The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-08-06


little depth that their life histories
\ may be laid bare with a few wags
OH of the tongue and some dramatic
productions there are of so little
worth and of such hasty growth that
their few merits and many faults may be
dismissed after u p. m. with a few
scratches of the quill. Such are not in
review when the thought comes that ali
critics should be obliged by law TO see a
play twice and then in no haste and in
the quiet of their studies write their i'm
preSsiOns thoughtfully. For, after all,
what right have most of US to crltlc1ze IN
a hasty hour the result of years of study
and months of thought, and thereby give
the public no adequate idea of the educa-
ton that lies at their door? Yes,
How the world would ope its eyes
Should critics act and actors criticize.
Hamlet" has been reviewed, but moth
ing has been said of the production or the
scenery. Seeing the third act again calls
to mind certain growths whose wont 1t Is
to shoot up inches in single night ana
yet contain a strength to build upon mis-
is Mr.. Millers best act, and in 1t he
creates the role of Hamlet according to
his light which during this act burns
very clear and in 1t he is reminiscent OF
no one. The new reading he gives to
Thou wretched. rash, intruding 1901,
farewell! | took. thee for thy better, is
a masterful stroke. We have heard 1t
always said in haste. as though "a heavy
weight We're dropped in sudden SAUSAGE
Hamlet is revealed a man of so hne feel
ing that no crushing personal sorrow can
brutalize him. Tenderness, that Is the
charm of the scene in the Queen s apart
ment. The force of a brutal line is broken
by a telling gesture. You shall not
budge!' and with gentle force he folds her
Queen is in Mr. Miller's hands an instru-
ment to be played upon, and beautifully
she responds to the slightest touch The
first night he pointed her to prayer, and
in obedience she knelt. The second night
she became so imbued with his spirit that
impulse led her, and the effect was ex-
Quisite. This is but of many new
beauties revealed at a second hearing. II
such studies be possible in single night.
for us? One thing let US remember-it
will be Mr.. Miller's Hamlet. and when it
shall live, up to its third act, when ex-
perience in that part shall have developed
poetry, it will probably be a great one
In the service of his theory that certain
atmosphere can best be created in a GER
tain way he makes no entrance in the first
act but in the midst of pomp and cere-
mOny and gayety and false glitter is, by
movement of the crowd, revealed, a
crouchng figure, sick to the heart of it
all. When the production shall reach its
desires and Cleopatra-like magniicence
shall color this scene, what a wonderful
effect will thus be produced!
Genius directs the entrance at the
words, ITO be or not to be-" The whole
state of the mans mind is revealed in
single move Had Mr.. Miller made the
sohoquy to that entrace he would have
done great work. But he did not. The
introduction Of the ghost when the King
knees to pray is new thought and sym
bolizes the weight that has crushed the
mans conscience to its knees. No search
ing limelight forces body corporal upon
us for a spirit. A thin blue haze sur
rounds moving essence of the character,
and illusion is wonderfully assisted there
by The staging is beautiful. Front
scenes have been done away with and
much is presented in the open. Moonlight
and sunlight stream down, as they should,
from the fiies, and the effect is perfect. A
drop in the Churchyard reveals in Amos
pheric perspective the castle of Elsinore
and helps to connect the thought IF the
grave with the thought of the mourners.
Just here the idea comes that the grave
diggers' scene up to Fetch me a. storp
with dramatic advantage dispensed with.
Another heresy! The interiors are chrOn-
ologically looked to and artistically de-
consolation to the eye, A drop. curtain
always comes down like a guillotine-
chops the head off sympathy and leaves
retina. Chronologically it would be diff
ficult to costume Hamlet. for tenth CEN
thirteenth century dialogue, but the cos
middle course and is successful,
Miss Anglin, having created new
Ophelia must bravely accept criticism.
Not line is spoken as we have ever
heard it. not an III, action 1nsi done , as we
y
poetic Ophelia gives place to creature
of spirit and intelligence; The real hor-
ror of madness is presented, and yet the
beauty of the scene is not for moment
lost Whatever development may come
with repetition, it is to be hoped the pres
ent grasp of the character may not he
loosened by criticism.
The sophistication of Juliet's lines be-
ginning ''Spread thy close curtain love
performing night" would at first thought
preclude the idea of the balcony scene
being played with the comedy spirit of in
genuous girihood But when we remem-
Der that it is probable she had many a
time seen the. nuptial pageant and learned
these or words like them from the nuptial
hymn, the girlish, bubbling joy she takes
in her first feelings of love are easily
reconciled as natural Florence Roberts,
the maiden Juliet. gives the daintiest pos
sible comedy touches to every line of the
balcony scene from the moment she dis
covers Romeo until she bids him finad
goodnight. Whatever tradition may hang
about this scene, one feels intuitively that
Miss Roberts Interpretation is right; and
even if it were not we would not have it
changed, so charming is her reading, 50
youthful is her joy. Here is a part of a
note written to her by some unknown adj