New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-12-24
THE DRAMA.
MIS-, DAVENPORT As CLEOPATRA

The tiger element in female human nature IS onen
ascnating-On paper. The character OF Cleopatra IS
about which it is possible TO read with Interest
not with benefit: but personal acquaintance with Such
a woman would be troublesome: and the spcctacie "
her proceedings. though CLOSED by poetry causes as
comfort,-evcn VALE II pquc> the fancy ana SUE the
pul,e of animal HE. There is a difference oe'"ee"
things that Immediately address the sense ana thnss
that remotely address the mind. Cleopatra now
ever, i, not embodied upon the stage and proDapiy
ha, never been embodied there precisely or nearly as
She seems to have been In actual life, or as she Is
drawn by Shakespeare. Mrs, Siddon,, u Is said hd'
ng declined To play the part in shdkesoeares trage"y.
stated that if she t. play Is it ought to be piayo"
she should hate herself. This shows mat on ONO
side Of it at least she understood the character ana
vet there is record that the great actress did repre-
sent Clcobatra in Dryden, tragedy OF All ior
Love, - wherein she becomes Il far less poetic an"
"a far more sensual woman than she Is III shakeepeac'
But in all the plays that have been name upon INC
subject. from shake,pcarc to Sir Charles seney sns
from Dryden to >ardou, she is largely sensual animal
and the fact that she 1, imperial in her sensuaDty ana
splendid in her enjoyment doe, not make her any us
more admirable. lou are interested III 'he pros"
fact Of Cleopatra much yon are interested III 10
male panther and therefore you need 70 DC III me-
nagerc mood in order really 10 enjoy the usual stag"
den If this beautiful ana terrne iemae-S"pp''
,inuOus, magnificent and deadly
Shakespeare took the highest view OF her tnt "a"
be taken, and lie wrote the most spienuo pay ao"'
her that ever wa, written. or that ever oono oe
written, on the sutherland in that play sie nas
moments Of super-huran greatness. oh ''o S'"e'
was always a failure: and not only mas shaAeSp
| play failed but every other has failed. sedioyS'
Dryden's Capcll's adaptation. John kembies enaS"'
not one Of them escaped the mercha9tmarrhs cAs VI
public neglect. on The English stage DrSdehS pay
hotbicd along about thirty years, but 1t was SELDOM
| artcd The part Of Cleopatra has been prommen'"
| Represented there by Mrs West, Mrs Yates, hrs.
Fawci Mrs Warner, and Isabelle Glyn-the latter VI
! whom came America and read Shakespeare play
| twenty years ago Antony was acted py bc'Ui'o
I'm Scdley's tragedy. Garrck tried in vain 'hArio
Young performed II A few times. Miss Glyn va" ho'
| much admired hcre-but she came here when she was
! i'm her decadence and no doubt she had be'h hhc''
Fanny younger once than she Is now oil"
prcter Of course"an observation not dlsgrafous now
FOR Miss Glyn has long been dead Miss Rose Eyu
presented Cleopatra long al Woods Museum ous
did not last The fact Is that the ladies who fancy
themselves fitted for this cha estnate their
equipments and somewhat mistake the bent OF ther
! faculties. They charming, bur they are mo-
Irresistible This aughably illustrated not very
long since BY the remarkable exhibition OF hersef
made in the gulse of Cleopatra By the pretty p"s
vacumis Mrs. Potter VIII" emerged here ""h ''A'
sweet Young thing Mr.. Kyre Bellew a. Antony
Miss Davenport who undertook the part last night,
is the most formidable representative ot 'ie"pa's
since Rose Eytingc, and stands much upon the pane
with that srtress. Her with the house WAS
that of moro than esteem, and less than enthusiasm
The scene was the Fifth Avenue Theatre and the play
was all adapted translation from the French of oardou
