The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-09-23
THE RANGE OF THE DRAMA.
UP TO SHAKEsPEARE AND down TO
THE ROGERS BROTHERS.
Points In the Fresh Productions on Our stage
Last week-"Hamlet" for a Classic Tragedy
aud Caleb west" for q Modern Sea Play
A Booth Performance Remembered.

LAST Neek-'Hhmlet' Tor n tlhssc tFhbeuJ
ard Caleb west" for q Modern Sea PhaJ
A Booth Performance
The range Of fresh production on our stage
last week was from the extremes OF William
shakespeare Hamlet" to John } McNally' &
The Rogers Brothers In Central Park. No
pride was 10 be seen In the audiences nj the
classic tragedy. nor humility In those at the
song-and-dance extravaganza Many people
went to both shows. and enjoyed ono no less
than the other. This 10 not a city Of theatrical
preJudices. II likes 10 be entertained Nar1-
ously 1t does not lack In appreciation OF the
most intellectual entertainment. and II likes
also to be diverted without having to think
about II. Gus and Max Rogers make folks
laugh and that Ia all. Their Jokes and antics
distract your mind from care and trouble.
but do not distress 1t in any way. II you think
Of them at all after quitting the Victoria Theatre.
perhaps it is to wouder how they amused you
50 What more ARE they than two grotesque
Germans who speak dialogues Of such tests "a
the comic weeklies are full Of. sing ditties Of
the kind that vaudeville abounds In. and
dance with a timber vim which Ia not
inImitable' Tho complete answer Il not that
their matter is mostly new. that they are eI-
ceptionably good singers and that their antics
are largely original What accounts for their
exceptional funnlness Ia a quantity humorous
personality. II they had lived a thousand
years ago they might have found their voca-
ton as court testers. Now they sell their
comicalitles to a public ever ready to buy merri-
ment. This entertainment has the out
lines Of n play filed In with Rogers foolery
and other things OF a vaudeville nature. which
often take on the aspects OF a gay spectacle.
Lots Of comfy women are shown In costumes
that do not choke them as singers nor clog
them rs dancers There ia q act Of active
comedians. male and female. so that the
Ros.rses themselves are by no means con-
tinuous. and there is no quiet minute In sound
or sight during the whole affair. As to Its
rating In art and morals. there Ia nothing in
The Rogers Brothers in Central Park" to
call for any renewed discussion. 1t is a typical
Victoria eXtravaRenza
i've got a dog that growls, a parrot that
cusses and a cat that stays out nights says
one 81 the three countrywomen in Caleb West"
at the Manhattan, so why should ! get
married. This trio provides much OF the
humor that the new play contains. Kate
Wilson's whine Ats well enough into the senti-
ment Of the sea captains wife. and her person.
atty is exactly right. Ada Gilman is a s~plnster
school teacher. rather tender in nature but
entirely prim In aspect, save for a little touch
Of coquetry In the arrangement Of her hair,
and In love with a country pumpkin who woes
her difldently. Her slim little figure in the
plain brown frock Ia rather pathetic. and she
Ia appropriately the first n the village women
TO forgive her old pupil for starting TO run
away Emily Wakeman is a type Of old maid
Her long neck rises out Of n stiff white collar.
and her heavy chin is held high while she snins
at the humanity which does not riso to her
standard OF morals. ANY actress courageous
enough TO make herself look as Miss Wakeman
does ought TO get good waGes A more unat-
~tractive creature has not been seen since Sis
Hopkins came into view Caleb West" has a
heroine who comes as perilously near the
brink Of disaster as some Of the women
Of recent London comedy do, but she
does It Sentirncntally and t~earfully. not with
the fippancy and cynicism Of the London
ladies' Moreover. she returns to her husband
after having gone no further than Grecnport.
only n short sail from his home. In +. Hop
kinson Smiths novel. from which the play is
taken. the fault Of the wife is more serious.
Michael Morton has returned her 10 her hus-
band with no greater sin than weakness 10
answer for. and the audience finds her rather
an object OF sympathy than the wanton she
would be regarded II her exploit had not failed
Of purpose. May Buckley's appearance Ia so
childlike and FREQ from the suggestion OF vice
that tho crime she might have committed Ia
lost SIGHT Of The audience regards her as
n young wife suffering from some vague fault
OF her own and fully deserving to be taken
back to her husbands home The stages by
which she wins his pardon. and is accepted
by all the village except one ~spinster. are inter-
esting when We are aware OF her innocence
Of any great wrong. but We could have little
liberation if she beha we'd as she does in the
book. II Is almost a principle OF the theatre
in EnRlish-speaking countries that no woman
must be given to one man from the arms OF
another, and least Of all from a seducer. That
situation is less repuGnant to foreign audi
ences, but II never finds acceptance here So
Mr.. Morton was wise in clearing the heroine
OF Caleb West" OF actual guilt.
1t is the ghost OF Edwin Booth that the Amer
lean actor is really afraid Of while Stimulating
Hdmla's awe Of a paternal apparition. His
dread Ia that the audience will. In its minds
eye, sec tho dead ~tragedian accompany the
live one through the play. b~ellttling the new
performances with memories OF the old one,
and multiplying present merits with exaggerated
views Of those OF the past. But II is already
a dozen years since Booth played Ham Let brill |
llantly for the last time. That was when the
empty purse OF Lester Wallack was filed by
some OF his contemporaneous managers and
actors through q memorable entertainment
at the Metropolitan Opera House. Booth had
become an oldish man too soon. He had en-
countered reverses Of fortune and fame. and
they seemed TO have tired hin Of the stage.
for his acting had becoms slow and tame by
contrast with what It had been. But this was
a rousing occasion for all concern ned In It. Mod
jeska was an Opheha unforgettsble for gentle
pathos and thrilling frenzy. Lawrence Bar
rett intoned the Ghosts revelations impress
sively in the old-fashioned way. JOS
eph Jeferson's dryly humorous personality
gave a novelty 10 the FIRST GraredioGcr. while
the JUNCTION ~ William j. Florence was
q contrast In the Second Grdpedidoer. Frank
Mayo developed all that is in King Cidudius.
and had Gertrude Kellogg for n Queen. John
Gilbert was the POionius. Eben Plympton the
Ldertes. John A. Ian the H%orotio. Joseph
Wheelock the Ftrst Actor. and Rose CoRhlan
the Player Queen. The Importance Of Guild
eastern and Rosercrdns was lifted by Law
renee Hanley and Charles Hanford. while Her
bert Kelley and Edwin II VANDERBILT were
Taired as Bernardo and Mdrcellus. The others
in this remarkable cast were Frank Mordaunt. |
Harry Edwards. Mines Levick and Charles
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