The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-07

significance TO the eminently rational but
completely ineffective speech of Brutus to
the Roman mob, and at every essential
point the opulence and amplitude of his
vocal power make themselves manifest with
splendid effect. 1t is not, however, as the
oratorical Brutus that Mr.. Mansfield diff
fuses the characteristic allurement of ge-
MUS; for his articulation is not invariably
accurate, and his oratory, and indeed his
general delivery, in rhetorical speeches,
lacks systematic meditation, and therefore
is apt to reverberate where it should agi-
tate, convulse or impress. The charm of
the PRESERVATION is in its tremors of conflict
ing emotion, in its weird isolation--the
awful loneliness of great soul. fated to
disaster-and its mystery. In the scene of
the quarrel with Cassius he wisely followed
the good precedent long ago established by
Barton Booth (probably the best Brutus
ever seen on the stage). and made the char
acter impressive and predominant by innate
authority, restrained demeanor, intense
feeling. and deep and low tones. 1t was in
the garden scene, the ghost scene, and the
death scene that he wrought his great eff
fects; the spectral, haggard, ravaged figure
of Brutus in those imaginative passages
tom-being the consummate image of a
haunted mind, predestinate to error, mis-
cry and ruin. The ghost of Caesar is not
made visible, but appears as a drifting
| shadow. vapor. in lurid light. out of
which the voice seems to float.
'"The Kemble stage version of Julius Gaze
| sar' contains lines that are not in Shak-
| speare. Mr.. Mansfield has used the original
| text with only those changes to strengthen
| the part of Casca, that are warranted by
necessity and sanctioned by usage. The
| restoration of Antony's colloquy with the
servant of Octavius was not well advised.
| The design of colloquialism and fexibility
is apparent in every part of the production.
| and especially in the of the mob. Some
of the traditional business is preserved.
| The stride of the triumphant Cassius
| the head of the dead Caesar is illuminative
alike Of the character and the subject, and
| it could not be exceled. The elder Booth
used it in playing Cassius, and so did Edwin
| Booth, and both used ii, as Gloster after
| the murder of King Henry. 1t dates back
| at least as far as John Phillip Kemble in
| Zanga, and probably further yet 1t suits
| with Cassius, and ought always to be en-
| ployed. On this occasion it was unhappily
omitted. The great Cassius of our stage
| was Lawrence Barrett and whoever re-
| members Barrett in that character will
| never accept anybody else in il. Barrett
possessed the mind, the temperament, the
| person, the face, the voice, the austerity,
| the pathos-every needful attribute and
| quality for the part, and he gave a perfect
| embodiment of it. Mr.. Haworth initiates
| Barrett. but falls far short of his great
| original. A merely useful, serviceable per-
| Torrance of Cassius requires no elaborate
| comment; nor will the observer find him.
| self much moved by a turbulent and fincal
presentation of Antony, such as that given
| by Mr.. Arthur Forrest, who, as a speaker
| has much to learn and more to forget. The
| stage tradition as to the right method of
| acting Antony was, in the main. established
by William Millward, who died in the year
of Garrick's first appearance, and who pos
sessed one of the richest and sweetest voices
ever heard. Millward's delivery of Antony's
Grafton must have been perfect at all
| events 1t has been initiated, ever since his
time, by the judicious performers of this
part Antony is not the great in this
play that he becomes in the play of Antony
and Cleopatra He is a picturesque dema-
| gogue here, very able ard subtle, but not
yet of his full mental stature. The murder
| of Caesar rouses him. and in that passion
ate apostrophe to the bleeding corpse of his
friend the future Antony is preigured. Yet
| he remains the willy and specious politician
and the Grafton is his tOpmost flight. The
| custom has been to begin that speech in a
low, clear, solemn, perfectly distinct tone,
and to rise very gradually to a climax. at
1.-The stones of Rome. using meantime a
semblance of abject grief and a deferential
manner of humility 1t was Nilks who
| originated the capital business of Antonys
swift approach to the dead body of Caesar.
| with utter disregard of everything else in
that tremendous scene. The best repre-
| sentatives of Antony that our modern stage
has known were George Vandenhoff, James
K. Murdoch, Edwin Booth and Walter
| Montgomery. In the course of the famous
run of Julius Caesar at Booths Theater
which began Christmas night 1871 and
lasted till March 15 1872, Booth acted Bru-
tus. Csssius and Antony; his brother Ju-
| MUS Lawrence Barrett and William Cres-
wick were seen as Cassius; Creswick and
F. C. Bangs played Brutus: and Bangs
played Antony. Such group has never
been seen since, and Is impossible now. II
| was at Niblo's Garden. in 1870, that Walter
Montgomery acted Antony, and a magnifi-
cent? performance ii was-picture TO the
eye. music TO the ear and poetry to the
| mind. Brutus was played by E. l. Daven-
! port whose excellence in the part was al
was deeply felt and heartily recognized
but Davenport was a cold and formal ac-
tor in Roman character. and his stately,
declamatory Brutus (known to our stage
since about 1850 never touched the heart
II was In Aranza. Sir Giles. Othello ST.
Marc, Damon, Ingomar, and William in
"Black-Eyed Susan" that this great actor
| gained his best renown. Never was any
man more versatile. The lofty. refined.
! manly, tender Brutus OF John Mccullough.