New-York tribune., 1900-07-28
THE STAGING OF SHAKESPEARE.
.1R BDERBoHM TREES DEFENCE OF THE PUBLIC
TASTE.

EIE- BDERBOHM TREES DEFENCE OF THE p BLIC
TASTE.
From The Fortnightly Review.
Sir" said DR.. Johnson, Il have not even men
toned Little Davy' in the preface to my Shake
''Why?" ventured Boswell DO you not ad-
mire that great actor?"
Yes replied the Doctor. "as poor player
who frets and struts his hOuc upon the stage
as a shadow"
But" persisted Boswell, has he not brought
Shakespeare into notice.?
At this the immortal photographer fired up.
Sir, to allow that would be TO lampoon the age.
being acted"
Then Boswell, scotchman that he vas. once
more replied with a question: What! Is moth
ing gained by acting and deCOratiOn?'
Sir replied DR.. Johnson, breathing hard;
Sir" he Numbered. he brought down his
fist with ali the energy of his rotund and vol
a silence-the only silence that is recorded
in the life Of that masterful personality.
In this brief conversation is raised the chief
question which has divided lovers of Shakespeare
for three centuries past Ought his works to be
presented upon the stage at all? Strange as 1t
may seem in an actor. am bound 10 say that
can understand this attitude of mind, which was
shared by many thinkers of past ages am
not astOnished even that such acute and genlaI
critics as Charles Lamb and WOrdsworth-that
such serious lovers Of Shakespeare as HaZhJU
and Emerson-held the opinion that the works
of our greatest dramatist should not be seen
upon the stage.
We are told that under the present system it is
acted constantly and in their variety, owing 70
the large sums of money which have to be eX-
pended. thus necessitating long runs OF course.
If large number of Shakespeare's plays could
follow each other without intermiSSiOn, very
desirable state Of things would be attained;
but my contention IS that no company OF ordl-
nary dimensions could possibly achieve this.
either worthily or even satisfactorily. Leaving
out of consideration for the moment all such
questions rehearsals of scenery and effects, it
is impossible for set of actors properly to
prepare one play in the space of a few days
VCN haV her q nj o
who have had any experience of rehearSng
Shakespearian drama in serious way will bear
me out that week or a fortnight or even
month, Is insufficient to do the text anything
like full justice. And when attempts OF
this kind have been made, it honestly be
said that they have left any lasting impression
upon the mind the fancy? I contend that
greater service for the true knowing of Shake
speares works is rendered by the careful pro-
duction of one of these plays than by the in
different-or, as 1 believe It is fashionably
called, the acknowledgements of half
a dozen of them By deeply impresSing an au-
dience and making their hearts throb to the
beat of the poets wand, by enthralling
dience by the magic Of the actor who has the
compelling power, enabled to give
Shakespeare wider appeal and a larger fran
chise-surely no mean achievement. Thousands
witness him instead OF hundreds for his works
not only, primarily for the literary stu
dent: they are for the world at large. Indeed.
there should be more JOY over ninety-nine
Philistines that are gained than one elect
that is preserved 1 contend that not only is
no service rendered to Shakespeare by an "ade-
anCes a disservice. in so far that a large
proportion of the audience will receive from
them an impression of dulneSS. And in all
modesty it may be claimed that it is better to
draw multitudes by doing Shakespeare in the
way the public prefers than to keep the theatre
empty by only presenting him adequately"
as these counsels of imperfection would have
do.
take 1t that the proper object of putting
Shakespeare upon the stage is not only to pro-
vide an evenings amusement at the theatre, but
also to give a stimulus to the further study of
our great poets works If performances. there
fore. make but heeting impression during the
moments that they are in action, and are for
stimulus for diving deeper into other plays
than those that have witnessed must in
eN1tably be wanting For my own part | ad-
init that the long run has its disadvantages
that 1t tends (unleSS fought againSO To auto
matte acting and to a leSsening of enthusiasm.
passion and Imagination the part of the
actor; but what system is perfect? 1t is a re-
grettable fact that in all the affairs of life
whenever we strive for abstract condition of
things apt 20 come into collision virh
itations-as many idealist's battered head
Will testify. In making a choice one can only
elect that system which has the smallest num-
ber Of drawbacks to its account. The arg~l-
ment that the liabilities involved NOWADAYS in
producing Shakespearian play on the modern
system are so heavy that few managers care TO
face them. and that therefore, unless a change in
such system takes place Shakespeare viii be
baniShed from the London stage altOgether-is
in my opinion a fallacious one. Again I apoIO-
rience, but l feel bound 10 state-if only for
the purpose of encouraging others TO mn
Shakespeare the stage as magnifiCentlv rs
they can arord-that no single one OF my
Shakespearian productions has been unattended
by substantial pecuniary reward.