Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1899-04-13
The McLean-Tyler Company in New York.


The McLean-Tyler company played
"Othello" in New York last week, and
this week Romeo and Julie" is on
the board. The criticisms of the play
ers and the performance have been
varied. Allen Dale wrote the crltl-
cism for the Journal, and it was just
such a brutal, coarse, unintelllgent
opinion as one would expect from an
unbribed putfer of vaudeville shows.
1t was so rough and so palpably I'M
fair and prejudiced that it would not
command the respect of any reasona-
bic person. Allen Dale saw no good
in the performance and the actors, and
it is somewhat astonishing that he let
Shakespeare down SO easy. The Sun
had a very intelligently written crit
icism, evidently the work Of an IN
prejudlced person not prone to over
much praise 1t says Of the perfOr-
nance:
The general representation was OF
character 10 present the spirit and sig
nificance of the work in the right way.
1t was always intelligent and capable
enough if il was never brilliant The
fault of such performances might lie IN
their failure to create any enthusiasm
in that part Of the audience which sees
these works for the first time. Nobody
who made the acquaintance Of"OthelIO
last night at the Herald Square would
ever feel very anxious 10 see II agan. A
really worthy Interpretation OF the play
ought TO have that effect. The num-
Der Of Shakespearean actors who could
accomplish that to-day is VIGOROUSLY
limited. So the best thing possible UNI
der the circumstances must be accepted
The performance of "OtheIIo' under
consideration was not that by any man.
ner Of means. Ithad, however, the saw
ing grace of intelligence, proprlety, and
well-dlrected purpose. with these
Qualities, "Othello" is bound TO be in
terestlng to some extent.
Of the players the Sun says
Odette TYLER. easily the most attract
tive figure in the performance, proved
To be a DeSdemOna of charming appear
ance, gentle and girlish manner, and IN
telllgent wel-deIivcred speech. The
former pecularitIes of her diction as
serted themselves rarely, and the mod
ernity of her style was only occasionally
noticeable. Her abilities TO attempt
roles of this kind were plainly enough
proved so far as this particular effort
went. Mr. Mclean is an intelligent
reader of OthellO'S lines in deep ana
monotOnous voice, and seems IN posses
sion of all that it is necessary for him
| TO know about the meaning of the rule.
He has some facility in execution as
we'll Yet he seemed hopelessly undra-
matte and uninspIred last night, with
| out the capacity of touching his au-
diencc in the slightest with the beauty
of the language or the significance OF
scene. He was very much appauded
| by the audience.
1t seems somewhat inconsistent for
the Sun 10 say III one breath that MI
Mclean was "hopeIessly undramatlc
and uninspired, without the capacity Of
touching his audience, IN the slight
est, and III the next to admit that che
was very much appIauded by the au-
dence, SO much 50 that he was called
before the curtain after the third act
We are rather of the opinion that
the McLean-Tyler troupe gave quite
as good performance as the New
Workers are ordinarily accustomed to
That tle critics like Allan Dale failed
to appreciate it need not cause much
concern.