Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-11-13
Mr.. Mansfield in THE Scarlet Letter."

MIR. Mansfield in The Scarlet Letter."
"The Scarlet Letter" as a story won i'm
mortality by the truth lit contains: the
human heart is laid bare in its brief pages
with wonderful skill. l do not think the
story, considered merely rs a story, would
have won an instant admission to the
worlds ear; il was the psych illogical study
which it contained, some of it positive and
individual and some allegorical of a broader
humanity, that by its simplicity and verify
charmed Hawthorne's readers. So when
Mr.. Joseph Hatton came to make play of
'The Scarlet Letter. lie found in the book ;
strongest point as a book, the greatest OBJ
stacle to its dramatic conversion. The
very subtlety of thought combined
with the simplicity of expression which
the reader admires most in the book. could
never be transmitted into dramatic action,
unless IA Shakespeare were to assume the
task. Action, action, action, is the prime
requisite of good play. The story, strong
as it is between covers lacks the plot and
situation to make u great play.
Taking all these facts into consideration,
Il is extremely creditable to Mr.. Hatton that
he has made so good a play out of Haw-
thornes novel. He has done it, too, without
dragging in any eNtraneous matter, without
materially changing the story, and with eN-
traordinary fidelity to the original charac-
tiers. The language of the play is almost
word for word OF that of the book. In so
doing he probably came most near to pre-
serving as far as could be the charm of the
original. 1t would not be truo to say that
Mr.. Hatton has done more than this. 1t
would be far easier to exactly size up the
playwri-ht's work If the noyelists wore not
so IA :niliar. Probably it is fair to credit Mr..
Hatton with transferring with scrupulous
care the picture of old New England from
the library shelf to the stage. The play has
a dignity akin to that of the book; it has all
of its solemn sadness, ana such of its small
share OF sunshine as would bear transplant
ing. Mr.. Hatton has made trivial effort to
relieve the mournful monotony OF the
tale by endowing MGSter Broc!tett, the
iailer, with a sancuimonious air hot
found in Hawthorne's portrait, and
morous by contrast. This is practically all
that Mr.. Hatton has of his own lE tie play,
and it serves the purpose well enough. The
play no doubt is still too much OF one
color; gray deepening slowly but unremit-
tingly into black. But you couldn't make
anything but a tragedy of the story any
how.
The performance of the play by Mr. Mans
field and his company at the Alvin last week
made it the most notable production of the
season. IL the play had shown us nothing
but the improvement, the step upward of
Mr.. Mansfield, which it has displayed in no
uncertain way, We should be grateful 1t is |
not by any means to my mind. the greatest |
piece OF acting Mr.. Mansfield has done, for |
believe him co be at his best in the creation /
OF strongly marked character in drama that /
has some tendency toward comedy. But his /
arthur DimmesdoLe shows how thorough and /
conscientious an artist he is; how we'll he |
has learned to use every faculty in the |
Unusual intelligence he can interpret the |
deepest feelings OF the human heart. In /
one or two places Mr.. Mansfield rises to q |
height lie has seldom reached before; the |
soliloQuy in the pillory, and the final heart
breaking confession of the repentant man
from the same pulpit were supremely /
pathetic. The stimulation or physical weak
ness and the gradual decay of tho unhappy
creatures powers of mind as well as body |
told OF INFINITE DalnS. 1 do not think the
character gives Mr.. Mansfield the oppor-
tunity he seeks to best express himself;
adhere to the belief that Mr.. Mansfeld's
greatest triumphs will come along the line
which he has taken in Baron Cher7fdl and
Beau B11tnanle I. But whatever such an
arUist chooses to give US must have some
" hich he has not done much. The finish, |
almost q too bright gloss, which confronts |
US in Beau BrumnteU is what we
many confidently expect always from this
great actor. 1t is this, compared with the
slip-shod, made-ready yin haste style of many |
O. our ablest actors, that gives Mr. Mans |
field his pre-eminence. Ii You think over it. |
you'll see that it is this elaboration of de- |
tal, the setting together of little things, |
that makes Mr.. Mans1ield's performances so
ENJOYABLE to you. The dandy before his
looking glass, the roue at the supper table |
the conscience-stlicken Clergyman dream
ing as he walks-every picture has wealth |
OF detail, and in just proportion, too, that |
simply says in the loudest tone: This comes
1rom hard work An actor who has the
brains, the artistic sense, in things scenic
ard pictorial as well as purely histrionic
and the bent OF Mr.. Mansfield San do almost |
W hat he pleases if he will but work. The
average actor doesn't like work any more
than the average man in any other walk OF
life.
so, we salute Mr.. Mansfield, thank him for
some hours of refreshing entertainment and
wish him q speedy return to Pittsburg.