she understood and declared Lady Macbeth TO
De- Yet her embodiment Of the part dominated an
the intellect Of her tme and has imposed Itself upon
tho stage as an authentic and conclusive tradition
ADD model Charlotte cushman. the great Lady Mac
oeth OF the generation just ended, made her ter
rble woman, with yet an occasional momentary hui
man Weakness declaring Macbeth to be tho great
grandfather Of al the BoweFy ruians, and expendng
upon him prodigfou amount Of tantalizing scorn
and propusive energy. Fannie Kemble, with the
great Sarah's blood in her veins and with all the
fine intelligence of her superb dramatic lineage has
portrayed Lady Macbeth, at least on paper, and has
substantially declared her to be fend. Thus
students differ, and the way OF the interpreter is b.
set with thorns
Mrs. Langtry, who at the Fifth Avenue Theatre last
night enacted Lady Macbeth for the first time n her
life, and observed with deep interest and frequent
admiration by an audience remarkable for numbers
and of the best quality that the town furnish has
chosen to endow the character with every quality that
is essentially woman-ke and human and in this
spect she undoubtedly pursued the true course There
is but way in which Macbeth and hts wife can be
set before the rational and sensitive human mind
objects Of poetic interest and that Is by investing them
lin their original consttuton-with certain measure
Of elemental nobility and tenderness They are hideous
criminals. but they profound sufferers, and no
human creature suffers who is radically and totally
evil II Macbeth is butcher and his wife is hend
and the purpose Of the great iragedy-tbe most I'M
aginative Of ell shakespeare's wrtings-was merely
to drown the stage with blood, then the entire subject
drops to the low level OF robustous commonplace snd
ieeking yulgarty II is when contemplate this
man and originally great and splendid
creatures who have been conquered by the Internal
powers of evil that they become profoundly interest
ing IN the lurid sublmity Of their bloodguDy isoa
ton and infinitely pathetic in their desoate misery.
The investiture Of supernatural machinery with
which Shakespeare has enyironed his play-the weird
sisters the cauldron, the apparons, the angel that
thou stil hast served"-certainly must mean sons
thing: and apparently 1t means this Lady
Macbeth, indeed, sees no ghost whether OF
Banquc or anybody else; but she dies suicide, be-
mndp the restless ecstasy" Of remorse. IL Is the
woman in her nature that her to nerve herself
with drink for that frighfu ordeal OF the murder oil
Duncan re Is the that causes her to faint in
the SEQUEL Of the alarm scene II Is the woman thas
causes hep to bemoan that all the perfumes OF
Arabia will not sweeten her little hand 1t Is the
woman that inspires and controls and continually
possesses Macbeth's love. Mrs. Langtry took tho
right path when she determined to embody Lady
Macbeth as a woman and not as a fiend
But Lady Macbeth, besides being a woman, Is
Fate and is Queen. No embodiment OF nef VIII
completely satisfy tho adequate Imagination, that does
not fmpart her the prophetic fury OF the Syoil ana
at the time illuminate her whole being and per-
son with royalty. At the moment when inst we De-
hold her she IS transported beyond this ignorans
presents fate and metaphysical aid" surchsrgc her
thoughts: and already in baleful transport OF In
sane depravity she summons TO her breast the muir
dering ministers that wait natures mischief IL
does not suffice 10 make her such q woman as MAO
beth would love-a woman sweet and responsive 10
him I'm every way as that woman must ever DO who
would possess and hold an imaginative, passionate ana
ambitious man. 1t Is essential also to make her
woman Of inspIrationa spirit and irresistible w She
not only fascinates her husband. she enthrals
him, she predominates over bin, she impcs him on
ward with inexorable purpose and overwhelming
power Her wickedness, liberated. Is so con-
sunmate, her constancy so tremendous her insuhee
OF success so positive, her conception OF desonea
royalty colossal and magnificent that his "eaAer
spirit becomes exhsrated, and he TOO, can fcei me
future I'm the Instant and with Kind OF delinou~
exiltant sayaaery CRY out Bring forth chldrea
only 1t is he who conceives the idea OF the muir
der Banquo's Good sir, why do you start' tells
that But it Is she who nerves him TO do N she
who sustans him after it is done; she VINO saves
him from utter collapse In the banquet scene she VINO
shares his awful misery In that lonely mdnigns nour
when he has been shattered. body and soul. by ths
appalling consciousness Of the avenger Of blood MIS-.
Langtry expressed with right and fine feeling. and
at moments with admirable force and shn' tne at
titude and individuality Of Lady Macbeth as the VIE
Her reading OF the letter, her reception OF inc cno
tain ON his entrance at the castle. her denoement OF
condition at such points "why do you keep apart
were all exceent-ss indicative OF this phase Oh tno
character; and her execution was, in the MAN,
fellctous match with her truthful IDEAL she was
beautiful TO look at-clad in halfsagage, haltroyA
garments BETTING the part. and the ausFere simplicity
yet almost barbaric magnfcenoe Of the tragedy, anu
she delivered the blank in tones that were al
ways flexible and sometimes were sonorous and I'M
pressive. Thus far her performance lnsuned ns
courage of her ambition and what certainly seemed
the audaclty OF her attempt But her ngat Is
present too near the Garth for Lady Macbeth ne me
was nor the Fate aud she was not the Monarch Inc
aspiration for communion with the signtisss suo.
stances Of he'll though fine and forciee did not
the murder lack Of innate authority In me Ds
quet scene; and finally, through the usua
either OF the colossal will the iilimitaoe eaPacuy
suffer- the rayages OF Infinite Misery tnat arc vii
separablc from Lady Macbeth. The execuuon VII VII
be more effective when the pictures cresea anu ~
points accomplished longer sustained; ihe "a
fcrnance was very far from being tailurc sna =
was never In the least absurd-as various oDseNew
had anprehended Il might be. On the contrary !"
manifested a studous consideration OF great supjec.
an artistic spirit in the treatment Of II, and clear
apprehension OF much of tho character, ana "a pys
of cuon il revealed distinct design often coupled
with the power of smooth fuflment For mrs, az
tempt at the part Ii remarkable " mar 'ih'
Iangtry understands OF Lady Macbeth she can ca,
press She did not appear altogether 20 seud
driven crIminaty of the character TO lave scalse
tho height Of its majesty, to have s0uhoeu ~
depth Of its corrosive, deadly. unrepeplant' imupF
gable remorse. , ~.
Charles Coghlsn acted Macbeth and Joseph Whee.
lock acted Macduf. The latter impersonaiion ns
long been known and admired for It's honest ieelss
and passionate aud convincing force, and Il was ag
copiously applauded Mr.. coghlan as Maeoen sasUi
annying thoretn. hnMeyer. the essentlaliy natu.e.