, 1872-12-15

try to be good, }" instead Of tsI will Try to mend
my Ways" but, had the audience at Aiken's
heard him, they would neither have laughed nor
cd hearts knock at their ribs"
All me! 1t VAS so comic. There the bur1y
CEaudius stood, and soolded his '*stubborn
knees " with downward and reproachful glance,
Is he Eould il they were little rheumatic. and
| turned his broad back on the audience and went
into his cupboard, and heyt presto it was no
longer Czaudlus. but priest officiating at Mass
| Driscon is also superb in the fourth act, where
I Ophelia makes her first appearance after her
l,inacy. "Enter 0phelia, mad, in white SATIN"
Here there is 4 bold deviation from the original,
and one which is not to be commended C1au-
dius and Gertrude disappear, and are replaced by
bad, Doctor ?" says Nurse Maeder." BLESS mel"
says DR.. Drigcol, 'How long has this been go
| ing on 7 Keep q close watch on her nurse, and
| give her these powders Six times day. Several
OF our patients have died lately, and we must
| try, to save this one, and stop the people from
talking"
When Driscon has anything to say, he says it
as it is in tho book, but everywhere, from begin
ming to end, it is plainly to be seen that he is
| fish out Of water. He has no heart in the thirg,
and, therefore, he is more to be pitisi .iao ccl
| demned. He is not SO much to bI&me, hut still
| he should be true to his art, and DC Toe best
with it he can. A tailor spends ~ much loving
care on coat when the chances are nluety-nine
| Of the cash. He takes pride in his work. even il
it be not remuueratlve.
Mr. Aiken voluntarily assumed the part OF
Laertes. He had his choice. He could havs
had it 80 pleased him. But, apparently, hefancied
that Lde1tes best suited him. "Appareutly,"
for I fancy that il one were to catch Aiken
when he was in confding mood, and we're to
Ply: ply ~ Certainly not" IT, III. Aiken has won m
some repute in this place, as au actor, and he
has, perhaps, unfortunately, identified himself
with q character in a we0-known modern play.
Possibly this hampers Mr. Aiken, and he ia not
Briefly. He is like the sahool-boy, who, on e1-
animation day, figures out easily enough, the
sums in his book, but who is staggered when he
is given one outside OF it. "An actor" saya
Colly Cibber, per Charles Reade, "really per-
senate; which your mere man Of the stage never
does. He has learned the true art OF self
multiplication. He drops Betterton, Booth or
WILKES in his dressing-room, and comes out
young or old, a fop, q valet, q lover, or q hero,
Mr.. Aiken has not learned this art Of SELF
multiplication, and never will. This sentence
may just as well be pronounced NOE, once for
all, and put the accused out OF hiB suspense. II
he persists in high treason against true acting,
be will diminish his receipts, and be his own
executioner.
A1r. Aiken does not below and scream; his
taste is too good for that; but throughout his
part no LIZ eSBelL1a1lJ WuOuJ,-tQAt u, 3 BL1Ck.
Ills Laeres, whether receiving his fathers bless
ing, warning his sister, mourning over her lost
wifs, or defying the King, behaves like stiff
young prig, fresh from college. He nowhere
manifests q trace Of likeness to man, except
here and there in tho closing scene. When he
wants to mako believe he grieveH, he resorts to
the throat-voice used on the stage, and nowhere
else, for that purpose. When he questions the
King concerning the fate Of ,Polonius be il q
echoolboy speaking piece, and az il, really and
fryt1rr ka ora1 ffar,h ha
did about Abel, the son Of Adam. II an autom-
atom were to act the part, it could not be more
devoid OF genuine expression than Mr. Aiken.
It WAS OF the stage STACY; it had neither sayor
Frank Lawlor is the Ghost We have very
little intercourse with these gentlemen now-a-
days, and arenot aware how much progress ciyili-
cation has made in purgatory, and whether spirits
talk now az they used to q few hundred yeara
ago, when communication With the earth was
apparently easier than at present. Ar. LaWlor,
however, has very clearly defined ideas on the
subject. Mr. Law1or is apparently firm Epis-
copalian, and makes the Ghost talk lust precisely
as minister reads the 1itany.
Loulor-Ffom battle and murder, and from
sudden death,
Barrea-Good Lord deliver US.
ears when The Ghost began bis tale, for they
recognized familiar sounds. Mr. Law1or's imita-
ttsn was perfect; he intoned his part to adrnira-
ton; no Ritualist minister could have done it
EELE3I. IL Wa8 uLaQG, AuQ uCEQlQC 61E8t 1TQm De-
ginning to end. But then, possibly, the departed
King Of Denmark belonged to the Church When
the Ghost speaks from under ground, however,
he loses his solemn tones, and says " swear" in
accents much like those with which cat, be-
meath the house, and calling mournfu1ly for his
furry love, startles the occupants OF the lower
floor.
When Mr. Pierce made his appearance a.
Polonius, armed with glded stan OF great
length, his badge Of Office, be was mistaken by
n ffa haua fha rru11a ir1di
ual who goes around in churches with long
pole and lights the gas, a functionary whom he
did somewhat resemble. This staff, instead Of
being, support to his declining yeals, was
sore burden to Polonius throughout the entire
play, and he would doubtless have liked, if he
could, to have chucked it into corner, but
there we're too many people wstchi4g him
for that. Yet in spite Of this affection, Pozonius
the audience showed they saw it. He honestly
strove to do the best be could. When giving
Ldertes advice, he did not do it az have seen it
elsewhere, with the air of 81 aged Pu1nblechook,
father should. In some parts Of the play
Polonies is q pragmatical fool, in others sensi-
bic old gentleman, but aIr. Pierce managed to
acquit himself in both phases, certainly as well
as any other mem ber Of the company could have
done. He was not as well when warning 0phelia
as when talking to the King and Queen, but, on
the whole, he did not do much for which he
should be blamed.
Mrs. Maeder, who took the part Of the Queen,
is jolly, good-natured woman, but no more fit
ted for that place than sancho Panzas wife to
be Countess. Mr. Aiken set her this task, and
he is more responsible than abe. She would
play we'll as Hoyden's nurse, possibly; there are
comedy characters in which she would not be
aniss. But to put her in tragedy is unGnd, and
she and her royal consort know it. She neither
looks nor talks the Queen; nor, when Hanezefs
words are searching her very soul, does she
show the penitent and suffering woman- She
exhibits some concern, but it is as it the cook,
lifting her broad, round face from above the fry
ing-pan, we're to afectedly express her sorrow
that dinner was late: Good, honest woman, who
full life, what does she know Of the emo
tions which agltated Gertrude as she
gazed into the black abysses of her
soul7 So she falls back upon the voice used on
the stage. to express these feelings; and all
present knew that her grief was unreal, and
were not moved hairs breadth from their
propriety. She is 80 utterly out Of her sphere
in this part, that it is almost unkind to say
anything against her. ...
Audiences are never critical with 0phelia, SO
long as she is pretty, aings reasonably well,
and does not act too badly. It Vas the general