The times., 1897-04-25

Illat scene. he anu to'SN'S 49,
projected on many times larger scaie
even than the enjoyable Nordica Concert.
| 1t seems hardly possible that the capital
! of q country like ours, city making pre-
! lenses as a center OF fine arts, ana the
| home of three ffrst-class theaters In hot
rivalry for the best possible dramatic
| material, should for so long have been kept
a stranger TO young actor of such wide
spread and deserved reputation as MIR.
| Walker Whiteside. For years this young
| man has been abroad in the land, WIN
l ming praise in New York, Baltimore, New
/ Orleans Chicago, and in all the lesser
cities vet not until last week, at the
| fag end of the season, has he crept eau
tiously and unheralded into the National
| Capital. 1t is one of those strange per
versities which exist in spite of logic
OF New York this might well be the case.
| There is so little encouragement there
| for the serious-minded, lofty purposed ar
| fists unless they come in by the narrows
| and the statue of liberty. But in Washing
! ton the theatergoers are optimistic, toll
Grant and encouraging. The classic plays
| do well when well given, and Shakespeare
| interpreters find the stimuiahve and sub
| stantial rewards which they deserve. And
| all the while he might have been making
for himself permanency in the regard and
esteem of washingtonia.S, Mr.. Whiteside
| has been adrift in every other portion OF
| our broad land.
Last week he gave positive and diversi-
fled denotement of fine original dramatic
conceptions and physical and tempera-
mental capacity for expression. Yetin two
respects he is a enigma. In the authority
which comes of experience, and in voice
which comes of all the most powerful re-
sources Of nature and cultivation.
The voice is the first thing that strikes
one in Mr.. WhiteSide He is such slight,
slender, 1.-the, youthful looking person.
! He has the face and figure OF a hoy Then
| he opens his mouth, and behold, a voice
/ issues forth of volume and power TO stIike
terror TO the gods.
Considered apart from the physique and
personality OF the man, it is wonderful
| organ. 1t has sweetness, mellOwness,
depth and fine resonance, and he handles
| il with rare skill It answers every
wavering expression of his changing emo
tions But ii does not sound natural when
the eve is filled with the figure of the man.
II must be affeCtation; no such voice
was fashioned for such a youth. He viii
strain himself and burst asunder, you
think But he doesn't. He bears up
hravely under it, and at times succeeds in
carving you beyond the inequation which
is so pcrsisten; in confronting the eye and
tie ear Though IL is his own voice,
| natural and well controlled, the idea of
effort and affectation seizes upon every
| one who hears him. That great, beaIti-
| full voice is one of Mr. WhiteSide's heaviest
! burdens
Though youthful, he is an actor Of au-
| thority and experience. His performances
| are full of the marrow of good things and
| the light Of vigorous intellectually, but
! they are not entirely great. We can praise
dozen points, but a dozen times we
quarrel with his method and treatment
But always in fundamentals He is not for
a moment crude. There's the rub So
settled and finished is he TO his own limit
| that il seems almost impossible TO say,
a good actor He viii improve" But
| VIII he improve? For fifteen years he has
been doing Hamlet" At first he was
1.-THE boy Hamlet now he is 1.-THE man
Hamlet" HIS present performance is the
ripened fruit of years Of study, revision and
| digestion.
II an intelligent actor has not given a
great Hamlet after fifteen years of the
best opportunities with the part, and after
that time does present an authoritative con-
ception. who will say it is crude and will
improve?
1t would seem as if growth, not study,
would bring the most desirable result. 1t
viii not be the progress Of study, hut the
evolution Of self Then there is the vigilant
war to be waged against that worst enemy
of the actor who is settled in his shoes
mannerisms. Mr.. WhiteSide has few OF
them now. They are not in evidence at
single views. They are only discovered by
careful comparison OF several perform
ances.
But if his Hamlet is not entirely great, it
has many OF the attributes of greatness,
and stands beyond many of the other eff
forts tits mark of greatness TO be toler-
ated even in this great and difficult role.
Mr Whiteside is more than tolerated. heis
admired. or the living actors there is
only SINNERS Hamlet TO top his. Pc
cause Skinner brings to his more spon-
taneity and technique broadened by ap-
plication to wide range of parts.
Whiteside, however, is better as the Dane
than Creston Clarke: better than James
O'Neil, Thomas keene or the late Alex
ander Salvini 1t would probably, in ract
very likely, improve it to launch himself
in other and contrasting parts. He has in
his fifteen years on the stage probably
played no more than that many parts.
This restriction is weakening.
1t will always be pleasure TO welcome
Mt WhiteSide back TO Washington Heis
distinguished credit TO his profession and
there is reed of many more brave. intelli-
gent and studious young men to fly the
banners of the standard and classic plays
Although there has been sharp compe-
tition for attractions of all sorts, the season
Just closing has left unseen many credit
able pla VS. and players, whose custom it
has been in the past to partake of Wash
ipgton hospitality and In return give us Of
their delights.
There is Joseph jefferson. the dean of
our drama and the pride of all theater-
lovers It is two years since he has been
here. Should he come he would have moth
ing new TO offer. Perhaps he would show
us pedantic DIR. Pangloss or urban Mr..
Acres or bibulous and somnoIent Rip, but