Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1896-01-19

Mr.. Richard Mansfield will be seen at
Greenwnll's opera house Saturday
evening, January %. in Hnwthorne's
great play. "'rhe Scarlet Letter" The
New Orleans Times Democrat OF last
Thursday morning says;
At the Grand opera house last night
Nathaniel Hawthorne's beautiful but
sombre and pathetic play. "The Scarlet
Letter" was produced to fashionable
and warmly appreclative audience. Al
though containing occasional CLEANS
Of comedy. the story OF Arthur Dim
mesdale and Hester Prynne is so unrc-
llevedly gloomy that nothing short OF
the splendid art OF Mr.. Mansfield
could make II enjoyable. From the
outset the playgcer can see nothing
but mental fortunes and deepest Hor-
row for the hero and heroine. and tho
tragic ending Is clearly foroshAdowed
even In the first act. In this char
acter Mr.. Mansfield seems to depend
more exclusively upon his abilities as
an actor pure and simple than In any
other of his repertoire. In Beau
Brummell the nobleness. deHcacy OF
sentiment and striking eccentricltles OF
the hero serve to entertain, amuse, and
at times stnrtle the audience. but Ar
thur Dimmesdale Is character 30
simple and containing 70 little out OF
the ordinary scope OF every day men,
tally that II IL only through being
mnde living. breathing entity. and
M II were an intimate acquaintance,
that he so powerfully attracts TO him
the interest and sympathy OF the au-
dience. True, he IN noble and self
sacrificing: true he suffers acutely
pnnga OF n super-sensiiive conscience
while looking upon his own shortcom-
ings from a pedestal OF heart purity
practically unknown In the days OF
comfortable consciences. hut quite pos
sible In the old Puritan days, when the
usual standards accepted by the hon
est and conscientious few were set up
by hypocritical phariseeB who, while
binding heavy burdens and laying
them on mems shoulders, would not
touch them with one OF their fingers.
II In also true that he was snbllmely
eloquent In his defense OF poor Hester,
md in his own ultimate nvowal OF
his share In her fault: but. all In nll he
was not OF that material from which
popular stage heroes are evolved, and
that Mr.. Mansfield should be able to
rlvet the attention OF his audience,
holding II In breathless silence for
minutes at o time, and elictlng re-
peated and enthusiastic curtain calls In
such a character is. perhaps. one OF
the most meritorious OF his many bril-
liant triumphs.
As Hester Prynne Miss Beatrice
Cameron proved herself not only a
graceful. winsome and artistic artist,
but an intense and powerful actress.
She never resorts to stage tricks TO
produce startling effects. but when
force and intensity are necessary she
is never wanting, hut, on the other
hand, can thrill her audience without
apparent effort. maintaining at all
times the Idea OF ample reserve power
and persistent repression. Miss Flor
ence Ethyl. a very pretty and graceful
ingenue, made n pronounced hit as
Mary Wills. while Mr.. Harkins as Rev.
John Wilson. Mr. Grifiths as Martin
Brnckctt, Mr.. Andrews as Roger Chill
lIngworth. Miss Carey ms Dame Hart
ley. all rendered admirable support.
Mr.. Orrin Johnson. MS the dashing
Hiram Weeks, was deserving OF es-
pecinl mention. as was also the Little
Pearl OF Miss Muir.