New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-20
THE DRAMA-M USIC.
ERWIN BOOTH AS MACBETH

A.. broadway Theatre last night Edwin Booth
I'D as Macbeth, and a large and kindly audience
OPT .he performance with interest and with many ex
50" of pleasure. Mr.. Booths acting in Macbeth
P TRAYS been remarkable for Imagination and patlos
h' weird and subtle lines as those that sound the
SUI renorse over the murder of sleep, and later such
soo,e the portents OF gathering night and the
~ undnc horror, always spoken by him with
VI 1t 1t nrofonnd sense OF their awful meaning and
INV ro,ce darkly fraught with the solemn music OF
~ o,r His utterance OF the requiem OF King Dun
which also is that OF all hope and all peace for the
' nourierer-was in kindred vein OF terrible
h'. t,rc To those traits in Shakespeare's colossal
III n ruined grandeur, fruitleSs remorsc. and
desolation he again gave such prominence and
NV" goc,nc beauty of speech and treatment as only
otic actor cas- impart. lie was finely pictorial
sctive also in the scene Of the vision Of BanQuo
...atine this ghost, Kemblc did, as phantom Of
~ lin absolutely actual to Macbeth but not per
emitted for stage picture.
sOn'a' thor ponts an obvious physical fralty some
- impeded him in the fulhlment of purpose
an,,osiy right and in the highest artistic mood
n observers who are pleased to declare-as OF
~ ,bov do with tedious pettness and pertinacity-
% . Nr Booth is careless OF his public and in
t N the effect Of his acting, are, of course, in
.o, A more conscientious actor than Edwin Booth
e. .rod the stage. lie has long been in fra
nh though and he is not strong enough now for
Az, tremendous emergencies of such characters as
Wv and Macbeth. 1t would be unjust equally to
W. tor and the reader, therefore, TO describe his
orformances Of those parts entirely adequate.
i.o;.I excellence of Mr. Booths Macbeth Is ac-
- of ideal. The of Shakespeare's poem
,en overwhelmed by the spirit of evil-crystallizcd
s rcarnatcd in the Weird Sisters-and his life and
sb make up a CHASTITY exponent Of futile struggle
,nst q diabolical fate. All the pathoS Of the
s.,acter is liberated in Mr. BOOTHS representation
u ras loudly applauded and-together with Miss
ca,s who tried with Juvenile zeal to act Lady
,,ache,h-was recalled after the third curtain; that
.orcbne picture of the desOlatoh Of the imperial
,imnals supreme upon the lonely eminencc equally
., mower and of misery being as effective now as
serand it was always one Of the close denotements
n Edwin Booths tragic genius
Mr. Barrett, who would have acted Macduf, did
mt appear and this important part was taken by
Ne John Lane while Mr.. Frederick Vroom assumed
,ha, Of Banauo Nothing in Inc general representa-
zion Of the piece could be viewed with unqualified
spproyal by any Shakespeare scholar 1t seemed,
however TO please many of the spectators assembled
On this occasion. The applause for Lady Macbeth
who was presented as speneuc, bad tehpered,
shrewsh young woman, with the department anu
.be Turbulence of a VOcfcrOuS NlXen-WaS frequent
and cordial. Macbeth" will be repeated to night
Lawrence Barrett taken Ill i'll the course OF the
performance of "Richelieu," on Wednesday night,
and had 10 relinQuSh his part OF De Mauprat lie mas
an attack of Influenza, temporarily impalrnS his
voice and therefore he is compelled to rest lie may
not be able TO reappear until next Monday.