The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-12
AT THE THEATRES.


| cent production of Hamlet" as showed
| 1t the National Theatre last evening be
| fore an audience that was numerically
| large aud decidedly demonstrative in its
| reception of the play and its interpreters
| Seldom has presentation OF classi-
| cal drama received the same amount Of
| approval that was accorded to Hamlet.
| To judge from the amount of commentla-
| ton that was manifested, one would he
| led to imagine that it was not a Shake
| spearean drama that occupied the stage
| but a popular modern book play. In his
| latest contribution to local theatrical his
tory MIR. Sothern scored IA veritable trl-
umph ana displayed the most intelligent
| and creditable piece Of acting of his ca
| reer.
| The Hamlet of Mr. Sothern is more
| correct physical reproduction of the
| character made ia miliar to the thea
| tire patrons of this country by Edwin
| Booth than has ever been showed by any
| other player of the role. The Booth dress
the dark, clustering hair the handsome
| eyes with the shadow of mournfuiness
| haunting them, the broad pale brow-an
| these characteristics of the Booth Ham
| let are exhibited by Mr.. Sothern. wheth-
| er Intentionally or not, and cannot but
| help call up memories of a Hamlet of
another day.
Mr.. Sothern's production of the play
| VIII prove most attractive to serious stu
| dents of the drama, for in it they Will
| lind that Shakespeare's lines have rot
been very materially tempered with by
| any of the modern stage managers. and
| that the readings and illustrative bust
less are those that have been made
| familiar in previous pre- seutations of the
| piece. Rather more Of the text is used
| in the first scene of ltoratio and the
| soldier than is generally showed on the
| stage. cphelias recital of Hamiets visit
| Is retained. but the speech of Hamlet
| while the King is at prayer is omitted
| After the King soliloquy and prayer. the
! Queen and Polonius take possession of
! the room he has occupied and there Ham
| let berates the one and slaughteTs the
| other The harsher treatment of Gulden-
stern. because he wears a medallion Of
! Claudius while Rosencrantz has none. is
| apparently "a new but not especially WALTZ
| able point. Throughout the entire per-
| formance there is no effort at triCkery
and when on the throne Sothern does not
| resort to theatres and does not crawl like
a serpent in the play scene or Juggle with
| the bedchamber candle sticks as has been
| done by some previous Hamlets. The
| to be or not to be speech, which is de-
| livered while gazing into fire Is "A
| rather pleasing innovation. The Sothern
| production of Hamlet is the very thing
| that has been looked for by all who are
| Interested in the proper establishment OF
Shakespearean standards-a careful, SEN
| sible. coherent, tasteful, pictorial, and de-
! cidedly scholarly performance of the play
which Will find great favor with those who
| like Shakespeare and help form the thea
| tregoing habit in many who now quite
| eXcusably deem attendance at the thea
| tire merely a waste of time
Mr.. Sothern's idea Of Hamlet is a
pOetical one. His treatment of the part
| is highly romantic. and there is but little
glamour on the gloom. His prince is an
! intellectual parsonage, with almost a
relish for the artistic quality his life has
! IN l,a4T In lioyfaf ha
/ eating genius of Hamlet's speeches is
| easily Ineligible and in no sense the
| utterances Of a mailman. The soliloquy
| is done Superbly and almost in a whis-
| every line and phrase. The passa ges
! with Polonius. Horatio, Rosencrantz. and
/ Guildenstern are models Of the mood in
| which hamlet may be supposed to have
| been in footing all, and the cryptic prcg-
! nancies of his utterances seem to crafty
| himself as much as they puzzled his
! hearers.
Virginia Harmed is the Ophelia of the
! performance. and brings TO the role "A
| charming personality, undeniabIe
| genius. and varied and valuable ex-
| perience which combine to make her
| work notable. Her reading as a rule Is
lucid, and she never gives her audience
the idea that she is elocutionist on
I the rampage, as so many of her predeces-
sors in the part have done. She is always
easily understood across the line of foot
lights, and makes good foil for her
nuSbdnN ; ffa1ntet- her delivery OF the
/ speech to Laertes in her first scene is
splendidly done, and in the scenes with
| Hamlet she is invariably satisfying. The
| mad scene. which only needs TO be con-
Quoted simply and without any striving
for effect, is played very gracefully and
| with a fine sense of the picturesque.
Miss Charlotte Deane is decidedly able
| Queen, and her work is particularly
/ strong in the scene in which Hamlet re-
/ pFoaches her for her infideiity to her lord.
| OF the male members Of the cast. next
| to Mr.. Sothern undoubtedly comes Edwin
! Varrey. who displays an uncommonly fine
| ability and who makes PoIonius a really
| great conception. Roland Blackstone that
| standby of so many Sothern productions
| is excellent First Gravedigger. Vim
! cent Sternroyd as Latertes shows "A strong
tendency TO overact. which mars an other
wise commcndable performance. Arthur
l.. twrence is King of the old school, and
a good one. too while the HOratio of
Henry Cavil is especially well done
As a production, pure and simple, the
| So'hern Hamlet Is elaborate and with
out any doubt the most magnificent the
drama has ever been given on a local
stage. There is large number of extra
players who are ably handled and who
contribute greatly Ia the effectiveness OF
the scenes in which they appear.
Mr.. Sothern will continue to present
Hamlet during the remainder of the
week, with matinee on Saturday. On
| Wednesday, Miss Harmed will give a spe-
| tracing a good deal Of attention, and
ordinary Importance.