The morning call., 1894-12-07
KEENE AS HAMLET.
A Preponderance of Young Men in
the Audience,

ShS AAulCHICs
Notwithstandi the Storm. the rain,
the hail. the sheeted lightning and "the
artillery of heaven" with which we were
visited last evening" the auditorium Of the
New California was full of people TO see
Mr.. Thomas Keene in the character OF
Hamlet. 1t was noticeable that there
were great many young men present,
and some parts of the house wore the APP
pearance of gathering Of students, anX
ious to learn what the actor had to teach
oil dramatic art. and particularly II he had
any new ideas on the much-veXed ques-
ton OF the place the Prince OF
Denmark occupies in the gallery OF
remarkable portraits Shakespeare has
given to the world. They were not dlsap
pointed in this respect One seemed to
lmblbe new thoughts of the character OF
the eccentric Prince-more from the
actors reading, however, tnan from MS
action. Hamlet belongs 70 the closet
rather than to the stage. But one thing
was evident from the conduct of the
younger part OF the audience; heene has
captlvated young San Francisco. While
the "old guard love him for the times past
and talk OF him under former conditions.
our young men are at his feet In admra-
ton Tor the work he is doing at present.
Keene is. therefore, a professional TO be
actor, has been able to thus link two gen.
erations so closely together?
MI. keene managed his Sollloqules with
admirable art. They were indeed self
communlons, and as nine parts in ten, as
has been well remarked, OF what Hamlet
does are transactions between himself
a1d his moral sense, the illusions of his
solitary musings. the silent medtations
with which his bosom is bursting, 40
other treatment OF such passages In the
play can be justified The audience, ii
was pleasant 10 notice, caught the actors
correct idea fully. aud the greater and
most positive applause was given him TOR
this mastery work. For that in which he
INDUCES, after Diminishing the players, 20,
what rogue and peasant slave ara l. =" he
was honored with three recalls. His read
ing of the hackueyed ''To be or not to
be"-hs mental analysis of suicide It may
be called-ln the third act was a revela-
ton. be cast himself at the foot of the
royal dais and in this recumbent position
spoke the lines soto voce, almost in a
whisper In fact. but so distinctly that
every word was heard in the perfect
silence that regned in the auditorium.
Again, IN the scene with Ophelia he did
not rant and rave at the unhappy daughter
of PolOnius as if she had committed a
crime. He spoke to her with bated breath,
more in sorrow than in anger, in words
that yelled the grief he felt for the object
of his love. from whom in the distraction
OF his mind he was alienated. Miss Lii
Ian Laurence's personation of the gentle
girl was full of pathos and sweet woman
iness, qualities that were not entirely lost
sight of In madness that followed the kill
ing Of her father in the closet by Hamlet.
This young lady's talent as an exponent
of Shakespeare's women has impressed
our lovers of legitimate acting deeply.
In other particulars there WAS much to
commend in this performance The first
player read "tbe rugged Pyrrhus" speech
in an effective way. LaerteS was in good
hands and the churchyard scene well man
aged, although remembrances of poor OLD
Bill Barry in this particular bit would
come in at times almost involuntarily.
Tonight, "Richelieu."