New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-06
THE DRAMA-MUs
LAWRENCE BARRETT IN "GANRl

| Enthusiastic audience, ana presented MS new cI
! ter OF Ganeon. lie was welcomed with eager pla
and with obviously cordial regard-a tribute most
| tlrey due to his commanding abilities and his nc
sincerity Of purpose Not trace Of illness was vi
bic in his face person. or demeanor, and he acted wit
ali the vigor of twenty years His impersonatio
of Ganelon-the hero Of fOuract tragedy, in blank
verse by William IOung-as the vital and sympathetic
plesentment OF still another Of those types of chival
rous passion tremulous intensity, and force
| in which he has been cOnspicuousy successful.
II reDeatedly affords occasion for that tempest Of vocal
fervor upon which, by reason Of superb voice and an
| mpassioned and meOdOus delivery. his art always
rides so WE'LL and it requires cumulative feeling and
continuous and diversified action. At point the
actor was adequate TO the part and, whatever other In
nresssons NAV have been derived from the perform.
apce no observer could have missed the impression
OF intellectual authority, natural power, great anc
splendid theatrical equipment and profound deVouon "
the stage Here certainly is genuine actor. The
eager assemblage felt this influence Tor a. early
the end OF act second it recalled Mr. Barrett amid
Overwhelming excitement, with such applause a. SCI
dom is heard in a theatre and never except at greaA
moments.
one Of the attributes which, I'm particular, disik
gush the true actor from the experimental the eo
ctOnst and the novice is the faculty Oh retrospective
comprehension Of character. Every human peihg mas
| a history-such as 1t is. Back OF every human pens
here is a past and the experience OF that past Is 70
corded in each persons condition. In order to under
stand what a man truly is IL IS necessary to know
what he has passed through; what ne has shhefed'
what he has subdued in what way he has conducte4
his life shakespeare's great characters owe their
greatness TO the fact among others, that they were
comprehenslvely conceived by him, each WIN It's am
nile background Of experience They are not person."
catons Of abstract IDEAS cardinal virtues or cardinal
vices. neither are they theatrical puppets The hero
of a play, supposng him 10 be substantial idch'ly'
must have had his experience ana I'D inc a'Suihpu'a
Of him that is given by true actor not Only MS III
dividualty will be expressed, Out the warp WIN T"
shown that his temperament has taken from ue CON
ditons Of his BIRTH his breeding, his circumstances
his education his vicssltudes, and his trials Law
renee Barrett has always been conspicuousH me ~
the felicity with which ne has giaspeh MS a"'"s
IDEAL and the fidelity with which'-a"sSs uaAihs
This wide view Of characterize has conVeSh "
When for example he paced upon the scene as as
sius the whole background Of the life OF that aus
,ere Roman seemed 10 become instantly visible The
intellectual majesty, the stern isOatl0n the cod diiS
tocracy the superb spirit the uhcohqUeiaoie "n'
the absolute and exquisite refnemen-al these qua'
ties fused into perfect type Of proud AMBITION iroa
purposc and lonely grandeur, Immediately sussesHo
and defined prodgious experience preliminary TO such
a result No figures have stood upon the suase III oui
time that are more sharply ndivduaized, more dis
tiuct more formidable, readily remembered man
those of CassIs iarcbel. IOrck, Lancl0tto ana Mug
lanes the Filth of scotland Is presented ~ Lawrence
Jarrett And one reason Is that he sees then '"'u
nr,ben.ively: he invests himself with their several
and distinct personalities he makes them actu heh,
while at the same time he sustalns the eeneh' "
charm in them by invariable poetry OF treatment ~
tie expression Of their characters.
