The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-09-08
AT THE THEATERS.


After witnessing his impersonation, and un-
avoidably comparing it with the achieve
ments OF Mr.. SINNERS contemporary actors
VINO nave essayed to portray the melancholy
prince, one must accord Mr.. Skinner the
palm. His Interpretation OF this most exact
ing role easily excels In point OF clearness.
grace of bearing, refinement and sympathetic
quality. 1t Is not too much to say that the
American stage Is to be congratulated upon
the possession Of a Hamlet who gives prom
Use of once more securing for Shakespeare's
poetic tragedy the popularity upon the stage
that It enjoyed when actors lived who could
play the role. For sublime as the tragedy
Is. the people do not encourage It's presenta-
ton. unless the title role is In the hands of
a player capable Of investing IT with at
least some OF the poetic and mystic charm
that the reader OF the work is sensible of.
Perhaps other aspirants for recognition In
this character fully appreciate Its subtlety,
it's deep significance, its profound philosophy
and all the other complex traits that require
much histrionic skill to reveal, but it re-
mains for Mr. Skinner to once more give us
a Hamlet In whom can be clearly seen the
workings of nature. His conception Of the
character is as lucid and coherent as the
text. 1t is compatible with 1T. That Is not
to say, however, that the student of the play
must of necessity fully comprehend the work
ings of Hamlet's mind. Nor can the actor
expect to remove any doubts that may beset
the student or reader. The actors purpose
is fulfilled if he invests Hamlet with life and
surrounds the character with the proper at
mosphere, and reflects so far as possible the
gentle dignity, refinement and spirituality Of
the noble prince. Mr.. Skinner portrays q
Hamlet with whom one can sympathize.
Mr.. SINNERS Hamlet is conspicuously mer-
itorious in Its freedom from melodramatic
fourishes. Hamlet is not a "tempestuous
periwig- pated fellow" ready to tear passion
to tatters" upon each and every provocation.
As a learned commentator has well said:
Hamlet is gentleman thinking aloud" Mr..
Skinner excels where his rivals fall and that
is in his conduct of the colloquies between
the prince and the various characters. He
employs natural, conversational tone, which
is far more effective in revealing the subtle
shades Of meaning than the stilted, high
pressure style so often noticed in others. This
excellence in Mr.. Skinner was particularly
noticeable In his delivery of Hamlet's in
structions to the player, when he succeeded
in impressing upon his hearers the full sig
nifcance of every word. 1t might be said in
this connection that the presentation of the
tragedy as whole characterized by an
exceptional clearness and distinctness on the
part Of all the players, which virtue cannot
be too highly commended, as in most per-
formances of the tragedy nobody but Hamlet
and three or four of the principal characters
are audible.
A lavishly traditional Hamlet Mr. Skin
ner's Is not, although he had adhered to the
best traditions resulting form the thought
and study of the histrionic geniuses of the
past. In this he is sensible. Yet much Of
his business is new, some Of it decidedly
IF m al
of it questionable. An instance Of the latter
occurs during Hamlet's scene with Ophelia.
Hamlet discovers the king and Polonius lis
tening. One discovery would seem to be
enough, but Mr.. Skinner has Polonius thrust
his white head through the curtains second
time, so as to enable Hamlet to see him
again and give special point to the lines ad-
dressed to Ophelia: Where's your father?'
The ghost scene is effective SO far as the
ghost is concerned but the supernatural at
mosphere does not reach the audience, as it
might II reflected from Hamlets counten-
ance. This Mr.. Skinner renders impossible
by taking q position upon the stage with his
back to the audience After the ghost van
ishes and Hamlet in the frenzy of his dis
covery Of his fathers murderer exclaims,
meet 1t is I set it down. Mr.. Skinner
draws forth his tablets and jots down his
thought. The business" is effective here,
but similar performance at the close of the
solloquy ending with s'The plays the thing
wherein I'll catch the conscience Of the
king seems little forced and unnatural.
Mr.. SINNERS reading was admirable, though
there are several words and lines that con-
tain deeper significance than he impaired
to them. His emphases were correct. The
soliloquy beginning s'Oh, what rogue and
peasant slave am T." is susceptible Of greater
intensity than Mr.. Skinner exhibited and
the '"Te be or not to be- is more effective if
delivered in sadder, gloomier vein. Indeed,
Mr.. SINNERS impersonation of the prince
is to extent deficient in the melancholy
dignity and spiritual abstraction that consti-
tutes the mystic charm of Hamlet. He
seemed to catch the spirit, though, while
listening to the actors recitation. In this
scene his distracted air was admirably sim
ulated The play scene was excellently in
terpreted. So efficient a player king and
player queen rarely heard. Mr.. Skinner
would perhaps improve the scene IL he waited
a brief while before springing away from
Ophelia to watch the king and queen. Such
pronounced and sudden action at that time
would be apt to distract the attention of the
whole court from the play.
Mr.. Skinner played the difficult scene with
Ophelia with much passion, and certainly with
electric effect Notwithstanding misstep
at the rear of the stage. That such an acct
dent as this did not spoil the scene is in itself
tribute to the skill and earnestness Of the
actor. Mr.. Skinner proved equally satisfactory
in the famous closet scene, which was finely
acted by both, Miss Sarah Truax depicting
the queen with commendable fidelity and feel
ing. The churchyard scene was likewise in
terpreted in the spirit that renders 1t 50
solemn, notwithstanding the witticisms Of
the grave diggers.
In fine, Mr.. Skinner improved as the char
acter progressed, and throughout he present.
ed the living picture of a graceful noble
gentle prince, who, even though he may not
have seemed prince of philosophy, was yet
a prince of poetry.
Conventional praise would hardly do Justice
to the company, which seemed especially
adapted to present Hamlet" Miss Mauda
Durbin's portrayal Of Ophelia was exquisite in
its del1cacy She, indeed, realized the ideal
maiden whom Laertes described as prodigaI
OF her beauty if she unmarked 1t but to the
moon.
Frederick Mosley impersonated the ghost.
reading the beautiful and sonorous lines with
good expression and feeling. Frank L. Syl-
vester was a fiery Laertes acting the role
with excellent taste. Paul Gerson was not
happily cast Horatio. His voice is I'm
sympathetic, and his utterance too Iabored
John Weeks made an excellent first grave
digger.
Tonight Merchant of Venice, and s.Kath-
crime and Petruchio..
Town Topics with its two and a half
hours Of fun, was greeted with a large au
dience at the Grand again last evening There
vr,sI1 ~