The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-10-28
PLAYS AND PLAYERS.
Lawrence Hanley as Hamlet
at Cordray's Tomorrow.
.,n OLD KENTUCKY" COMING.
Jacob Liars Crest Atsssettsn 90 BE
px~.s.,~d ~ the seattle Thestsr
ssxs TAursday-Drsmstfe Notes

A21t shfS 5Ss~
The many dramatic and musical enter
tainrneass of the week IusE closed have
afforded interesting and healthy snuse-
nens TO large Audiences ~ both thsaiers
Al Co-6rsy's Lawrence Hanisy gave the
fail play Of .'Otheiio. aad represented the
character 81 TIE dnsky Moor in a manner
To give general satisfaction, 30 much so
that "Otheslo," which sss billed for four
nights only, was continued throughout
The week, With "rhs Player" for
Yesterdays cIiildren's matinee. BIZ. Han-
ley will close his engagements this svening
with sOthelio," and the artistic success
that has attended his several representa-
ton. here have made tor himself and
Miss Lanmert many warm friends AT
the Seattle fheater Ezra Kendall and his
company Of comedians filled in last Mon
day and Tuesday evenings TO poor bush
ness.
The real intersst of the week cen
tered in the first appearance In
this city Of the young herculsan actor
Robert Downing and Eugene Blair At the
eeattle theater last Thursday evening in
.sThs Gladiator" Mr.. Downing came
here dramatically unknown. but his mag
nifcent physique and excellent work
have made favorable impression
that will insure him a hearty welcome
when again he appears here. The stall
vart teagedian. Edwin Forest. after whom
Mr.. Downing copies, is known 10 tbs
present generation of thsater~goers in
name only and but few are left today who
s.f
mind and body OF that gladiator
of the dramatic profession OF his
day. With the death of Mr.. Forrest
the stage lost the only original representa-
tive OF the robust and herculean school OF
acting. John Mccullough for . while fol-
lowed in the footsteps Of Forrest and did
% successfully TO AL but the Forrest wor-
shippers. The death of Mccullough again
left vacancy in the rank of the hsro:cs.
but inscru table time has again evolved
another star out of the dramatic armament
and this time filled the void With the
massive proportions OF the brainy young
sctor, Robert Downing. on whose broad
shoulders the hsstrionic mantle of the
dead and gifted Forrest may be said to
have fairly fallen. To inteiiigentIy enjoy
and understand Mr.. Downing's acting. he
wants to be viewed entirely from a eoios-
sal standpoint. With ali his surroundings.
plays, scenes and characters In keeping
with bis massive proportions. His work,
especially in The Gladiator" is strongly
suggestive of Solomon's srmorer, who By
sheer force OF mind and body compelled
recognition from his exalted master. tits
Of the rugged order. that commands adj
miration.
As a bit of drsmstic history II might be
we'll TO relate that Mr. Downing's play of
s'The Gladiator" is not the one written
by Dr. Bird Tor Macreaiy and secured by
Forrest to produce before his English rival
could get IL. but is the version written by
the French playwright Saumet and
brought TO this country by the elder Sal
vini. who produced If during his last
starring tour in this country. Spsrtacus
Is the hero of FORESTS version and
Nero in Saivini's now Mr.. Downing.
The latter, who owned an interest ia the
spartacus play. the property of the heirs
OF John Mccullough, sold his interest and
secured bis present Italian version from
sslvinL This he had translated and fitted
TO suit bis purposes. The points OF diff
ference in the two versions are worth
noting. Dr. Birds. or FORESTS version,
deals with historical characters and in
eidents and Is strictly classical, while
Saumet. using the gladiator as the central
figure and the decline of the Roman EN-.
pire for his material. has woven a
picturesque story in which love is
the basis for the sction of the play
Mr.. Dosning's version is purely fiction,
but intensely dramatic. The gladiators in
both versions are ierocious human
butchers in the hope of winning the free
dom OF wife and daughter. In
spartacus, IN order To make that
hope reality he leads an instruction
which nearly wrecks the great Roman eni-
pIre. In Mr.. Downing's version, as Nero,
the feroeious human beast. no lives only
60 revenge the unsimeiy death Of his
wife. who before bis own eyes
Was murdered by order of Empress
Faustina under the superstitious belief
that in order TO save her own child, fa.
ture Crssr. an unborn babe mus. lie torn
from the mothers womb. This royal
crime increased the savage nature Of
Nero. The gladiator. and ne biaed his time
70 he revsnged on the empress. aud in a
search for his daughter torn from
ffs HAkAk after AAt tIleA uNEI.
Fifteen years later in one of his intended
victims Of the arena he recognized his
daughter and refused to STRIKE her down.
This aroused the ven<ence Of the mob and
I'm order TO save himself and his child
from their fury he FIRST kills her.
then himself This also fulfilled
abe prophecy that the life OF
young Cesar should last only while the
girl whose mother hal been slain should
live. and fate was fulfilled by the mob
which looted the palace and murdered the
empress aud her son.
The coming week promises 10 interest IN
the production Of Hamlet" for
Dir. Lawrence saniey's heneat Of
tordray's tomorrow night, aud
IN the FIRST appearance in this city next
Thursday At the Seattle theatsr Of Jacob
Hts's picturesque PLAY. ''Ia Oh Kentucky. "
Enough has slreaay been seen Of naniey :
Hamlet in the pFoioGue o. The Player
o. justify ihe anticipation Il treat, while
''ia old Kentucky" wtth its mesropolitan
reputation. IL produced as promised. Will
be = pleasant evenings entertainment.
naniey Tn 'usmisss' Tomorrow
The many frsends made ~ Mr.. Law.
renee Haniey aud Miss Eaith Lesasaer,
during saeir artistic starring engagement
q; Cesdray's thsster have arranged q give
NJ HantFv cam y stnaaEArx hsnsat t.-,,.,,-.