The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1896-09-18
HAMLET LEFT OUT.
The PRODUCTION or PLAYS WITH
OUT The PRINCIPAL CHARACTER.

oot Otner Tseys nav
Broushsn.'s story Of the Absence of Pe-
oaAoutas ed How the Play Wss Put On.
1t was Sir Walter Scott who furnish
ID the base for the proverbial express
sion. Hamlet with Hamlet left out. "
In the introduction to his ''Talisman"
he wrote about . playful which IL
said to have announced the tragedy OF
Hamlet, the character Of the Prince Of
Denmark being left out" As in the
case Of most modern proverbs. the nm
ished product differs In form from the
raw material.
There il no record that Hamlet" ev-
er was acted with the character OF the
Prince of Denmark left out, though the
play has been acted in almost every 9TH
er way. In 1851. in London, the YER
sion Of the first quarto. which was print
ed in 1908, was acted by amateurs.
They followed the customs OF the thea
ter of Queen Bsss' time. using no seen
cry or decorations. and the actors were
Rarbed as Raleigh and his friends were.
About the same time, too. Edwin
Booth and his company arrived at Hart
ford minus their trunks and gave three
acts Of the play in their travelling cos
tunes. Probably, however, the effect
was not vastly different from Booth s
ordinary production Of the tragedy.
Then the Count Joannes and James
Owen O'Conor acted the part OF Ham
let with two readers, man and woman,
a. 10 a. kav .rea
Kyrle Bellows father-read the play ut
. desk in front Of the proscenium. while
the actors moved about the stage with
appropriate gestures and opened and
shut their mouths and said no words.
But most nearly approaching to SCOTS
omitted Prince Of Denmark must have
been the performances where women
played Hamlet; Charlotte Cushman,
Miss Marriott (who made famous
prince). Adele Belgrade. Anna Dickin-
! son, and q round dozen Of others tried
the part.
But il Hamlet" has not been played
without the prince. other plays have
been ON occasion.
In the last century there was Han
~
thought she could write u play, and &
worked ON John Kemble until he pro
duced during the season Of 1912 hel
, Eve act tragedy ''Huniades. based OIL
!. Hungarian history. Kemble played
Huniades; Miss Brand played Agmunda
the heroine. The play failed and ther
Hannah Brand left out Kemble's par
and produced the rest Of the play undel
the name "Agmunda. As before. sh'
played the heroine. and as before SIN
heard the play Missed and damned be
You'd redemption.
John Brougham. however. reall.
played play with one Of the principa
}. characters left out, though. as be says
lit was q frightfully dangerous expert
ment
The play was his famous burlesqu
= "Pocahontas." produced at Wallack's
then ON Broadway. near Broome street
In 1885. Brougham played Powhat>n
Charles Walcot, Captain Smith; Mis-
> Hodson, Pocahontss; Peters, the Dutch
man; and the play worked its way ri
In the public estimation. Let Broughan
tell Of his feat:
Zone evening Mr.. Lester Wallace
came into the dressing room wher
Walcot and myself were preparing 10
the performance. with the announc<
ment that Pucahontas was missing an
could NOT be found anywhere in the city
% What was TO be done under the cil
cumstancas we couldn't conceive. A
sorts Of plans were projected. but nor
would work. At last. in desperation.
said to Walcott, Suppose We do 1t Will
n out Pocshontssv
re Agreed. said Charley. who w
# always bright quick and witty. We
n do il anyhowl'
"Mr. Wallack went on the stage Al
!" announced that, owing to the absen
III OF Miss Hodson' (the truth was she hi
eloped with somebody, the play WOO
be produced without her. Messrs. WI
cot and Brougham having kindly co
sented to all her part.
- For q moment dead silence reigne
but directly the fun of the thing "
taken in, and the people fairly screams
We went on. First Charley would "a
This is what Miss Pocahontas wou
remark IL she were present. and tn
he would talk TO himself. Where
Pokeyg' he would exclaim. to which
would reply: Lost among the icebe'
Of Broadway. But IL she were here
know she would answer you In Il
way, and then would give her speet
.At the end. when 1t became nee
sary TO Join their hands in matrimoi
we didn't know exactly what to do, b
looking around the stage. saw broo
and, seizing it. l boldly advanced
On the 'front.' saying. rs l handed 1t
Charley. Take her. my boy. and
,or happy 1t brought the house down.
ma. it was = frightfully dangerous exp'
arm ment-"
ind The audience the next night wan
and Pocahontas left out again, but Brough
lrd. wouldn't have it 80. Hamlet may
Ire left out once. on the spur Of the
req. ment, but not u second time. and ne
lI,s when the man who makes the 81
IA walk has time to put even graves
AN ger in the princes place. The hist
Ill - SA. atuua ~oo,ps IN sarovp TINT Sc(