The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-02-04


from the pen of Stephen Fiske, the able
critic OF the New York Spirit of the
Times, will be read with profit:
Hamlet, as revised and arranged by
Willard and presented at the Garden
theater, on Monday, is rather play
than dramatic poem. "The plays the
thing in these times, and Willard has
cut away the fantastical embroideries
and given us the drama in ten scenes,
most of which are full-stage. He gets
rid. not only of the absurd front scenes,
but of the ridiculous chase after the
underground ghost, and he settles off
hand many of the long-disputed -ead-
ings. Thus he turns "a sea of troubles"
into "a seige Of troubles" and "a hand
saw" into "a hernshaw," which are
much more reasonable; but we do not
see the point of substituting ''ennobled
QUEEN for "nobled queen" A queen,
being herself one of the sources OF no
bility, can hardly be described as
ennobled, and there is no reason why
Polonius should say ''ennobled queen is
good'' as there is nothing in that ordi-
nary adjective to attract the attention
of the old pedant. Willard also decides
that the madness of Hamlet is not real,
but assumed, and in this he is fully
justified by the text. Shakespeare was
an actor and wrote for actors, and when
he describes Hamlet as putting an antic
disposition on, this is clearly stage di-
rection. a double ghost is introduced In
the great scene; but we wish that the
visible ghost in the queens chamber
had been omitted. The real ghost--if
we may use that TERMS apparent to
the soldiers as well as to Hamlet and
would, therefore. have been seen by the
queen. The ghost who rebukes Hamlet
exists only in his fevered imagination.
For Hamlet who will compare with
that of Willard we must go back to
Davenport, one of the greatest and most
versatile of American actors, the father
of Fanny Davenport, who has steadily
risen to the first rank of American act
ressee. He adopted the same straight
forward style OF impeFsonating Hamlet.
He, too, believed that Shakespeare knew
what he meant by the words OF the play
and did not attempt to becloud the plain
text by metaphysical subtletles. at one
period of his career Edwin Booth played
Hamlet in the same manner but during
recent year. he was satisfied to play the
the melancholy Dane. In some respects
the Hamlet of Willard is, like that of
Davenport, the BEST We have ever seen,
and it ia especially to be praised because
it il thoroughly Shakeepearean and not
mysticallv German. AS Willard imper-
sonates him, Hamlet is manly prince
and not q mere dreamer. He is made
melancholy by his fathers murder and
his mothers incest, and he takes the
ghosts utterances literally. 1t is not
madness which prevents him from kill
ing the king at his prayers; it is the
logical effect of what his fathers spirit
has told him. He suspects Ophelia of
conspiring against him, because he has
already discovered that his dear old
collegemates have played him similar
trick. When his opportunity comes to
kill the king he seizes it promptly. He
makes the point perfectly clear that he
etabs Polonius by mistake, thinking him
the king, and he fights Laertes with
sword and dagger because the text calls
for these weapons and because the king
has maIiciously substituted the real
sword and dagger for the fencing foile.
The clearness and the consistency of,
this Hamlet recommend it most bril-
liantly and give it force and passion
which the Booth version lacked, but
which justify it's effect upon ancient
audiences as described by the critics OF
Garrick.
The stage of the Garden theater is too
small for a spectacular Hamlet; but all
that can be done is done literally and
artistically. The scenery, by Albert
and Burridge of Chicago, ie both pic
turesque and appropriate. The old,
hackneyed music is discarded and that
of Ambrose Thomas opera substituted.
The costumes are especially excellent.
Willard wears the customary suit OF
solemn black, but it is relieved by but
tons of rubies. The transfer of the
daybreak that follows are admirable in
novations. We do not approve of the
substitution of a curtainsd picture for
the miniature of Hamlet's father, but
Willard makes the sudden unwilling
very dramatic. Earnest thought and
reverent taste are apparent in every de.
tail OF the performance. II Willard
could have the advantage of repeating
it fo- hundred nights, as Booth had at
the Winter Garden, it would become
qdite as popular and eventually super
sede the Booth version, az that supar-
Beded Forests. Its only fault, on the
first night, was the monotony of Will
lard's voice; but this was caused by
overwork and over-anxiety in rehearsing
so important tragedy while playing
his regular repertory. If we are to
cum up the Hamlet" of Willard in q
single phrase, it is not poetic, like
Booths, nor melodramstic, like IT.
Wings, nor realistic, like Fechter's, but
1t is truly English and Shakesperean.
To present go time-worn q play in 80
novel and original manner is OF itself
triumph for Willard both as an actor
and manager.
Marie Burroughs is an ideal OpheIia,
ae sweet in her madness as in her love,
Maud Hoffman, who recently made q
promising debut at Boston, is charming
as the boy who represents the PLAYER
Qneen"-thers being no actresses in
Shakespeare time. Keith Wakeman
is tall and tragicsl as the Queen" and
Royce Carleton surprised the audience
by his dignifed and dramatic king"
r part which, in spite of the more nu-
meious lines of Hamlet. we have always
considered the best in the tragedy,
Vincent Sternroyd is the "Horatio -
Bassett Roe. the "Ghost," and Charles
Aiackey, the "Laertes. Not the least
interesting feature Of the performance
is the ease with which these comedians
are transformed into tragic actors under
Wizards system of personal manage
ment. Percy Winter, the son of the