New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-20
THE DRAMA.
SHAKESPEARE AT THE LYRIC.
Signor Noyelli as Lear.

The impression Of respectable ability, and only
such, that made by signor Novellis performs
ence or Papa Lebonnard" Is confirmed by his per-
formance OF King Lear which given at the
Lyme 1heatre last night The Italian actor 3 I'M
personation Of the agonizlng King. slowly wasted
BY senuity and, at last, made insane by the m
gratitude Of his heartless daughters. is chiefly
characterized by its denotenent of the common
place attributes OF Enthusiastically, fierce re-
sentiment and incoherent wrath. The original
magnincence OF the monarchs personality now
ever Is not even remotely suggested by him; and
that is the essential thing In any actors assump-
ton OF King Lear. The ruin OF the stupendous
castle at Heidelberg for example, is one thing; the
ruin Of a commercial warehouse a woodshed Is
quite another. The who assumes TO act KING
Lear must in himself, possess royal and noble
nature-an imperial individuality; otherwise IN
his decTepitude and misery. he is no moro I'M
pressive and no more pathetic, than the Ola oou-
dering pauper who picks oakun or polishes little
pewter plate IN the Poor-House. Signor NoveiiI
reveals no such royal and noble nature as that OF
/ Shakespeare's King Lear. good man, or a con-
/ ventional order, is indicated; kind Iather'
worthy member OF society, as they say On 'N0
gravestones,-that IS the basis Of his KING Aeat'
that IS, seemingly, the height from whleh us
monarch has fallen. The attention OF an auditor
who happens to have studied and comprehendeN
the subject In Shakespeare's pages, accordingly
soon becomes diverted from consideration OK tae
structural substance Of the embodiment ana
led TO observe its technical. professional detaNS
Signor NoveIs Lear ranks itself with thosf
Of persons who have amateur aspirations, 1or ne
IS no more like Shakespeares Lear than caboase
is like rose. AS an old and proficient actor ne
gets through with the part; and it is TO be con-
sidered, in his favor that the italian version OK
! King Lear" in which he acts is such an outrage
ously absurd variant from shakespeares tragedy
that anybody might be forgiven for going wild IN
it. To come to details Of the acting howevers-re-
! Numbering what has been promised as to this
/ actor,-his utterancS OF the curse that Lear de-
hvers was so puny 70 be contemplate An eftoFS
| has been made uken SIgnoy Novelu to his cele'
! brated countryman. TommasO SalvinL In the IN
terest of common sense II ought TO be said,-afteT
seeing him try to play King Lear. part TO
which he more reach than a tadpols can
reach the armament Of heaven.-that 5alvinl whose
PRESERVATION OF Lear by no means perfect.
towers above him Gibraltar does above
the straits Salvtni. whatever else ne
may have lacked. 70 English appreciation.
had power. and when he to a great climax
he made It great Signor Novelii in King Lear
as ne gave It last night missed every point OF
importance in the tragedy and presented sort
Of broken down pedant. OF the incpient insanity
Of Lear at the beginning, there was no denotement
whatever. and OF the agony Of Lear when actually
going mad no indication other than sort OF game
Of hOp-scotch played with Edgar. who came forth
from the straw in immaculate white night
gown. and was even more absurd than his ANYTHING
but royal associate. There Is to dwell on
this subject. sEnor Noven might. perhaps, play
Falstaf. in The Merry Wives mot in Henry
W., but for the great characters in Shakespeare
II he can he Judged by his King Lear-he IS
no fitted than n carpenter would be 20 ohisel
n marble statue Of Apollo. The whole fabric o.
his performance IS common. He not
old man. except that he had decorated himself with
n prodigicus quantity OF gray hair so that he
looked like venerable goat, and he used vocal
ism that might be valuable 70 a conductor Of
cable car. Lear IS tender and loving father-or
he is nothing. He does net snarl and sputter like
an exasperated badger. However. all that IS for
eign is. Of course, celestial. Let rejoice. s.
doth beseem US We have tho glorious privilege Of
having our Shakespeare deseoratsd. and Of being
appr,sed that now. FOR the first time. know what
F, n really means