Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-01-27
ANNA DICKIKsON's HAMLET.
Dismal Account OF Her Dead
Failure at Rochester.


ter Grand Operahouse before very
large audience. Miss Dickinson was
/ pleasantly and even heartily welcomed
in this her first appearance in male
character upon the stage. But de-
spite the encouragement Of an audi
ence anxious and willing to be pleased,
Miss Dickinson made a dire fail
ure. Her Hamlet" had none OF
the attributes it should have pos
sessed, and nothing but the fact
that the actress was an estimable
lady toward whom her listeners
were kindly disposed saved the affairs
from ridicule. As lecturer and au-
thor Miss Dickinson's talents are wide
ly acknowledged, but as an. actress
she has confirmed the impression be-
fore created-that she is an absolute
failure. 1t cannot be said that Miss
Dickinson's Hamlet has come on us
without previous warnings, as for some
time past there has been every reason
to believe that it would break out
suddenly in some unexpected quarter,
and long ago rumor went so far as even
to name the usually quiet and pleasant
country neighborhood where she in
tended to do what the professionals
call trying it on a dog"--that is, be-
fore taking it to town making the rural
amusement-seekers have an evening of
it, that the actor may observe how they
stand it.
Miss Dickinson did not seem to
have the first requisite for the accom-
plishment of her task. She did not
| look Hamlet She did not speak as
Hamlet should. She did not act as
Hamlet must. Her appearance was
not that of a man nor of boy. She
had not the figure or carriage of a
male, and while her neither limbs
were graceful and Of manly vigor,
they tapered down to a woman s
dainty foot, encased in French high
heeled CATER The other extremity
equally behed her assumption, and
her womanly face and voice and hair
were as laughably unlike a mans
as the most orthodox of Rosalinds.
She delivered her lines without
sense or sentiment 1t seems a
harsh thing to say, but it was really
inexcusable that a laly of Miss
Dickinson's known intelligence should
deliver Shakespeare's immortal lines
so pregnant as they are with deepest
meaning-without giving them at least
fair share Of that feeling which she
must have recognized in them. She
droned them monotonously, much as a
country curate gives out to the village
rustics the words of hymn, or else
she spoke them in that lawyer like,
argumentative way which might have
been good bad she been arguing for a
copyright law, but was not at all
effective in speaking the beautiful lines
Of Hamlet. 1t has been said of Miss
Dickinson on former memorable oc-
casion that her gestures were awkward
and angular That cannot be said Of
her work oflast evening. She was not
awkward, but she did not suit the &C.
ton to the word. She avoided gestures
almost altogether, and those which she
made were solely with her right arm
her left being SO little used as to slow.
, ly make the impression on the audi
, ence of its being a one-armed Ham
let. AS to her conception of the
part, nothing can be said of it, be.
| cause it was never clearly defined
Z She walked and talked her way through
t the play with aggravating calmnes.
and without any more emotion than
t though she were committing so many
e lines to memory. When she first met
0 the ghost she put her right hand tt
: her head, tilted back her cap and
? without changing countenance i'm.
a mediately began to talk to the
g ghost as though she were con
versing through telephone
K and inquiring the time of day. i
= seems incredible, but it was aggrava
2 tingly true. In the same way wheI
j she babe Ophelia to go to nunnery
S she suggested it much as she nigh
/ have recommended her TO try sage tel
!. for her cold. Examples like this nigh
c be multiplied in referring to nearly al
9 of the work of the evening. 1t woalt
II be delightful to say something Of Mis-
e Dickinson's Hamlet, and to remarl
that here and there she did something
worthy OF genuine praise; but thi
n would be mistaken kindness, and n
false compliments will change tn
|, true state of affairs or make what wa
n a dire failure into pleasing success
n In recalling the entire evening all tina
| can be ssid of a complimentary natur
Is is that she fenced we'll in the las
, scene, and momentarily was warme,
IL into animation in the heat Of the com
d bat. Nor was she able to shine by an
IL reflected light, for the company di
70 not have a spark Of brilliancy. A re
al view Of the old bill boards on til
ne main streets shows that Rochester ha
ID stood some queer companies Of latt
re but Hone were so uncommonly quee
ne as that which, unfortunately, was 81
ne ISOLATED with Miss Dickinson. Ii
to stead of supporting her they only wei
a an added burden for her to carry. Th
ID ghost delivered his lines with thol
es awful stomachy grumblings whic
Dickens referred to as Characteristic
Pumblechook' 3 readings, and Polonil
gave his advice to Laertes with
Al: merry twinkle of the eye and a purse
r. up mouth, as though he were deligb
re eddy giving recipe for sort of NOR
"a. cocktail. The other members Of Il
,e company were Internationally funn
.et the one exception being a Miss Youn
Oh who played the unimportant part
of Osric charmingly. The play ran III
mt til midnight. When the final curtai
fell Miss Dickinson was given Il
a compliment OF a GALA tribute whiC
III before at several points has been pa
Use to her earnest intention, but was n
he deserved by anything artistic that 81
had accomplished.
- Tho NOR suhnrer that has been dc