To this group he has now added, in the same lorV
spirit and With the same fine SKILL the ngure OF Gan"
lon This is a young French sold!@,-a noole' ar'en~
impctuous, chivalrous gentleman-whose youth h~
been cIouded whose spirit has been embttered "ho's
,l,oAf IT, matt al
tire and prospect, by the mOnsrous ana aiicung as
grace Of his fathers discovered, manifest rrefuaoA
murderous treason That father was the "aue!on VINO
BETRAYED Charlemagnes paiadin Roland'-of oraNu'
for lie goes by both names-at hohces|a4'
in the Pyrenees, in rs, stlpuia'lhs now
ever and successfully arranging, thd' us
own SON should be spared the ensuing massacre
Young liauelon, or-strcken and movlES ever DC
meath a pail OF unmente nfamy-;he fatal inheritance
of an gnominous name-has left his country ana h's
wandered far and wide, intent on a war OF Vnsean'
AGAINST the saracens, then potent In spai' 20 "1A
his ia Der had delivered ths paladin' OF CharIe
In The Corsican city OF era, which Is beelesed ~
thos. Sar,cens he finds his opportunity AMI also hs
finds nj, DOOM AeTia has been summoned To s"-
rcnher The Christian Prince COlOnna OF Corsica Las
decr-ed sortie defeat the assailnS lIi"eH a''
drive them away. \ leader Is required To Iea" u'.'
desperate charge. Ganelon Will be that Ie"lei o'
he wishes as reward in the event OF victory tha' As
may be
daughter. This reward is promised and thereupon hs
da,hes furlousy against the saIacens and scatte4'
,he,n in night BUT when he returns 10 clam tie
royal and not unwilling bride the Prince has lstehea
In other couns'l. aud the reward when Had brFi
rrom,e,i i, refused. Ganelon, crazed ana de'peF'''
utter, A wild defiance, aud huris himself I" app" j"
and coveted death from paitpct ot the roSai 'o""'
lie i, not killed, however by his iaI out nc j. A-'
bv the >araecn,, and thereupon. tempted by their
and afpd In
sense of the injustice OF Coonna, he reveals To the
recupered invaders secret passage into Alerla, aio
himself conduct, them into the city, WHICH Is mus
captured and devastated. Gaselon mas now To-
peated-witl a difrerencc-the crime OF Ms iA,her'
For a life thu, accused and blasted there can be but
one refuge and when presently the Princess Blanca
aware of his turpitude repel, Ganelon a. traitor lie
j. ,yhirled in;o Vet another frenzy IN which he kills
the Moorish leader Malcc, reions the Christian 'ors
can, and lighting desperately, Is wounded Ia death
In nj, last moment, he hs, Blanca> forgiveness ald
IA, die, with the enhancing knowledge that II he Ltd
lived he might have had her love-a Contamination
which, considering who n was and no" suSmaiiIei
vouId have been a misfortune for both of them
All This point, moral The fact IN human ex
,.,i,uc, upou which the structure of this wora
.,,,.d j. a fact that often has been illustrated IN s
history Of the world and often enforced IN work, Oh
fiction Injustice, acting upon pride and seh>i0WV ~
a brave ardent. impetuouS nature VIII sometimes w.
organize in that nature, the foundations OF m''H
nrucipl will ,hatter reason and integrity viii create
- hitter revul,ion oi feeling. and thus will result 10
conduct which Is only the reckless, but wmch ie'e'
,arily becomes the cruel and affecting expression "
resentment and fury. Corioauus, unGriieiulN' uW
iu,tl, mcanly baui>hed from the Rome that he no
saved and defended joins with the Nolscans and ie~as
them To victory his own couEtyme htN'"l'
Arnold neglected and sighted 10y the military leaders
whom he had VaoroG,ly served. deserts the cause %
Washington and madly heads II crusade OF sworn s"s
tire against his birthplace aud his friends Nlu "h'
magnificent power and 10 what splendid ad\ah'aIe
immortal results the genius Of Shakespeare ltis 10
velopcd and applied the story OF 'oi1ous All t'o"s"'
full readers know. Benedict Arnold also, whose >1ry
j., full az meaning has been put into drama. bnt-oi
Obvious rcasons-not with sucoesS. In both those III
stances, however there reflective consciousness
a certain GOODNESS of purpose. which does not appear