The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-03-24
au.m Dtckiusou.s Hamlet.

IL II refreshing 10 rcau Tue ionO"h hS
candid aud wcll-written criticism from the
New York Times on Miss Dickinson's latest
effort To unseX herself:
Miss Anna Dickinson a. Hamlet may In
one respect be compared with Bottom in
" Midsummer Nights Dream" Both, 1t IL
apDarent, were not born actors. Yet Bot
tom was a very good weaver, II Is pre-
sumcd, and Miss Dickinson has been IN
her time an effective and able lecturer.
But the man who can carve an OK Is not
necessarily the man who can digest beer;
and il + perhaps wise rule OF nature
which prevents men from being 100 Ner-
satile. Miss Dickinson's acting III the
character Of Hamlet has been nobly ana
profoundly discussed in pastoral regions
which are Indifferent 10 the Judgment on
a modest town like New York. IL has, we
are told, brOughta great deal OF money INTO
Miss DickinsOn's purse; ana person VINO
can play Hamlet and make money nced
hardly be advised 20 give up the business.
Yet il must he owned that Miss Dickinson
makes a conspicuous example OF preten-
tiOuS and presumptuons incompetence.
whcn, diyestng herself OF what Is gOod
and strong in her individuality, and OF
what we are all glad 10 admire ana 10 re-
sDect, she undertakes 10 bend her nature
10 task for which she has neither genuine
sympathy, knowledge, nor aptitude. MISS
Dickinson. il need hardly be insisted upon,
is an intelligent and gifted woman III her
manner. She must be regarded, therefore,
with q certain consideration ana Serious
ness which would not be wasted
on A conventional offender: IN think-
ing Of her aS an actress one cannot qulle
forget that she was something better. 1et
il j. difficult to refrain from amusing one :
! self at her expense, since she i pelhSercnl
euorgb 10 excite and defy criticism. Her
performance in Hamlet was gwen ior the
| first time here last night at the Fifth-Ave-
nue. Theatre before large audience, when
grew smaller as the play went on. Ihis
performance had been previously seen IN
Various parts Of the country. But why,
on grounds Of good sense and true art, IL
should have been seen or should be repeat
ed i a problem that no one save MISS
Dickiuson aul some ardent friends OF a
particularly blue stripe can more 10
| Iiaihom. The applause which was occasion
ally bestowed upon the actress was olrec'.
ed, probably, by the foolish sympathy OF
these friends. II was not so much marx
| ~ onnroyal rs OF unmitigated stupidity.
! Ii was quite natural. however, that per-
sons Of the most different temper should
watch the performance with CURIOSITY
| Miss Dickinson rs Hamlet was ut least a
novel spectacle. A brief reference 10 'liS
remarkable entertainment Is all tha' necd
! be written. Miss Dickinson's outward al-
pcarance was that Of an oppre5-ivel!-lntei-
| lectual youth, somewhat man-like IN shape.
and large i'm face and feature. ohe hao
| pf hnNN
and two or three gestures, ana
these were made as scrticeaDle - pos
siblc. Her action was either strained ana
stiff or irritably swaggerish; an actioh hei.
ther flesh nor fowl, neither oi man nor oi
woman. and, as one might describe II, gen.
| derle,s. As TO her voice, that was elther
flat and thin or entirely shrill, and IT was
used after the fashion OF rustic preachers
who expOund -. Paul with WINES ana
screecbes. and groans. II is not easy. more
over, to discover the purpose OF Mlss Dlch-
msOn in this performance, Nhlch i'cheu III
every sense emotional eNpressIuh' uI"'
matte spirit, and special lnteipre'a'
tive power. The readings were aiulos'
uniformly bad, and. though some OF lh'
scenes V ere managed with independent IN
telligence. The whole result was not OF
Kind TO emphasize Miss Dhcklnsons intcr
ligence. Her clearest desire, II sceihed i'
Us, was 10 pitch her voice ~ hlgil ~ posi-
bic and 10 be as boisterOusly unnatural a.
4 woman in a mans part could make her
self. Her ranting could barely DC nalehe'
bv our most eminent tragediais ID inei
moments Of greatest NigOr, ana hcT !ciilt
was invariably started on an eaf-Spiittihi
key. She was particularly coarse al'
rough 10 poor Ophella: anu the niue Tsu
ment between Hamlet and his mo'her wal
carried on in fine feminine strain o' Noca
gymnastics. Miss Dickinson, II should d
mentioned. did not act at haI,-ilaZaTR' oh
was. in spite Of the distressing rruis o
her performance, singulariy methooioa'
Her poses were arranged WIN care. ah!
her manner was maiter-ol-iact. III 'hi
be madness. there's method int. III WI
the combination OF mech meal lardhes
with aggressive incap1city which mao
this performance Of Hamlet one Oh th
worst ransackings OF that high ana Dean,l
,ul creation that we have yet endtlreu. l u
proud, the gentle, the e1emnateIy uehc"
and passionate Hamlet, with ,he stli.ng
illumination Of imaginative power Whic
CLOVIS through his nature, ana WIN ine eA
guisite poetic charm and ihconilEAl"oi
} Enchanting being was, in the handling
Miss Dickinson, a garrrIlous and awk"ar
spittire, who appeared to hold COZ
. verse with the incorporeal air. IN
experiment was preposterous, and II d'
serves no higher Difference than the sliar
truth OF censure. Too many absurd an
belittling experiments are made upon u
stage to-day. and too much cncouragemei
4 i given 10 their undertakers-andt the wor
I i rightly used. Al tins dcgradcs ART.
= should be set down here as matter
some importance that more abominaD
z crowd Of emigrants-we are speaking,
;, Miss Dickins0n's company--neyerm mangle
the divine language Of William Shak
: spcare. After viewing their meiancho
exhibition OF shakespearian interprelatio
: one j. inclined to say to them with Pope
Il vris yours 20 shake the soul
u With er-rtiabliHys from the mHstird-bV"i
" zcuaforInI SnuH-rHsscrs.