The San Francisco call., 1896-04-05

alter his own conception of the character
with consistency that shall give to IL
harmonious color.
NO actor will, however, be tolerated who
strains for an Interpretation obviously not
| intended. Only where the master is silent
or am blguous is the actor permitted to de-
part from the plain reading of the lines.
Nor is he at liberty to conceive meanings
foreign to the text, or give expression to
Ideas not natural to or not legitimately
suggested by the context for the sake of
mere theatrical effects.
The language employed by Hamlet is so
delicate in its texture that even the light
est infection or the least perceptible defec-
ton changes the motive of the line and
may color whole passage.
Ignoring this many actors have pre-
1erred to follow some accepted standard
Hamlet and thus avoid the risk of criti-
cism as applied to newer conception
but the Hamlets which hold permanent
place In our esteem have not feared to
clothe their own ideas with flesh and
blood and submit them frankly and fear
lessly.
Every presentation of Hamlet is more or
less influenced by the nature of the actor
Even his physique has its influence not
only upon the audience, but upon the actor
himself. His views of life, his own an
swer to the everlasting iteration of the
question of existence and of hereafter
Will color his conception of the character.
The measure of his intellectual strength is
the effect which be produces.
Mr.. O'Neill's con ception of Hamlet is his
own and he is consistent and harmonious
throughout. He gives quite mum Der of
new readings, but these are legitimate
without being startling and there is not at
any time sacrifice OF the lines and their
obvious meaning for the unworthy pur-
pose OF creating dramatic surprise. His
reading of the lines is musical and his
presence always gracious. He is entirely
free from mannerisms and his delineation
Is IN harmony with the lines. His soul
ascends or descends with cadence natu-
raj to the situation. l say his soul ascends
because do not mean his words, which
would be repetition of the statement
tnat his utterances are musical. What
suggest is that Mr.. O'NeiIl is able to give
to his utteTances not merely body but q
qulckened, living soul, and this is why he
Is enabled to hold his audience as by q
spell while they are with him, sending
them away with feeling in their hearts
OF having suffered loss by the abbreviation
of the performance.
Mr.. O'Neill regards Hamlet as being
richly endowed intellectually and NOR
ally, as the possessor of mental qualities
which would have made him great under
most circumstances but LOOKS upon him
as genius born before his time, sub
Jected TO cruel misfortune, attacked
through his natural love- crushed finally
by an overwhelming com bination of cir
cumstances. He does not portray the
Iong-haired bookworm which sometimes
does duty for Hamlet. He gives us a real
man, clothed with all that makes for
manhood, and he gives us a strong man
made weak by his own strength. He
shows us a Hamlet assuming madness,
but never mad-a philosopher always pre-
sentlng the question of life and its coil,
but always unable to solve the mystery
lie shows US man, great man, suffer
ing, detected, at times resolved, at times
In doubt. yet always with an unaccom-
pllshed purpose, man in the hands of
relentless fate.
DIR. ONeill is true to this conception
avoiding art;fice he gives us art with
finish and refinement, with an intenseness
and keenness of perception emitting him
to be ranked with the greater HamIets
and with the effect of increasing our
pleasure in the fact that he has returned
permanently to the legitimate.
Dramatic BrevitIes.
John J. McNally is writing Peter F.
Dailey's new farce for next season.
The tour of Anton Seidl and his orches-
ira has been postponed for the coast until
August next.
1.-THE Strange Adventures of Miss
Brown" has reached its six hundredth
performance ce at the Savoy Theater in Lon
don.
The students of the Columbia School of
Dramatic Arts will give q performance at
the Columbia Theater next Thursday
afternoon.
Miss "Ta-ra-ra Boom decay" Collins is to
return to New York in a comedy. 1.-THE
New Barmaid," in which she is now play
ing in London.
Herbert Kelcey, it is settled, is to play
the part of Alan Kendrick in "The Heart
OF Maryland" the latter part of the season
and all of next.
Marie Tempest may revisit us next fall
with the new Gilbert and Sullivan opera.
AT all events, she has the option of the
American rights.
One of the features of the last act of
"Bluebeard" at the Tivoli tomorrow will
be the intro duction of the terpsichorean
novelty. rays of Light
Henry Arthur Jones, the dramatist, is
the son of an English farmer and was
taught in his early days to look upon the
stage with Puritan horror.
Frank Belcher, the popular California
barytone, left for New York last night en-
route for Europe, where he will study
either for opera or oratorio.
Frank Lawton, who played the private
in "a Milk White Flag" goes to Australia
with Hoyts company that is to present "a
Trip to Chinatown" in the land of the kan
garoo.
Richard Mansfeld's new play "The
Story OF Rodian, the Student" is by
Charles Henry Meltzer of the New York
World, and Is founded upon Dostoyevski's
great Russian story of Crime and Pun
iShment."
Salvini recently made temperance on
the stage of the Teatro Vale at Rome al
benefit for dramatic artists. The play was
"Othello," the great tragedian, who seems
to have lost none of his power, acting the
part of the Moor to the Iago of Ermete
Novel;.
The Hamlet" epidemic Is raging. It
has attacked Eben Piympton, Otis Skin
ner and Alexander Salvini. There is also
a contagion of "Romeo and Juliet" which
has seriously affected the Tabers. the