San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-11-30
THE HUNG n BACK"
AS Depicted by the Prescott Nc
Lean Combination Last


AS Depicted by the Prescott-Mc-
Lean Combination Last
Night.
Shakespeare's tragedy Of Richard,
Duke of Gloster," is one of the grand
est that ever came from the great
playwright's pen, and seld,m can
an actor, no matter how well versed
In the art of reproduction, give the
proper presentation of the hunch-
backs craftiness, extreme villainy
and bloodthirstiness. In the first
place it requires an actor fitted in
some measure by nature with an ugly
face, a harsh voice, and form capa-
BILE of being twisted and contorted in
the most outrageous, and to an actor,
most uncomfortable way. The re-
quirements of the part are many and
diversified and never has an actor,
unless he be an amateur, satisfied
himself that he has played the
part correctly. Some great actors
there have been, and are, who can
give very fair portrayal OF 1T. Some
there are who can 60 through the
lines with tolerable elocution and
fire, but in the whole many fail and
it is great stumbling block even to
genius. Mr.. Mclean, in his reading
last night gave the "Richard" as 1t
is generally accepted by the Shake
spearean readers OF the day.
That is, he limped little, was
a little stoop shouldered, and
wore long hair. His power of facial
expression was not taxed very great
ly, and his reading of the terrific lines
was rather cold. In his climaxes the
same fault was apparent. In fact he
does not draw the part with the horror
which the author has given it. The
play was also cut both at first and in
the tower scene, and this detracted
much from Miss PrescOtt's opportu-
mites. AS Queen Elizabeth she was
not so bad in the emotional passages
of the funeral scene, bat there her
triumph ended. Mr.. Craig's erich
mond" was very tame, and MIR.
Kemper's "Prinee of Wales" was very
much too aged. The others of the
company were schooled in their parts
in scale to apply to the leaders
only. "Ingomar," Mr.. McLean's best
play, is being given tor matinee to-
day, and tonight IA Winters
Tale" will close the Mclean
Prescott engagement. Tomorrow
night the Grau opera company will
sing "The Brigands." Following is
the argument:
"Falsacappa, chief of a recherche
band of Italian brigands, has lovely
daughter, Fiorella. A young farmer
Frageoletto, having met and fallen III
love with Fiorella, during profess
sional visit of the brigands to his
home, led by his infatuation, joins
the robber band, and in proof of his
courage, waylays and captures the
courier of the Duke of Mantua. The
duke, In the absence of the brigands,
strays into their camp, and il assisted
to escape by FiOrella. .Falsacappa
learns from papers in possession of
the captured courier that the Princess
of Grenada, betrothed to the duke,
is OH her way to his palace. The
brigand chief decides to intercept, a.
a wayside inn. the princess and the
escort sent to receive her. and having
substituted a portrait of Fiorella for
that of the princess whom the duke
has never SEEM and returned the
papers found upon the courier, the
latter is allowed to go upon his way.
The brigands, led by Falsacappa,
visit the inn, secure the landlord and
mis- servants, and assuming their
characters, receive and imprisOn in
the inn both the princess and the
escort sent by the duke to receive her.
Disgusting themselves as the prin-
cess and her party, the bandits then
repair to the dukes palace, with the
ultimate inten ton of receiving the
dowry due the princess, but their
design is frustrated by the timely ar
rival of the real princess and her re-
tinue. The duke, however, in gratitude
to Fiorella for having saved his life, at
her intercession, and upon promise
of reformation, permits the bandits
tn depart i'm Deaoe -