Year: 1875

1 vIyAIS.


Mr. Edwin Booth last night closed an engagement
which deserves for fact alone-the superb quality
OF his actinG-to be long remembered ia New York.
Without the magnificent displays Of scenery which al
WAYS attended his performances In the theatre he built
and which will always be associated with his name, be
presented shakespearian characters with or
nament than that which a well appointed and well
managed theatre expected to provide The spectao-
ular element almost entirely excluded from these
representations. The actor was therefore, thrown
upon his resources he not tho central
figure in great pageant a bright form moving
before dazzling background but artist obliged to
sustain without those aids, and by his personal efforts,
the weight Of great characters The nature Of the
company at this theatre also required Mr. Booth to de-
pend more than formerly upon his own powers, and in
his greatest tragic triumphs, when he "lutered the
Volscans in coriol y he might well have said with Cor
iolanus, 'Alone did itn This not the fault OF Mr..
Dalys company, which embraces number Of excellent
artists, fully trained in comedy and the drama and,
indeed organized especially for these branches of art
But TO put this company into Shakespearian
tragedy was to place IL at a palpable disad-
vantage. lively comedian, who will delight
the house in sparkling witty part viii find blank
verse hard foreign language Thus il happened
that, with few notable exceptions, fate of this
Shakcspearian depended almost entirely upon
Mr. Booth, and we are glad TO say that he was fully
equal to the opportunity.


Possibly the misfortunes which ended Mr. Booths
career manager have been n blessing to him as an
artist AT all events in the last two years he has had
time to study two characters-Rchard IT. and
Lear-and we doubt If he could have done this while
burdened with the cares Of business; and not
of business alone, but of all those which
accompany a great artistic enterprise. Mr. Booth
Iabo
honorable work. and in that least he did not fail
Now he is able TO devote all his energies to the i'm
provement Of his own art and disposed to
think that tragedy embodied in a great actor will be
Of more value TO the public than tragedy enthroncd
upon model stage.


However this may be, il Is certain that Mr. Booth
acted finely he has during the past month
His faults were formerly unevenness and codness ;
sometimes he would play Hamlet with feeling and the
next night it would dsappoint by the want OF feeling
He is so well equipped with all the weapons which
win popular applause-personal attractions grace
quckness, energy and 1re-that no could
with impunity throw aside those which can alone con.
quer permanent approval His methods were occa-
sonally mechanical But the quality which we most
admired in Mr. Booths performances this season was
his earnestness II deep sympathy with the great
characters that made them real it was reverence for





might select Lear alone evidence OF this superiority
Of what to larger intellectual power pro-
founder sympathy with emotion and passion in Mr.
Booth This is his latest character, but we venture
to say that it will become one OF his greatest
Yet Lear is the Of Shakespeare's s
characters that nine out of ten persons would sup
pose that MIR. Booth is least fitted to play In
estimating the services he is rendering the public
we must note that he had no need, so far as
his popularity is concerned TO play Lear for
his old repertoire sufficient for the theatre But
that he felt the need himself it, and perceived IL
his duty to add Shakespearian characters to
our stage is, perhaps, the best procfnext his
ing-that the triumphs before him may be- if he
chooses greater than the trlumphs or the past


''LA PRINCESS GEORGES" AT THE LYCEUM


The production Of this play at the Lyceum last cven-
ing attracted the largest and fashionable audience
during the present season. Almost every seat was
filed, the majority of tho spectators being fun even
ing dress None but Alexander Dumas could
produce such drama-or rather comedy-as
''La Princess Georges" ostensibly dealing with
the vices and immortality OF wealthy,
idle and intriguing aristocracy, engendered
by elegant leisure than by any inordinate desire
do evil by the lack of energy and want OF purpose
fe really leads pure and elevatng conception or





good rather than the i'll accomplished by
timely exhibition of human Jolly. The Prince
OF Birac is accomplished entertainer but
cool, earnest and alectionate full of romantic
ideas and given to mystery. HIS wife, the Princess,
has been trained to idea the sole submission to
her husband, and who indeed, is made sole master OF
her heart and her fortune, which exceeds 600 600
francs and landed besides Her husband hap
pens 10 start one evening for Versailles but some hur
inst n ha clueiop
he Is going TO Rouen instead. The Princess her
chambermald to watch him. After waiting
some hours, walking the room, after her usual
hour for retiring, the maid returns with excit.
ing story; that he was Joined by n most elegantly
dressed lady, who, after going through some absurd
formallties of changing her apparel, starts with
the Prince on an evening train, in
calculated to impress the inexperienced
maid that II is an absolute case of unfathful-
ness and duplcity on the part of esMon
Prince" The Princess half determined to receive an
evil rather than good report the result OF much self
communi ication and weak reasoning while watching in
her boudoir is ready for the recital of her husbands
deceit, which is made in an excited and passionate
manner. Like the determined individual who
insists on meeting trouble halt way she is
worked up to frenzy, yet desirous OF be-
levng, or hoping, that some circumstance will
arise To confirm her opinion that she has the
most faithful husband on earth The Prince returns
He s told the maid has watched him. He calls for her
questions her but only to receive series Of ambirtl
GUS replies which the world in general interprcts as
absolute lasehood, and ior which she receives hand
with which to purchase trossenu
when she shall marry tho individual she
pretends TO have gone to meet with a
knowledge OF his wifcs temperament he expects
storm, In Which he is not disappointed when they
meet B"s ne has partly compromised himself by CIV
Lsr tn6 maid his purse OF gold which, being made
known TO the Princess is at construed by her
dh evidence Of his guilt attempt 10 bribe the girl
\ to maintain silence and thus shield him from his
apparent misdecds The meeting of the Prince
and Princess Is truly stormy. The wife is furious;
she reproaches she wecps, exclaims and stamps her
feet she hurls against him all the domestic anathemas
permitted oven within the sacred precincts OF the
/ boudoir She curses his race-but IN moment he
explains that his conduct perfectly just, cour-
teous acceptance TO accompany lovely woman, an ac
4 quaintance of both, and, instead OF calling
\ for divorce his assassination, she forgves.
Next in the inevitable mother law the notary
financial agent, who is ready TO turn penny In
divorce suit TO invest million in rentos at
mission OF five per cent then the friends OF the family
in the drawing room, who discuss the doubtdi lerit-
macy of the Sylvane, the Countess Qf 1erremonde,
! with whom the ride TO Roue2 vas riade her beauty
beng more severely cohdemned than any action
Of her life that can be pointed TO. syl-
vanie appears with her husband glittering with
itaVaU t1y anNux