New-York tribune., 1894-01-23
THE DRAMA
Mr.. WILLARD AS HAMLET.


violent action Almost every serious actor
| sooner or later presents himself as Ham,
let The character is beautiful. and the ambition
| to embody Il Is both natural and noble
Mr. willard possesses attributes as an actor thas
would give importance to his performance OF almost
any part that he might choose 10 represent. inter-
lectual concentration. dignity OF aspect. intensity
| OF demeanor weight Of personality. power ana
melody OF voice, copious resonance OF delivery the
capacity OF quick transition from qnetude 10 tren-
chant impetuositythose together win me stature
| and a certain rugged grace OF movement are
blended in his nature with the selfabsorption ana
the physical strength essential to sustain an ex-
acting character at n high tension OF life. Those
| qualities were manifested in mis- embodnent OF
Hamlet-a performance winch, tecnhicapy' "as
| often excellent. but which. for reasons ,ha' a's
partly constitutional and partly those OF voon was
scarcely ever true TO the poet or eloquent 10 tns
| heart. Further observation OF Mt. "niar' - p'e.
| sentiment OF Hamlet may perhaps. discover IN "
more truth Of ideal and greater felicity OF appro'
priate execution than are discernpie now INV
| actor has but lately adopted the part lh'o hs
repertory and II cannot reasonably be supposeo
| that his purpose In the embodiment OK u has
| already been entirely accomplished Periec"o" :"
Hamlet II ever yet II vas achieved by anyDooy'
| was surely not achieved In an Instant In 10 ia''
| however, his Views OF the Tragedy can De sau'-
cred from his impersonation, III its present s'a's
Mr. Willard has neither formed the right IDEAL OK
Hamlet nor chosen the right method for its ex'
| preston.
The theory has gained acceptance. OF late yearh
| that natural method or acting-meanihe
method Of familiarity in demeanor ana coioquiahs"
| In speech-rnay advantageousiy be apphed 70 the
poetic drama That once dstingu he'd actor Charies
| rechter used that method, and his use OF II was
admired In the judgment OF Mr. fechter ham
let's soliloquy upon death was an innpehmeh, l"
the movement OF the tragedy, and therefore thins
To be omitted lie did not discard H. but ne caused
,bo form Of
no delivered IT, His acting was HARMONIOUS WIN
that denotement In the graveyard scene ne pre-
sented Hamlet seated upon tomb WIN one 'es
crossed the other and with MS hah"s cdspe1
| upon his right kDee,-much as u ne were 'p""-
relzer or Jasper, or any other easy-gons gehte-
man OF the modern dress-coat drama. Iha' s'!'s
v,as Of course flexible, and II persuaded some oo-
servers that they were now. Tor the irs' ',hs'
seeing Hamlet an actual man. mt sSle "@o
lasted and has found other exponens In i's proper
nloca II IA delightful but when Il H. assocla'el win
poetical ideals 1t tend. to degrade them Mr' WE
lard seems TO have compreherdcd Hamlet as an
absolutely man. cmbittered ny P'"
nerence and TO have determined 70 Represent "i''
In tho spirit and apart from eXtet"a'S-as d" ~
neraon of the present day. Ills performance was
hased on realism and executed IN the ha'u'a'
manner Only one result possible from mat
method "ffamet" remains a sufficiently ehec"'e
play but it ceases TO be poetry. Inc e'e'."' VI
Uamlet's nature that Mr. Willard tnorousns 80
nressed was the cynical bitterness oi -" f'''
which as indicated In Shakespeare Is that ine'an
ho,y boneless scrld gail OF suspicion and sar-
"a asm SO often associated with mental aereIls~
ment. Upon the lovely dream'ike' pensVe ~
tionate. mournfu supersti;ious. we'rd' ha",1'
desolate phantasnal aspects OF Hamie, 'h''r '
actor cast no light; and. indeed, he seems 10 nav"
bastowed little attention upon 1ha' Sp'"ua'
exnsr,ence which Hamlet was intendei 10 'cp'e
sent He played the part like en- ac'or po,eeSe"s
u-never like a man whom 1t possesses anu "N'"
soul II has enthralled ,, ,,,or
.rong the many sdeghts that are thrown upon
tho character Of Hamlet none Is more hiu'i'na~'' 80
Gov a, actor than his mothers description OF hiils
gvan q, the grave OF Ophea. After the III Oh H'aa'
ness has passed his patience Is tnat OF '"e ie,i'
dove: his silence will sit dropping. ha'i'e &c -
occa asonal accessions Of frenZied strength ".''