\ numerous company Of spectators saw II ana enloeh
| IT, The French piece was manufactured for sarah
| Bernlardt, aud IL Is easy 10 Imagine that sarah
observation-disclosures effective representative OF
w;nton abandonment and feline erOcy il The feminine
| naluro made a seisiiiou IN it. Miss Davenport Is
different sort Of and not good an actress
However, this Ffench preseInlent OF the serpent u
old Nile' Is rplete with pc'ures, and so 1t makes
| bright spectacle; and Mls, Davenport Is beauthh
woman experienced in the ways of the stage ana eN'
pcrt equally frenze, and IN plastic deneanor. hef
Cleopatra correct, conventional performance su"na
in it, corr,s tness and conventlOnay IL sustained
| with a conspicuous mcduy Of purpose and WIN
abundant phy sic strength. NJ certain points u r>s
10 An impressive hcght-nOt Of power which always
when real shows itself by intensity, by the 1rroi'
tension of FASHIONED repDse-6u OF VeIhe' ieiNo'
The description Of sensual love- in act hrst ana ol'
onslaught upon the messenger OF bad tdihgs III a''
| ,bi,d arr, points OF this order. Miss Davenport IL
capable OF the appearance of derous excitement put
she conveys not the least sense oil INSPIRATION ""o
Ills Cleopatra TO suffer You are not touchco 81"
when she launches her wrath you are not thrilled NJ
mo- time i, tho experienced observer conscious Of All
Iu.ion and made Ia forget The actress IN the woman
| The Establishments OF Cleopatra should lada'e I'M
nerceutiby and cnchant without an effort lhey "ec'
in this performance, projected upon Antony WIN d
prccipitancy Of intention thai would nave aFou'cd oo
dl,tri, even Of lobster Men arc not melted IN 'lAs
way-certainy not men like Marc Antony In the beauty
~ CIeopatra there should be al element o, ureah'c'
! voluptuous mournfulness, a something vague III
| o,ahIe omiuous and subtle stirring the lmsshs''"h
and almost irsking the heart, even while oo"hu'r'
m, brain and floods the with ecstasy IheN Ha"
| eyed and light haired women DO not POSSESS '
- simulate that sort Of a personality which Is aises
| ~ earth Will, II seems To be mostly oil heaven ~
| n,,,,,,,rt makes a rrd, wholesome, domestic h"'
,,i,p ar Philadelphia Cleopatra, who would leNls po
| NAT ON, Of the naughty deeds OF the eh'rah'4h'
! r,,,i,, I'm, rather would have married Antony als
! ,,,ts, him ~, thiefJustice Of Alexandria ihs
| ,,,,,h AZ This ac,iess does not lie III the p"euc
drama hut I'm characters enc Wtuc a '"i ,v ~" ~,
n..,r.n,e especially in the thlIN ael, Wien a.cop"s
rn.,d and awaiting Jews from Antony lheie 4, d
truch of shake pearc IN this act ana M1. ,H -,
evidently dIAGn i'I "nw"Tths TO loose Mr. Melbourne
| Mcdowell 4 heavy man, win VAST jaws anu q -.
,rN0uar, disturbance All that the French dranatSs
has aimed to in this piece i to repeseh, ro"p
,r,nn.v mayed Ia loquacity or 20 insane codu'' w
the operation of their ply seal ftrhhE>' ,t,
,ubtley in the work ho PHI, MOI ,h. hI,nc,, Of
the poisoned ring and the talk al me asP. III a. ~
| M|Tow.u bV hi, bury c0mplacency and br,"ny
pro,ur>s ami Miss Davenport by Ter hledlo'r'f, -,
hore and triteneso OF dei'snor ~ NJ DaVcnuort
meaning. There were traces III MISS 49, PHI,
mechanism of what seemed the bushes, OF
the extending OF the caihhe claw or h cider
rey mo her power the close of the nrSt ACT bu
all hi, l., we'll Miss Davenport has given Inc a.,
and has dressed il SupcrLly: and while the dramatic
Incorporation /, prosy ii certainly j. efficient aOa
therefore IL will please many play goers the mOst ~
whnm indeed care not at any time Ia look beneat
the surface. quite incapable Of doing so IN III,
prc,cnce Of a beautiful woman In the hlsceilareoxxs
| acting there wa nothing above the usual le'~ '
conscientious utility.