Semi=weekly graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1895-1902, 1896-12-02
FRED WARDE AS LEAR
ONE OF sHAKEsPEARE's MAS.
TER PIECES PROPERLY
PRESENTED.
A Large Audience Greeted tie
Tragedian, Notwithstanding
the Terrible Night.


weather Friday night. the Opera
house was well filed with a most
fesl!t.:i;;.iiiet, ;iii,ii Intelligent uuliIpnee
who had assembled to see the great
tragedian, Fred Warde. and his
company, present Lear one Of
Shakespeare's masterpieces.
We wish that we could pass over
/ the pay and have nothing to say OF
it, for anything that we can say will
fail far short OF the subject of what
even We conceive OF IL: and to nj
tempt 10 give description of the
play, the magnificent acting, or It's
effect upon the audience would be
almos' an iInpertinenee.
It has been said, aud trnthfpsiy,
by famous dramatic critic, that
the three first acts OF "Leor'' and the
third act OF "Othello are Shakes
peare's masterpieces In delIncating
the human passions; that they con-
tain the highest examples. not only
Of the force of individual passion,
but OF dramatic vielssItndes aud
striking effects arising from the diff
lerent circumstances and characters
in he play.
We see the ebb and How OF feeling,
its pauses and feverish starts, It's
impatlence and its accommodating
force when 1t has time to recollect
itself, the manner IN which 1t avails
itself Of every passing word or gas
ture Yon see the cold. calculating,
obdurate seltishness OF Iear's daugh-
tiers aud the uncomfortable anguish
of the fathers heart which IL cauapd
by their true natures being so plahl
y shown 60 him. and the the charac-
tiers OF these two women aggrI-
Yates the sympathy OF an audience
70 rs marked a degree iis the trit,-
ulations and sorrow Of Lear appeals
to it,
Warde has given great attention
to the details of this plny. and lns
mounted II with care and skill
and the scenery was superb, especial
~ the storm where the Mad King
with his faithful follower. Kent. and
the Fool, brayed the elements after
being turned from the homes OF his
daughters
TO see Warde as Lear ls reve-
lation, for In him you find the very
character that Shakespeare had In
his MUD when he wrote this immors
tai play. The great actor appears
to be fairly caught in the web OF his
own imagination and the passion
which he throws into the character
strikes deep into the hearts OF his
audience. His portrayal OF ali the
yicissitudes through which the Mad
King passed can he equalled by few
and exeelled by none
Warde has surrounded himself
by u most excellent company, and
each aud every member enacted his
or her part admirably
The character Of Gordelia, as in
terpreted by Miss Florence Wilbur
ham, was extremely beautiful and
well taken. The hateful characters
OF Regan and GoneriIl, We're spl n
didly assumed aud their efforts pro-
claimed them as artists. indeed.
Darrell Ninton assumed the char
q ter of Edward the Bastard, ami
did it 80 successfully and creditsbIy
/ that his acting reconciled the audi
ence with the detestable character
he represented
Chas. ". Sutton. as Edgar; Bey
erly Turner. as Kent; Lionel Clarke.
as Gloster, deserved the applause
they received Ernest Warde was
the Fool, and the character lost no
interest by the manner in which he
presented it.
The closing scene OF the play, where
Cordelia Is hanged in prison, cut
down and brought out in the arms
OF Lear, and the death OF the henri-
| broken father, was superbly pre-
scented, and so affecting that the audi
ence was made to feel the truth pt
what Kent says on the OCCASION.
over the body of his dying nastef:
.",Yex not his ghost, o, let him pas~.
ne hates hin. that would upon the
rocks OF this rough world stretch
him out longer.
/ Warde is IA great favOrite with
Pine Bluff theater-goers and had not
the weather been so inelement. the
opera house would have been filled
from parquet to gallery on last FRI
day night
A Doll Bazaar.
On Thursday, Friday and Satur-
day, December 10, IL, and II. a dell
bazaar" will take place at 22l West
Fifth avenue. Admission 10 cents
i Miss JOE CoUsoTTE.
/ ll-30-d6t
many