c,nab,e of sudden, though Intermittent tHmu''' VI
action: but for the most part he drifts aHn "'e+
and although he never for instant ceases 10 SIX
fer his predominant attribute is gentIeheSS' nam
let means spiritual misery. lie does NOT e".'
sImpy because his father has died. or siHpN oe
cause his widowed mother has preciptateiS H~'.'' ~
his uncle He grieves.-and In that Sriet ne coh'e"i-
,,es s,,ciie before the apparition OF his fathers
ehost-because his mind Is overwneimed WIN ""s
b-ooding upon the awful mystery OF the sp'''''A'
environment He deeply desires that MS re'a"o'
with that appalling mystery may be adjusted "e
everywhere bafied His mind is unhinged. Ana IN
that condition of agony (Which the temper OF us
nrasent dav would call morbid" and would dispose
Of with fppant jest or a comic song)' ne receives
the shock OF a visitation from the other "or'u "''.
after that experience he is always in the oorder-!ao
between reason and madness. No actor can attain
more than superficial success In lfaHiieI uieS' e
has nartlcIpated in that form OF possible human
grief and unless. also he possesses the 'h'fi'so
personal charm that can turn even so'fo" s
enchantment. The slender. handsome eeh'e'a''
whose elocuon neither domestic infelici'y NOT 'ne
n,ternal spectre can disturb. is not Shakespeares
Hamlet, neither is the latter-day agnostical cyhic.
Mr. willard did not indicate sympa."y with ram
LET'S spiritual condition. nor even perception Oh IL
He was refined. picturesque, interesting urailaeic.
modern: smooth, middle-aged gentleman; a huehs
and flexible actor, completely circumscrioeo "i,hi"
the limits OF a play; a model OF executive efnciency
and even OF fiery resolution never the haunten' DO
wIldered, detected. mournful. haif-crazed Prince
never the authentic oracle OF that great messase
for the soul: 'If il be now. It's not 10 come; u "
be not 10 come. II will be now; II II De not now.
vet II will come: the readiness Is ALL" Hamlet II
is to be remembered. wins ana sways oy eohdi''on.
not BY deed: and therefore, the more an ac'or vi
hin, strives after stage effect the further. naturally
he drifts away from the truth. Mr. Wnlards Ham
10, like that OF the late John Mccullough. Is re.
n,s,e with effective embellishments OF professional
mechanism but. also like that muscular aenieVe
ment It lacked the essential soul Practcahy
Hamlet so capable would perforate Uncle Claudius
md ..clean OUT the court OF Denmark In haif an
bour instead OF wasting time with 'craven scrups
and thinking too precisely on the event. 1t u
possIble. however, that Mr.. Wizards purpose was 70
make himself comprehensive by commonplace minds
as a grim and caustic cync and an apt schemns'
exneditious avenger OF the purely practical kind.
His advent as Hamlet was heraded with official
promise of "a performance entirely in keeping with
the realistic movement OF the age"-which Is ex-
acty what Hamlet ought never 10 be. II Is not
perhaps surprising that with such a design. the
haunted Prince should have turned his back upon
the phantom and then rushed violently after Il.
and that, In the supreme scene OF the killing OF
PolonIus and the rebuke OF the Queen. he shou'o
created effect OF frenzy nor the least iess-
ing OF awe. nor the least sense OF pathos, ,,~-
Mr.. Wizards stage version OF the Tragedy uinsIs
ia some respects from all others hitherto P,S
sented In the second scene OF act nrst aitet
Hamlet has been apprissd OF the apparinon, sns
King and courtiers re-ener. ana the supssuueN
scene. between Lsertcs ophelia and folonins.
passes In the throneroom. by that expeaieht 'ne
customary front-scene is obvlated. Act second =
amplifed by the introduction. from ACT thiru, Ok
the soliloquy on death Gao be or not 10 De 10
sether with the subsequent colloquy between HAM
let and Ophela. Those passages are inserted AFTER