Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-05-10

benefit of the Free kindergarten of
Los Angeles. The extraordinary sue
cess of the production of this piece at
Pasadena short time ago is evidence
enough that the actors are we'll trained
and musical, and lovers of Gilbert &
Sullivan 3 pretty little opera will doubt
less flock in great numbers to the
presentation of it here tonight.
mr. WendIing,s Lecture.
Literary Los Angeles was we'll rep
resented at the Pavilion last night.
The lecturer, Mr.. Geo Wendling,
opened his discourse on Hamlet and
His Interpreters" with the confession
that he would not attempt oratory,
though he we'll knew that it was ex-
pected from most men who stoed
before an audience on the lecture
platform, but would merely treat his
subject in a convers ational manner.
He then related the story of the
sphinx, and stated that no Edipus
had as yet appeared to unrsvel the
mystery of the sphinx of modern lit
erature, Hamlet, for should one APP
pear, then Hamlet, like the ancient
sphynx, would be destroy ed forever.
1t was this mystery contained in
Hamlet .that made the play so
fascinating. Continuing in this strain
for some length, he passed on to
the great boon conferred on mankind
by Hamlet's interpreters, giving sew
eral illustrations, including passages
from the Bible, proving beyond the
shadow of doubt that correct inter-
petration is the most essential part of
acting. Discussing the question of
Hamlet's sanity, he quoted the opin-
ions OF Aikenside, Mackenzie, Drake,
Campbell, Boswell, Coleridge, Nc
CHM, Kpi sht, Rae, Lloyd, Bucknell,
man, Hudson, Thacker, Mill,
and several others, closing with
his own opinion, that Hamlet without
a shadow OF doubt was thoroughly
sane man. After naming Burbadge,
Betterton, Garrick, Kemble, Kean,
Macready, Fechter and the elder
Booth as the greatest interpreters Of
the Prince of Denmark, he spoke Of
Irving's Louis XI,n Salvini's
I"Othello," and Forests LEAR" as
completely obliterating any other
subsequent characters impersonated
by those actors and proceeding to
the much mooted question as to Ham
let's age declared it to be %,
proving his statement by lines
spoken by ssTbe Queen" "Laertes, !"
"King,n and "Ghost." After few
COMPARISONS Of the rendition of the
best known parts of the play, he lik-
ened the soliloquy to Mallock's query
els life worth the living?" An anec-
dote relating to Mccullough of St.
Louis and his interview with Forrest,
after his performance of Lear" was
followed by a criticism of Fechter's
"Hamlet," which was Immediately
followed by TRADE against Irving
| for his atrocious assault on the
English tongue, the orator suggesting
that Irving should step aside in
favor Of Edwin Booth, leaving stage
settings and other dramatis persona
as they were. He then com pared the
modern Bourbon politician to nPo-
lonius," and to the abnormal tendency
to the cultivation of intellectual edu-
cation now prevalent in America. A
short discussion OF "Ophelia" led to
"Hamlet's" most magnetic charms
! his courage, exquisite courtesy, OF
, fine manners; and high above all, his
! conscience, the arbiter ofIhis career
: Mr.. Vending brought the
lecture to close at $50 By
referring to !" Hamlet's'' failure, tht
cause Of which could not be blinded b.
j, al his magnificent qualities. In hi
It (the lecturer's) Judgment "Ha Met
lroliad Wh0llu an b{a iufalIack IN fh,