The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-08-04
HENRY MILLER
GIVES ''HEWLET"
NEW INTEREST

About the last man who knew every
thing was Dante Since his time all men,
even actors, have been obliged in a meas
IRE to specialize. Still it is a question
whether an actors genius can in this way
be compelled to yield what it contains.
Mr.. Miller we have always looked upon
as the perfect stage lover. equally com
Melting. no matter what the century no
matter how the course of love might run,
and as it has ever been the care OF the
critic that the interests of the true ira
gedian shall be safeguarded from the en-
croa chments of the versatile star, Mr..
Miller's Hamlet has from the first been
marked for disapproval. More than few
of lis have said aloud: Il cannot see
Henry Miller in Hamlet 1t is not posi-
Bile. With the memory of Booth still
fresh. too; what temerity. ReVerent and
gratefully as we shall ever speak the
name of Booth, we must remember that
there were many Hamlets before him and
there will probably be many to follow
him. And even Booths Hamlet grew so
that what began by being impetuous,
forceful and full of striking but artificial
methods became in later years melan-
choly. intellectual, philosophical, ideal. IL
we want new pictures we must nave wall
snace and a kindly light. Room was MADE
for the frescos of Raphael by sweeping
q
therefore let us give Mr.. Miller's Hamlet
room and light and judge it on its own
merits. Let every flower blossom on its
own stalk. 49,
Mr.. Miller's is a very uneven bloom
Some scenes are excellent, some passages
so beautiful that their EXPRESSION eiiEESS a
a new interest to, the character. Inc ne
nlavers' scene and the scene with his
mother are handled with so mucn
strength that whaJeVer naWs th Sia,i tiiaf
natural Interpretation OF the interview
with his mother, the struggle between
anger and tenderness, are alilOsI S0ill-
mentary of the character as Mr. Miller
secs II His attitude at the exit or the
ghost convinces US that amazement ana
Sorrow overwhelm a solltary man: Inc
a cross at the words For my part III go
prav." the sudden tenderness of the tone
when he says to Ophella, dld' ana rove
YOU once" and again when at the grave
hnt a breath articulates THE fair Ophe-
la" his reading of the line, He was
man, take him for all in all | snail not
other things that for lack of space can
not be mentioned make us realize that
Mr. Millers dramatic Hamlet reaches
pretty close touch to nature; me real
Hamlet the subjective Hamlet, .deen in
the soliloquies falls far short OF being
ideal. He hurries over me mes as though
stroys the idea of introspection by super
Especially is this haste seen In the solil-
oduY on suicide. There is no horror at the
realization of what dreams may come.
The tongue gives utterances to words and
the brain rushes on to other IDEAS ana
there are no reflective pauses. The atti-
tude of the audience throughout the play
perfectly reflected the unevenness of MT.
Milers Hamlet-now cold and unemotion-
al now anxious to applaud to the echo.
In many scenes there is too sudden a re-
covery from emotions; too little depth OF
feelng-and Hamlet was feeling, not &C
ClT in6 w
good and bad are so plentifuily mixed TO
.repOrt me and my cause Alright to the
unsatisfed." We bow to its strength and
regret its weakness.
The role of Ophela has never been con-
sidered the ultimate goal of any actress
and has more often than not been given
to those who have been found wanting
and who quickly fell into obscurity Miss
Angln is an Ophelia so charming as to be
almost perfect. She reads the lines as they
have never been read before and OF the
simplest passages makes an opportunity.
If one ever doubted her artistic sense
and her great ability Ophelia last night
of her costumes, made by local firm,
added not a little to the charm of the
part
We have been so used to poor ghosts
that Mr.. Walcot may be pronounced good.
Mr.. Standing was pleasant surprise as
Laertes and Mr.. Brown disappointment
as Horatio. Never have we seen a better
Polonius than Mr.. Allen. His reading of
the letter to the King and Queen is a
work oil uTdHldllC art TO De HuCu APP
plauded. Another pleasant disappoint-
ment was Mrs. Boucicault as the Queen.
Her work especially with Hamlet, from
whom she seemed to take the key, was
most artistic. Another good piece of work
was Mr. Lambs first gravedigger. He
had the sympathy and attention of the
audience throughout the scene. Miss
Dale spoke her few lines with good eff
feet and Mr.. Stevens made an acceptable
King The first player was SO poor that
we all agreed with Hamlet when he said
of his speech, at is too long" We, too,
CHARLOTTE THOMPSON.