New-York tribune., 1891-03-06
THE DRAMA-MUSIC
BOOTH AND BARRETT.


shakespeares stately and splendid tragedy Of 9Ju,u.
Caesar was produced at the Broadway Theatre la,
night, with Edwin Booth Brutus and Lawrence Bar
rett as Cassrs, and the performance Of IL seen and
accepted with deep pleasure and enthusiastic paudis
by one OF the largest audiences Of the season at tha
Broadway Theatre-that house being crowded, even In
its galleries. Many a time since those distant DAYS
when this great play was magnifccntly produced Al
Booths Theatre-~hen Brutus with his majestic
th0ughfulness and sad dignity, made a nyiDa
truth by Edwin Booth, and when Lawrence Barrett az
Cassius, first seized that imperial laurel which he has
ever since retanedthe voice Of recognition OF superb
effort in dramatic art has been upfed In this place To
honor those actors for Of the best achievements q
our tleatric age. They have many times embodied
Brutus and Cassus before this community, and In no
other play does their professional conjunction appear
SO brilliant ii does In the play OF julius Caesar
For Edwin Booth the part of Brutus presents no din.
culties His reading Of the fine Shakespearean periods
full OF grave sweetness and mournfu beauty and
the touching effect of his melOdiOus elocuton was
deepened by the exquisite grace Of his demeanor and
gesture and by his aspect of wasting thought and al
most haggard The change that is passing ov
him-the record Of years of exhausting labor and Of
many efs silently and nobly borne, that is stealing
forth to view-cann0t be missed by any observer who
sees with the heart well the eyes. One OF the
most striking qualities In his assumption Of Bruus is
the lofty and lovely chivalry Of his manner toward
Porta but In all Of Edwin Booths acting the bearing
toward woman has ever been that Of innate delcacy
ard exquisite refinement. lie was recalled after the
first curtain and Lawrence Barrett; and several
times Internationally in the Quarrel scene the two
tragediaDs aroused a tumult Of acclamation.
Lawrence Barretts embodiment Of Cassius long
since passed into the history Of the stage as one OF the
perfect dramatic figures Of our time. Not since
Macready has any actor appeared who could SO CON-
plcely adjust himself Lawrence Barrett does TO the
;nt omh intense. spenetio
dIy heroic temperament Of the ndomitable Cassus
The deep vein OF tenderness sometimes latent In a
hard, cold, undemonstrative man affects you all
the more when it comes upon you suddenly
and takes you by surprise. Lawrence Barrett
has observed every trait in Cassins-every side Light
that Shakespeare the other characters TO cast
upon hm-and lie deos not omit this one, this
sweet. pathetic current of feeling that is beneath the
cnarled exterior Of austerity. MIR. Barrett acted
with splendid vgor, and especially he animated ths
scene of the assassination with quite the sincerity d
political fanacism-always an element OF convincing
power at this point and most essential Tor creatns
and sustaining the illusion on which the piece de-
pends.
A remarkably fine performance Of Marc Antony
was given by John Lane. 1t was thoughtful art TO
make Antony appear TO be nearly breatlless, after
the race-as Mr.. Lane did, in the scene that lIn'
mediaely follows the return from the ceremonies OF
the Lupercal-and it was excellent judgment that led
him to deliver Antony's first lament over Caesar
which Is cOmmingled with bitter, burning, scarcely
curOci wrath against the mulderous patriot
In the broken accents OF grief. The usage mas gen
erav been TO below those lines and then almost TO
collapse in physical CONFUSION. NJ Lane spoAe
them as "A man speaks who is speaking from th1
heart No such tenderness, no such sweet, manly
grace has been infused into the expression @
olakespeare's Antony BY any previous representative
Of IL upon the local stage: and this is another he's.
SON that acting should copy ideal humanity and not
the old models of stage artfce. slight excess OF
impulsve gesture the only blemish upon this
beautiful performance. Miss Gale played Portla,
and marred the simplicity Of her own evidently right
design by elaborate artfce Of manner and by ora
torical sorority OF speech To be simple is perhaps
the most difficult OF all things. The acting OF Edwin
Booth might afford 10 the young people about him
ii they would use their eyes-a living example that
is the highest attribute of dramatic art