The morning times., 1896-05-03

NUR friend the cyniC is generally su-
| ! perficial being. The other night he
O ne came down into the orchestra
chair next and watched with
read or affected interest the
strange adventures Of the Brown
person. The merriment before him
and the appreciation behind him dis
turDed his sensitive organization and he
did what all cynics do when Others about
them are happy. He complained. Poor VIII
Shakespeare was the object OF his lament.
He thought il such shame that this de-
generate world does not any longer take
any interest in the bard's dramas. 1t is
this same chap, mind you, whose fundi-
mental dogma on other occas fons Is that
there is trouble enough in the world tand
IN his disordered little insdesl without 60
ing TO weep before sham woes. and hence
he is out for comedy and burlesque and all
the dramatic champaign he can get. Poor
fellow! He is only consistent in one thing
he makes it an inviolable rule not to be
happy.
As to that remark that Sha keSpeare is
neglected, tie re S not word of truth in it,
This season fading has been triumph of
Shakespearian supremacy. There have been
nine Hanllets finding support at the pocket
books OF p!aygoers. In one city, Philadel-
phia, Creston Clarke has played an ex-
elusive SDakespearian repertoire during
an entire season. Irving finds Sbylock his
most valuable character at advanced prices
Young Walker Whitesides pla US ON the great
dranlatlSts S works; so does Thomas Keene,
Louis James, James Young, the Balti-
morean So popular in the south west; Charles
Hanford and Margaret Mather Salvini
finds more demand for bis Hamlet than the
romantic characters in which he is sups
posed to be unapproachabie.
Last Monday he added ''0thellO'' to his
ri gafVa l..
to Shakespeare. James 0'Neill finds profit
in Hamlet Robert Mautell plays the
Dane and the Moor nearly ever night
Frederick Warde is identified with the
same roles, and he Hakes good profits,
and Otis Skinner made the hit OF his stellar
| career as Hamlet recently, so that he will
make il his principal bin next wear with
fine production. Julia MarIowe- Taber
packs houses season after season as Juliet
Viola and Rosalind. Modjeska found moth
ing more profitable than Portia, Beatrice.
Rosalind and her production OF Measure
for Measure"
Ada Rehan fills her houses With Katha-
Tine, the Shrew, and Viola, and Augustin
DAILY finds profit in a road company play
ing Midsummer Nights Dream Olga
Nethers0le and Mrs. Potter cling fast to the
fair capulet as a sure magnet, and Marie
Wainwright has this season found demand
for her RcSalind and Viola. There are
nineteen. ma ajority of the dramatic stars,
playing Shakespeare during a season when
akespeare is reputed dead. He was
never before so very much alive in the ac-
tivity of his works.
T vice this season Chicago has had three
Hamlets during the same week, San Fran
cisco has had two Othellos twice and two
Juliets did the best business in New York,
playing within q stones throw of each
other In some few Of the cases Of the
stars enumerated the actor has been the.
nagnate, bat tits only in cases where he
appealhasbeenmade to xtrava ga at pocket
BOOKS. Society is not alive to Shakespea are
But among the lower and middle class he is
dear to the peoples heart and with them
the plays The thing" This s proven by
the starvation business which the le gitimate
stars play 10 when they put on other plays
than the particular ones in question. Booth
always said that the pulse OF iRteilige nee
when he played Shakespeare was the gal
lcry. The gold field of the Shakesuearean
actor is the alleged primitive and uucul-
tnred sections Of the country. This is a
TACT, because in these people natural in
stinct has not been superseded by idolatry
OF artificial standards.
The great dramatist knew humanity and
his greatness is testified to by the ecatholicity
of his appeal TO profound learning and
natural, untutored appreciation. The SIM
plicity of his situations appeals to simnIr
sincere minds. His strokes are direct and
true, and easily appreciated. The emo
tions he exhibits are fundamental. such as
hate, love, joy, fear and revenge and they
are readily grasped. The picturesuueness
strikes the attention and the novelty in the
dlstinctiveness is potent charm. Shallow
hattery has developed the intellectual van
ity of those alleged cultured. and the wor-
ship of complexity has drawn them fromde.
lights in simplicity, which is truth. How
often man exclaims: .f could but he
lievc again in 0thello revenge: if Juliet,s
love but moved me- il could weep again
with blighted Opheiia." Modern culture
is cynical vandal, who destroys the old
standard but has nothing to put in the
empty niches- Happily the great mass of
the peepie are MT diffused with the sapient