The record-union., 1896-02-01
DRAMATIC And MUSICAL.
James in Macbeth" and '0thellO" at
the Metropolitan.
7. w. Keene Coming-"0ld Kentucky
-"Trilby-The Hallett and the
Frawley Companies.

Mr.. James played Macbeth" last
night at the Metropolitan Theater to
good but not so large a house as should
have encouraged the local manage
ment to bring on the legitimate when
ever possible. Tonight the play will be
"Othello," with Mr.. James as the Moor
and Mr.. Lindsey as Iago. 1t is the opin-
ion of those who have seen him in all
parts he assumes, that as Iago Mr..
Lindsey is at his best. Some go so Tar
as to rank him among great lagos, and
all agree in this, that he is far more
than good in that character. Mr.. James
himself holds Mr.. Lindsey to be one OF
the most successful personators Of lago
on any stage. OF Mr.. James Othello 1t
| is conceded that it stands among the
foremost. This afternoon at the
play will be Romeo and Juliet, with
Mr.. James as Mercutio, a role in which
he takes special pride for his work, and
that he plays with masterly ability
Concerning Mr. James Macbeth, we
think there will be little division Of
opinion-it is a powerful one, sur
| charged with human vigor, but neither
overdone nor in any respect neglected.
Some departures from the conventional
were noticeable, as, for instance, in the
banquet scene no ghost of Banquo
stalks Instead of that, the play OF
fancy is INDUCED in just as in the dag
ger scene. It needed not the greWsome
figure of the dead Banquo to stride
across the hall, pointing TO it's slashed
throat or sit in Macbeths place, to in
crease the vividness of the scene under
Mr.. James splendid reading and &C
ticn. There was lacking in this same
scene completeness in the surroundings
that marred the spectacular effect. For
guests, the gentlemen" and worthy
friends" mobile friends" We're, by
reasons economic, reduced to two,
and a group of the common sol
diery, who most inappropriately were
seated at table to banquet with the
King. In the cast, too, there was
no Sinard or his son; but, then, these
are often in acting editions omitted, as
is the character Of Lady Macduf ana
her son in all of them.
But Mr.. James Macbeth was salts
fving. Physically robust he did not
/ use the fact in his art like fail or wind
mill: on the contrary the power of his
work WA most manifest in significant
facial expression and in the intensity
of the meaning with which he invested
the words of the text; meaning IN
tended by them made real and felt by
reason of the completeness of the action
and the reading. The depth of remorse,
the sting of the whip of conscience, the
weakness and cowardice of ambition
urging him on in the face of moral pro-
test. and despite the pleadings OF
better nature-these he depicted with
a vividness, a power of intensity more
terrible and more pitiable than the
power of violence or physical contor-
ton or strain. AS for Miss Kruger's
Lady Macbeth, it surprised US, being
so much better than we had expected.
It was in nothing coarse or masculine;
it was a womanly. indeed, a gentle
Lady Macbeth and yet notable for deep
earnestness, the set purpose of mind
warped by ambition, and by the power
of an intensity born Of a knowledge
revealed by the character that her nus
band was 'infirm of purpose and
easily nodded to her will by her plead
ing, and her taunting as well. Not
only did Mr. James receive frequent
recalls but the audience approved Miss
Kruger by similar compliment. Her
voice is not strong, but is admirably
trained; her figure is slight, but her
carriage graceful; her gestures always
appropriate and her features remark
ably plastic to her will and signif
cantly expressive. These attributes,
with intelligence behind them, gave US
a Lady Macbeth commanding almost
as much of sympathy for her woes as
condemnation for her crimes. Mr.
Lindsley's Macduff won him a curtain
in one scene. 1t was an honest effort.
suffering by comparison with the many
robust and greater Macduffs the Sac
ramento stage has seen; nevertheless
a very good Macduff This afternoon
and to-nights performance of the COM
pany closes the engagement Of the COM
pany here. It is to be hoped that each oc-
casion will be honored by large audi
ences, since we have so few Shake
spearean performances and so many
of the order that adds nothing to and
detracts so much from the credit Of
the stage At the matinee we
may expect lovely Juliet
at the hands of Miss Kruger, a
romantic Romeo from the art of Mr..
Lindsey and an ideal Mercutio from
Mr.. James, while at night, as already
said, James as Othello will appear in q
favorite role. and Mr.. Lindsey in what
all concede to be a most superior Iago.
At the Clunie Opera-house this after
noon at o'clock, tonight and to-mor-
row night the Hallett Stock Company
in the pretty sensational border
drama Fern, the Waif" The musical
grotesques, Deltorello Brothers, give a
most pleasing performance on each oc-
casion.
Thomas w. Keene, the American
tragedian, will appear at the Metro
politan Theater Tuesday evening next
as Louis xI" and Wednesday evening
as Richard III" Mr.. .Keene when here
last year was so unfortunate as to be
taken sick and his company had to
play without him. At that time nearly
the whole house-lower section-had
been sold at 81 90 a seat This season
Manager Todd has secured 81 rates
and the box Office will open Monday
morning for sale of seats Mr.. Keene
is in the front rapk of the great actors
of America and the day emotionally
and intellectually. His readings show
deep scholarship and careful study, as
well as broad mental grasp and his
elocution, while having none of the
stilted and wooden characteristics of
the professional elocution methods. is
. Of singularly careful and clear enun-
citation, and his voice is so deep. NELL
f1uous and sympathetic and his read
ings Of the lines of his author so full of
meaning, that his speaking of the
words constitutes an exposition of the