The times., 1898-12-08
THINGS THEATRICAL.


What was by far the largest audience
Of the, week assembled last night at the
National Theater for the purpose Of
noting with what merit Madame Nodes
ka might render the role Of Cleopatra in
Shakespeare's least-used tragedy, AN
tony and Cleopatra" The assembly was
SO pre-eminently an intelligent one and
SO fairly disposed that perhaps. no better
criticism OF the performance could be
given than would be that embodied in the
remark that those present seemed to
thoroughly admire the production. Not
only did they listen to the more impress
sive scenes in the strictest silence. but
they applauded the bombastielones in a
manner that caused the reanimation OF
no less than three corpses and their sub.
sequent appearances before the. curtain.
Excepting for its verify Of purpose, its.
dignity and venerableness. there is moth
ing about Shakespeare's Antony and
Cleopatra" than can make it worthy OF
comparison from a latter-day standpoint
with that of the great French constrrc-
ZIONIST, Victorien Sardou. The tale is told
in sudden-if classic-periods.1 while SO
much that might be left to the imagina-
tion has been inserted and so much tl.at
should have been inserted,-has been left
to the imagination that one who is not
thoroughly familiar with the play finds
considerable difficulty in following it with
any degree of understanding. The Cha
acters drawn are faithfully drawn but
they do not sstand. out as distinctly as do
those of Sardou, many of real impor a C.
being almost lost in the attention paid to
those who are not. Most of the power
and intensity-most of the dramatic force
that exist in the later version, have b een
left out in the earlier So 1t is that while
less of show than its rival and more
of play, the work of ''the Bard Of
Avon" does not really equal that of his
follower. Shakespeare's Antony and
Cleopatra" is not masterpiece of the old
school, and Sardou's is a masterpiece Of
the newer one.
The actress who impersonates that Gle
opatra created by the great Englishman
has few of the opportunities given her
who portrays the other character The
poets queen Is merely a woman-even
weak woman-certainiy not more than an
ordinary one. She possesses none of tho
wonderful egotism. the splendid vanity
the attractive sensuality and the fearful
emotionalism embodied in the companion
picture. She never sinks to the depths Of
pride and gorgeous baudyism shown by
Sardou, nor does she ever rise to the
heights of power and unselfish love por-
trayed by that master. So many of the
subtleties and much OF the strength given
the one is denied the other In the llmita-
tons prescribed last night, Madame Mod
jeska was magnificent Her conception
and rendering were alike on the highest
plain of intellectually. and she showed to
her auditors with wonderful art an Egyp-
tian queen who was always admirable
even when she ceased To be convincing.
Never lacking in fire and spirit, she never
even appeared 10 lose the discretionate re-
serve that marked her performance. Less
human and less eloquent than was
Blanche Walsh, she was still more artistic
If this be possible. Such being the case
further comparisons are not only odious.
but impossible.
The supporting company has never been
equaled here in the legitimate drama.
Shakespeare's Antony is n better charac-
terization than is his Cleopatra and that
excellent actor. Charles d. Herman,
made the most of his opportunities in it.
His work was intelligent and capable.
Lester Lonergan was regal Octavious
and Frederick Vroom got great deal
from the role OF the messenger, though
his impersonation in no way compared
with that of Arnold Hughs. who had the
part last week with the Walsh-MacDow-
ell combination. Anna Proctor was a
poor Octavia, while Grace Fisher and
Anna Daily were admirable as CHAIRMAN
and Iras. The length of the east forbds
complete mention of many others whose
portrayaIs were creditable, among them
Frank B. Tanning, Wadsworth Harris.
John II. Lane, Mark Fenton, William
Brougham, George Spencer, William H.
Hanley, w. H. Garrickson, L. A. Grant,
Marcus Coyne, S. G. Soul and d. Bar
tin
Camille" will be the bill tonight