Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1888-06-07
BILL NYE AS A CRITIC.
HE DISCOURsES TOUCHiNGLY UPON
ACTOR O'CONNOR'S HAMLET.

the Actor "Did Up the Play-NIr.
Nye's Chilling Reception at tho Star
| Theatre.
The past week has witnessed the closing
debut of the great Shakespearean humorist
and emotional ass, Mr. james Owen O'Con-
nor, at the Star theatre. During his extra
ordinary engagement he has given us Ham,
let. Phi.lias and Shylock, Othello and Richie
lieu think like his Hamlet best, and vet
it is plei. +'Ire to see him in anything -rhere-
| in he kills himself.
| After seeing his Hamlet am of the opin-
| ion that be did wisely in choosing New York
for debuting purposes, for had he chosen
| Denver Col, at the end of the third act
kind hands would have removed him from
the stage by means of benzine and a rag.
But James Owen O'Connor has done one
thing which 1 take the liberty of publicly al
luding to- He has taken that saddest and
most melancholy bit of bloody history, trim
med with assassinations down the back and
looped up with remorse, insanity, duplicity
and unrequited love, and he has filed it with
silvery laughter and caulifower and mirth,
and various other groceries which the audi
ence throw in from time to time, thus max
ing it more Of a spectacular piece than it is
under the conservative management Of such
old school men as Booth, who seem to think
that Hamlet should be soaked full of sadness
went TO see Hamlet, thinking that Iwould
be welcome, for my sympathies were with
James when heard that Mr.. Booth was
picking on him and seeking to injure him.
went to the box office and explained who
was. and stated that b Il been detailed to
come and see Mr. O'Connor act, also that in
what might say afterwards my instructions
were to give it to Booth and Barrett if l
found that they had tampered with the audi
ence in any way.
The man in the box Office did not recog-
nize me, but said that Mr. Fox would extend
to me the usual courtesies | asked where
Mr.. Fox could be found, and be said inside
then started to go inside. but ran against
total stranger, who was ION the door," as we
say He was feeding red and yellow tickets
into large tin oven, and looking far, far
away. l conversed with him in low, passion
ate tones, and asked him where Mr. Fox
could be found. He did not know, but
thought he was still in Europe went back
and told the box office that Mr.. Fox was in
Europa He said no; | would find him in
side well, but how will l get insideF' /
asked eagerly, for l could already, fancied,
hear the orchestra beginning to twang its
lyra ~-- 80 = i
"Walk in" said he, taking in SO and Civ
Ing back fifty cents in change to man with
q dead cat in his overcoat pocket.
went back, and, springing lightly over
the iron railing, while the gatekeeper was
thinking over his glorious past, went all
around over the theatre looking for Mr..
Fox found him haggling over the price Of
some vegetables which he was selling at the
stage door, and which had been contributed
by admirers and old subscribers to Mr.
OConnor at previous performance
When Mr.. Fox got through with that l
presented to him my card, which is as good
piece of job work in colors as was ever done
west Of the Missouri river and to which !
frequently point with pride
Mr.. Fox said he was sorry, but that Mr.
OConnor had instructed him to extend no
courtesies to the press whatever. The press,
be claimed, had said something derogatory
to MIR OConnor as a tragedian, and while
he personally would be tickled to death to
give me two divans and folding bed near
the large fiddle, be must do as Mr. O'Connor
had bid-or babe him, l forget which; and
80, keeping back his tears with great diff
Guilty, he sent me back to the box office, and |
although | was already admitted in general |
way, | went to the box Office and purchased |
D seat l believe now that Mr. Fox thought |
be had virtually excluded me from the house |
when he told me would have to pay in or |
der to get in
bought a seat in the parquet and went in.
The audience was not large and there were
not over a dozen ladies present.
Pretty soon the orchestra began to ooze in
through little opening under the stage.
Then the overture was given 1t was called
'Egmont." The curtain now rose on scene
n Denmark had asked an usher to take
tote to MIR. OConnor requesting an audience,
,ut the boy had returned with the statement
hat MIR. OConnor was busy rehearsing his
oliloquy and removing q shirred egg from
lis halidome.
He also said he could not promise an audi
nee TO any one 1t was all he could do to
;et enough himself for mess
Mr.. O'COnnor introduces into his Hamlet
set Of gestures evidently intended for
mother play. People who are going to act
ut on the stage cannot be too careful in get
ing good assortment of gestures that will
t the play itself. James has provided him
sf with. a set Of gestures which might do for
little Eva or ''Ten Nights in q Barroom,"
ut they do not fit Hamlet There is where
Q makes q mistake. Hamlet is a man whose
ictuals don't agree with him. He feels
epressed and talks about sticking a bodkin
ITO himself, but Nr. O'Connor gives him q
ght, elastic step end an air Of persifage,
onhomie and frisk which does not ct the
aafacter.
Mr.. OConnor has sought In his conception
nd Interpretation Of Hamlet to give it .
zee ar1 jaunty Kokomo Ravor-a nameless
Yang of tansy and dried apples which
hakespeare himself failed to sock into his |
.eat drama
In seeking to combine the melancholy
,auty Of Hamlet's deep and earnest pathos Z
ith the gentle humor Of "A Hole in the
round" Mr.. OConnor has evidently corked
mself, as we say at the Browning club, and
Is but justice after all Before we crrse
. condemnation OF the people and the press
; us carefully and prayerfuly look our =
ives over and see il we have not over esti- e
ated ourselves =
There are many men alive today who do b,
{ dare say anything without first thinking =
" it viii read In their memoirs-men
lom we cannot, therefore, thoroughly en-
puntl they are dead, and yet whose graves
d be kept green only 20 long as the appro-
Iation lasta-Bin Nye in New York World
= nov '-grUaoao nOrr, cal;e0 -s.nsc7-
is imported from Celebes into Hol-
ID, and is made to take the place OF =
IS and hair In upholstery.
/ Ia