New-York tribune., 1901-05-06
IRVING AS CORIOLANUS.

aiicIe on Henry lrvinSs performance OF CGrio-
lanus,-now current at the London Lyceun Thea
tre-appears in The Liverpool POST of April II
from the brilliant pen of Sir Edward Russell and
1t is here reprinted:
When Henry Irving first played Hamlet writer
who thought the mpersonation new in many ways
had seen Hamlet who was young That is "a
irving d fT Sqt Sn Monday yeGt sgs9lnS G Sir Henry
youthfulness. at least-what he did for Hamlet
yivai Of shakespeare's meaning and tradition u a.
though there was always the difficulty TO set over
though Peg wohanston had to line her face
Of the actors who were great in CoriOlanus before
Irving took muen pains TO have young appear
about Edmund Kean). vandenhoff Macready
Phelps, and Brooke were all well-seasoned veterans
mounted much rather by making the mother old
than ina no % n At this the eea sef62
and actress who play there have aimed. and in it
Tbe son is Young enough Miss Terry has not lined
her face. but her gray hair and an avoidance OF
In Irving the conceaiment Of his wen known che
velure beneath an admiraoIe wig; tne adopti9n OF
a bright and easy expression nave the double effect
representation and OF altogether changing its key
from any form In wnlcn it mas up 10 now teen
pSsre Is something 70 be said on both sides in this
matter OF naturalness. though. to most minds OF
sam the pTeseHGs Gorioanus may seem to need no de-
fence. There odsters who stick to the result
that conventional plays can be played effectively
only in conventional way; They Ieei tnat nat zorro
ages stalked about. indoors and out of doors in
supposed Roman grandeur Inc J t5u6n Is that
in them are two different sorts OF enjoyment
WAS more force and produces deeper Immediate
impact than nature, and the best argument for
nature is that il is nature The melodramatic
Coriolanus scowIed and persiztently atttudinized.
His mother never unbent even In her domesucitles.
Sir Henry Irving. except when in actual conflict
with the mob. has the air of a general at home
who contemptuously despises the public opinion
opinion OF the highly placed. Perhaps the safest
thing for polite advocate Of naturalness to say
Is that great actor VINO IS especlay true 10 nat
ure will strengthen himself il he is careful not
be less emphatic than less natural actors in places
where great effects are properly producibe Corio-
lanus'' has number of celebrated points" II
who are banishing him; there is world else
where; You common cry OF ours whose breath
dovecots of Corioli Alone did it,; the Triton
among the minnows'; Mark you his absolute
points with which the most natural Coriolanus
cannot dispense. Some of them Irving made as
make with vandenhofT power now that the awful
toll of such production Is off the managers mind
AS to Miss Terry's part, she has seen it, grasped
H. and executed IT with a sureness rare even in
more potent effect than this natural VOIumna does
Significance of the struggle in the mind Of the the
general her SON needs to be more indicated BY
o Ms 1Gt Fye1 sTrY bara R "a hing to Say The
the natural school In her home. earlier in the
play. the naturalness will strike old paygoers
Where Least of all at home She is an easy,
homely moving about matron. with not even the
Yields deightful piquancy at a moment when the
wlIe OF Corlolanus mas SHOWN less roman asSur-
in-aw exclaims. Pow. wow"' and never has It
most playfuily and softly Miss Terry says it.. At
moments such that natUralness is brightly.
lightly glorifed in the midst Of moody dramatic
business.
umph is the proved power OF Cortolanus' to take
hold of the spectator. Although produced compare
his thlrty-second drama.-it is an elementary play.
Three or four rudimentary IDEAS in it: PIsbeian
of one great man. at least for the fmpertnent
70 DsssHIor IsTnentabIe capabiIitv Of taki1e re-
venge the Plebs by siding with and aiding the
rare and most unworthy aristocrat and The con
snnng powsr t,efv or n s his oes not seem to
ALLEVIATE the modern audience. Shakespeare 8 git
S @Gss no6e Se aS IS copo
ly and profoundly Both In characters and in that
speare never lost sight Of poor as were the scenic
resources OF @ MS aSy3 @ me pay an nTTJs Ne Ism
Hearn and Mr. Laurence Irving Gin a marvellous
opportunities~and use them weIl-as the Tribunes
And nothing can excel the ease. the unction the
old Menenius. who literally makes live the best
Rome suppose TO have existed in the Corio-
AS to scenery Sir Alma Tadema. too. makes us
eternity: snd the Roman Senate IN its chamber IN
the Capitol is OF the greatest scenes ever Wit
messed In a theatre. The Senators sit facing the
audience the amphitheatriCal benches OF the
noble building. The days when all was SpOtlt ny
Ianguid sunernu1leraries have passed away. These
men look Senators, behave like Senator's The et-
feet is magniiCent-wOrthy Of the Oldest Parlia-
mentary hand. we'll Of our great Dutch
Roman Royal Academican- Sir a. G Mackenzies
r7usic Is admirable but must he left to experts.
We have still to praise the mob and It's creator.
All who know what a political mob is Ike know
that II is under the sway Of men whom people out
Of the fanatic throns deem "cranks." The cranks
are here ard the First Citizen" Mr. C. DOds-
worth and the Others-especially he. with his keen
COnCeited. unGUestiOnins positiveness-are cranky
In their stupidity and stupid in their crankiness
The rank and file OF the turbulent crowd-not more
silly. by the by in their way than COriOlanuS IS
IN his-are managed. instructed. drilled In every
variety of right movement. without losing, nay
gaining the utmost spOntaneity.
Such Is the new Shakespeare Irving play at the
Lyceum, which IS destined 10 crowd +he theatre
through the season Among the best pictorial IN
cidents. never To be forgotten is the dark gloomy:
curously lit lobby and the adjacent festal glow ot
the scene In which the veiled CorioanUs seeks Ar
fdius Finally. the lovely. sweet. fiery. elderly
lady Of Miss Terry is beautiful and characteris-
tic vision never 10 pass from delicious remem-
branCe