Omaha daily bee., 1892-11-25
dNUSEHESTS.


Thomas w. Keene, the tragedian, and his
company of players opened a short season at
the Boyd yesterday, presenting "rhe Mer-
chant Of Venice" in the afternoon aud
"Othello' in the evening. The company is,
as whole, fairly capable one, and its head
has a national reputation. Tue theater was
crowded ut both performances, and, as is the
nature of holiday audiences, everybody was
more prepared to be pleased than to be crit
ical. The Merchant of Venice'' is play
that peculiarly depends for it's perfect pre-
sentation on a iine appreciation of the poetry
in it's lines on the part of the players, and
here Is where Mr.. keene's company, with
perhaps two exceptions, is weak, and this
weakness worked to mar the performance as
whole The players are evidently pains
taking artists, and cast. in Il modern melo-
drama would doubtless acquit themselves
admirably, but they lack, or have not strlven
to attain, tho qualities essential to n perfect
presentation of such comedy as The Mer-
chant OF Venice" This IS the impression
left OF the performance DIS whole.
Mr.. Keene's Shylock is well known to
theater-goors. It's built largely on stage
tradition and is finely representative of the
methods OF what has come TO be called the
..old schoot'; even where in bits of "busi
ness" it shows amendment of the marginal
notes Of tho older prompt books it still re-
tatns the spirit of that "old school," Judged
by the very modern canons, Mr.. Keenes
jew is at times unnecessarily noisy i'll
defamation; the rendition is broad with the
breadth many of US love for the memories it
recalls, but much is missed of the poetry
and the finer meanings of the speeches
in Il word, Mr.. keene's method knows moth
ing of nuances. much less able artist
might present as satisf factory performance
paradoxical as the statement may seem.
Mr.. Frederick Pauiding made wholly
admirable Bassanis, speaking the casket
speech With fine intelligence, and as Gratiano
Mr. Frank Hennlg proved himself an excel
lent actor. Mr.. Carl Ahrendt in the title
part was very bad. This gentleman is evil
IDENTIFY utterly incapable of scanning q
Shakespearean line, and seemingly it has
never entered his head to inform himself on
the pronunciation of Ei2abethan English.
Other members of tho campauy acquitted
them passaby.
"Othellon proved q sufficient attraction
to fill every seat last evening The prescn-
tation of the familiar drama was pleasing on
the whole and was received by the audience
with every evidence Of satisfaction. With
| Its intensely dramatic situations, Is tragic
| finale and tho scope which itSffords for the
| representation of an insanely jealous passion
that attracts and yet diSmays, "Othellon Is q
| production calculated TO try the mettle of
one who aspires to interpret tho Shake
| spearean drama. MIR. Keene last night was
| not an ideal Othello. At times his lnterpre-
tation of tho role approached tho level of
perfection, but again failed to reach the
standard of superiority. His enunclo was
| very indistnct Mt times aud for several
| minutes even his emphasis was unintellibe
| beyond the orchestra chairs. The actor was
| at his best in his portray al OF the first
awakening OF the jealous rage INSPIRED by
| lagos artful wiles and in tho scene In which
| he confronts his supposedly dlsioyal wife
| with the storm accusations of a maddened
| husband. In the last act, in which he
| plunges The dagger TO the heart OF tho
wronged wife, then finds her innocent and
| sheathes the blado in his own bosom, Mr.
| Keene failed to reach the standard OF his
| previous efforts
| AS Desdemona, Miss Mazda Craigen rep
| resented the wronged and loving wife with
n depth Of pathos that could hardly be crit
| icised, and Mr.. Frank Hepnig made very
| creditable imDersonage of the crafty Iago.
| The minor characters performed what little
| remained for them to do acceDtably, Miss
Henrietta Valers, as lagos wife, doing scme
| very clever work.