Omaha daily bee., 1897-05-02

The waning theatrical season Frightened up
and attained a quite unusual brilliancy last
week by reason of the engagements of De
Wolf Hopper and Margaret Mather, which
furnished entertainment in sufficient richness
and variety to suit widely differing tastes.
The two performances given by the former
were among the most largely attended
theatrical events of the season, and, although
'El Captain cannot be said to give com
pleto satisfaction to critical lovers of music
nor to the more cultivated class of theater-
goers generally, it has certainly been salts
factory enough to bring about a very salts
factory condition at the financial end of the
enterprise.
Miss Mather returned to Omaha after an
absence of several seasons, and after a period
of retirement from the stage of nearly as
long. She has not succeeded in retaining al
together the grace and charm OF youth which
formerly characterized her, but contrary to
general experience in the case of those who
lay down stage work for so long a period as
she has done, she has distinctly gained in
force. Her voice is a disappointment to those
who remember its golden sweetness of
former days. 1t seems to have taken on a
coarse, thick quality, which one does not
look for either in Imogen or in her modern
delineator. There was no resonance to the
voice, especially in the upper register, too
frequently resorted to in the expression Of
strenuous emotion. Perhaps these evident
defects were due to an attack of that form of
bronchitis which seemed to aflict the COM
pany in general, and If that is the case harsh
criticism should be spared.
Miss Mather's increasing rotundity of
figure, which would render impossible a
repetition of her former triumphs as Juliet,
does not seriously interfere with her pic
torial success as Imogen. In the latter role
she is especially attractive to the eye in
the garb of the boy Fidele. In the comedy
and sentimental business incident to that
phase of the character she Is altogether
sweet and captivating, and only less so in the
indication of the purely womanly phase of
Imogen's welded felicity. Her parting with
Posthumus, attended by the interchange Of
gifts, was marked by deiicacy and %convinc-
ing power. but the scene with Iachimo, in
Guiding the indignant repulse and the sub
sequeht softening into hospitable warmth.
was by no mears handled in a way to ex-
haust its possibilities.
Miss Mather's pronunciation is decidedly
faulty. 1t is difficult to understand how an
actress intelligent enough to play lmogen
in a way generally acceptable can consist
emily accent the name of PoSthumus on the
penultimate syllable. She must be her own
authority for IL, for there is no other. TIL
rhythm OF Shakespeare's lines In itself would
suggest to a sensitive ear the laying Of the
stress on the first syllable, where it prop
erly belongs. The lrincOngruity OF Miss
Mather's habit in this regard is the more
noticeable from the fact that all the men,
bers of the company, some OF whom are
not entirely free from other lapses In or
thoepy, pronounce Ppsthumus In the time
honored and best approved manner. Not
content with SO maltreating her husbands
given name, this Imo8en calls him Leona-
tbs. and gives the word q iamentable ming
ling OF the English and continental methods
of vowel sounds. combining a long English
''e" with a broad Italian "a" In a style
quite shocking to hear,
Mr.. Henley's diction, on the contrary. Is
extremely refined and tofrect. II is a thou
sand pities that this fine, actor is so seriously
handicapped by his slowly returning but
noticeably defective vocal powers. To a
total loss OF voice, extending over a period
of two years, has succeeded a condition OF
gradual. but steady recovery, and II seems
only a question OF a short time when he
shall be fully restored. Judged from the
standpoint which requires absolute perfec-
tlon In stage performances, Mr.. Henley's
would not fall far short in any other
essential respect.
Measured by the same high and unyielding
only two OF the individual offer
in this spectacularly beautiful production
OF "Cymbeline" would pass muster. These
are the admirable performance OF Cloten by
Mr.. Bruning, and the no less excellent work
In a smaller capacity OF Mr.. Kolker as
Guiderius. The former is so entirely good
that 1t is hard to see how II could be ma
terially bettered.
AS a spectacle. Miss Mather's "Cymbellne"
is exceptionally fine. II It has not cost as |
much to produce 1t as the advertisements
claim, at least the results OF generous and
discriminating expenditure are everywhere