New-York tribune., 1902-12-02
THE DRAMA.
SHAKESPEARE JULIUS CESAR >
NR MANSFIELD as BRUTUS


- vibrant with action. so intense with feeling. so
-,o,s with character. SC splendid with rhetoric
" -,aruihcent with picture so rich with poetry
"a so amply freishted with knowledge OF human
.,,-e and with wisdom as 90 the conduct OF
80 affairs-was presented. last night at the
15srala Square Theatre. by Richard Mansfield and
sc dramatic company. and SO presented as not
- 70 thrill the imagination and satisfy the in
t.Tect but deeply 70 touch the heart. The stage
,e-7oa cusromarily pursued In the treatment of
,.tv NAV has been that Of statuary and decIama-
.lor. not invariably pursued for Edwin Booth in
xste5 Brutus with melancholy dignity and DIFF
ICED over the whole Interpretation an atmosphere
~ rnour-ful beauty, and Lawrence Barrett. as
l-.seiIs was incarnate passion touched with
,othos: but q custom, the representation Of
..is tragedy has been somewhat stately and frigid
n Ny AIensfelG's presentment of it. and largely
bscause Of the method and quality Of his acting Of
17-rrus the supreme and pervasive is that of
xseUng An effort has been made TO depart from
Tradition 10 be flexible rather than classical and
tlps 10 soften and tighten august theme with
ne warmth OF human sympathy This is the re-
,eer in which the revival tends toward originality.
r5 in which certainly it presents a marked pc
ruliarity Of right purpose. Natural acting indeed
INV which is meant the acting that produces the
s1act Of nature through perfection of artihce). is
ro longer q novelty: the drift in that direction
has been especially strong within the last twenty
,sars: but natural acting consistently and equally
eopned to the tragedy of Julius Cesar is some
unar unusual Mr. Mansfield has given TO the play
e naCnifCeQt tnTsStture the ike OF Thlcn IL never
had DefoTe.-at least. the local stage--and his
ir,personaJon Brutus shows ideal OF that
character in soEle ways original and in every way
effective. It IS imaginative ideal, and il was
expressed in an image OF intense vitality
II Ess The habit of Shakespeare 20 throw side
lEAts upon his characters revealing them not only
lv their owa words and acts. but by the acts and
words Of their associates Brutus himself speaks
OF the figures and the fantasies that busy care
zraws in the brains of men, From the first. un-
Sf-~ n.l1r
rriidity OF temperament, he is OF isna5fra-
ten. and his imagination is haunted Porua- whom
be loves, ane by whom he is deeply loved, early
dsscribes his enkndled irnpatience his vague pre-
eseupation. MS moods OF Ungentle behavior, md
Mainly tells him that If his humor could affect his
shape az much IS IL has affected his condition she
would be able to recognize him, Since CASslus
first did whet me against Caesar, have not slept
The mind Of Brutps is a scene OF tempest He
needed not the promptingS Of Cassus- he was
already ripe TO co the murder that he thought a
sacrifice The conflict in his soul has almost crazed
him. and from the moment when he yields 10 the
srrglng tide fanaticism and Strikes at the heart
q his friend he again viii taste of peace
7be seouel is all misery. Brutus and Cassius ride
Ike madmen through the gates Of Rome The
final appeal is the arhitraent Of battle Clouds
dews and dangers come" II the deep OF cfght
three words are spoken, the knell OF ali earthly
hope-Portia is dead" More and more. on the
renorseful soul of the fanatic descends the awful
loneliness ot predest!nate ruin No man oears
BORROW better'-but sorrow, now, is all that re-
mains. The chiefs of faction clasp hands for the
last time and speak that farewell which, in all the
poetry Of Shakespeare. is the most hope
less and forlorn: And whether We shall
meet again know not: but both of
them we'll know that the parting is forever.
There is a presage Of disaster. The eagles are
fed away and in their stead are kites and ravens.
-sThe ghost Of Caesar hath appeared to me. two
several times. by night: my hour is come All
around Brutus. from first to last. there is an at
rosphere Of omen. = strange and subtle something
that betokens anguish peril and death This way
Nr Mansfield has apprehended the character. and
It is for his diffusion and sustainment OF this
poetic charm,-rnaking Brutus almost spectTal III
soirituaI conflict fanatical selfa bsorption, and
silent patient majestic misery.-that this embodi-
nen+ takes its place and one that it viii securely
hoaa among the most thong 1tful and distinctive
achievements of the contemporary stage In the
avnrsssion of his IDEAL NJ Mansfield has aimed to
1ynpersonate and not to declairn: yet he gave all
requisite force and significance to the eminently
rational but completely Ineffective speech OF
Brltus 10 the Roman mob and at every essenual
point the opulence and amplitude OF his Vocal
mower make themselves manifest with splendid
effect It is not. however. the orator1cal Brutus
that Mr. Mansfield diffuses the characteristic al
lurement Of genius; for his articulation is not IN
variably accurate. and his oratory, and indeed MS
general delivery. rhetorical speeches, lacks sys-
4ernatic meditation. and therefore is apt TO re-
yerberate whore II should agitate convulse or
impress. The charm Of the personaton is IN
it's trenors Of conflicting emotion. in It's weird
iSolation-the awful loneliness Of great soul
fated 10 disaster-and its mysterS In the
scene quarrel with Cassius he wisely Iol-
lowed tie good precedent long ago established by
Barton Booth (probably the best Brutus ever seen
OF the stage, and made the character impressive
s74a predominant by innate authority. restrained
derleauor intense feeling. and deep and low tones
II was in the garden scene, the ghost scene ana
The death scene that he wrought his great enects'
the spectral, haggard. ravaged figure OF Brutus'
II those imaginative passages.-Tnore especially tAat
Of the imperial phantom-being the consunrnafe
image OF a haunted mind. predestinate to error,
misery and ruin The ghost OF Cesar is not MADE
visible but appears drifting shadow or Vapor,
!n lu-td light Of which the voice seems to noat
The Kemble stage version Of Julius Cesar" con-
iains lines that are not in Shakespeare. Mr.. Mans
field has used the original text with only those
changes 10 strengthen the Part Of Casca, that are
warranted by necessity and sanctioned by usage
The restoration of Antonys colloquy with tne
servant OF octaTius was not well advised
The design OF colioquialism and fexihlty is ap-
parent in every part Of the production. and espe-
cialiy in the Of the mob. Some Of the ira
ditio1al business Is preserved The stride OF the
triumphant Cassius over the head of the dead
Caesar Is uIuminative alike OF the character and
the SUBJECT and il could not be exceed. The elder
Booth Used it. in playing CassiUs, and so did Edwin
Booth and both used it. as Gloster. after the
murder OF King Henry 1t dates back at least as
John Phillip Kerbs in Zanga. and probably
ALTIlet yet II SUlls VIII NaoSioS anu ooSiit ~
ways TO be employed. On this occasion it was un-
happily omitted. The great Cassius OF cur
stage was Lawrence Barrett, and whoever renlenl-
bers Barrett in that character will never accept any
body else il IL. Barrett possessed the mind, the
temperament the person. the face. the voice, the
spsterity the pathos-every nsedfu attribute and
quality for the part: and he gave perfect embodi-
Of il Mr Eaworfh initiates Barrett. but falls
far short OF his great original A merely useful.
servceable performance Of Cassius requires
elaborate comment. nor will the observer him