Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-01-05

wholesale agents.
Anna Dickinson FIxi1g Up Hmm.
let for Herself and Herself for
Hamlet.
Jennie June's New Yerk Letter, Jan. l, to
Baltimore Americana
Miss Anna Dickinson is in New
York, preparing her wardrobe and
studying for the rehearsals which are
to begin this week, preparatory to the
beginning of her Western tour. 1t
has been stated that she would open
on January 2 at Providence, R. l. AS
a matter OF fact, she opens on the 10Th
of January at Rochester, N. Y,
whether as Hamlet or Claude Mel
notte is not at this writing fully de-
termined. From Rochester her route
is west to Chicago and as far as Omaha.
The East has not been kind to her,
and she believes in the Star of the
West and Of Empire.
Miss Dickinson ought to succeed in
her new venture, for she is not only
taking the New York Tribune's advice
in going West, but she is going as a
young man." Her idea, in fact, in
regard to Hamlet is that he was a
younger man than is supposed, and
she justifes her opinion by the constant
reference to the young" Hamlet in
the text, by his recent liberation from
the companionship of his school
friends, and thus accounts al-o for the
timldity, uncertainty and vacilation of
his inconsistent character. He is a
boy moralist, through whom Shaks
peare aired all his own philosophy
about men and things; through whom
he condemned the rant Of the stage Of
his day and the vices of his time,
without much regard as to how the
length of Hamlet's speeches affected
the action of the play, or how con
sistent they were with his presumed
youth and inexperience, which travel
according to the suggestion Of his
step-father, the murderer ofhis father
was to correct.
Cutting" has, of course, been a
modern necessity with all of Shak-
speare's plays, on account Of their ex-
treme length, but as the great parts
have always been assigned to great
actors, they would not permit the cut
ting Of their lines, and it is the minor
parts, therefore. that have suffered Of
ten, Miss Die 'nson thinks, TO the
serious detriment of the business play.
While cutting some Of Hqmlet's long
speeches, notably his advice to the
players, which she considers superhu-
Gus now that actors and actresses no
longer mouth or rant" but bear
themselves very much as Shakespeare
recommended, she restores some few
lines of G%uildenstern and Rosencrantz
which have been usually expunged aud
which she thinks materially assist the
action of the play. Several such
changes have been made,
the platitudes of Polonius having been
subject to slight excisioH, and the
long speech to Horatio upon friend
ship; but there is not much left out
will be missed. and the trifing cur
tailmeuts Of Hamlet's long talk are
made with great judgment, while the
lines restored are those that throw
light upon his acts and character.
Commentators suppose, from the con-
v~ersation with the gravedigger, that
Hamlet was about thirty years Of age,
and that he was seven when the court
fool died, whom he knew" he re.
marks to Horatio as a fellow of inf
mite Jest and humor." Would the
man of thirty remember, or be able to
distinguish such mental characters.
ties in a servant who died before, or by
the time he was seven years Of agei
Miss Dickinson, in a little chat the
other day, pointed this out as one Of
the inconsistencies of a character
which, in itself, she does not greatly
admire; but which, she remarked,
owes its fascination to the fact that
we find more of Shakespeare himself
in it, more of his philosophy, more OF
his views and ideas Of life, so that il
is like listening TO the brilliant talk
Of the great poet as it may have fallen
from-his own lips. Miss Dickinson
will make a youthful looking Hamlet,
and also Claude Melnotte, which last
is her favorite character, and the one
in which she appears, it is said, to
greatest advantage. Her repertoire
will consist this season of three parts
Hamlet, Claude and Macbeth. Anna
Boleyn she will not play till she goes
to England in the spring. Mr.. Mend
ham, her manager, isa son-in-law of
Mrs. John Drew, and be believes abb
solutely in her success. lie would
not engage her for less than TWO
years, during which time he stimulates