The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-05-12


Prominent literary critics have main
tanned that Shakespeare was very con-
siderably indebted for his ShyIock to Mar
loves character OF Barabas. IN The Jew
of Malta" It is. moreover. an indisputa-
bic fact with students Of Ellzabethan
literature that blank verse. first intro
duced into the English tongue by Earl
Surrey, in his translation Of the .Aeneid."
was very much improved BY Mariowe.
whose model formed the basis for the
freedom and grace OF Shakespearean
prOsody. Many of MariOwes plays un-
doubleday contributed to influence Shakes
peare's choice of subjects Long ago it
was pointed out by Charles Lamb that
the pangs of abdicting royalty in Mar
loves Edward Il must have fur
nished strong hints toward Shakespeare's
Richard Ill" The two parts Of Tam
berlaine' formed models for what have
been expressiveiy called the ''Elizabethan
tragedies of blood Mr.. Goodwin points
out that perhaps no stronger proof could
be advanced 10 show the enormous ad-
vances made by Shakespeare over Mar
lowe, his father in dramatic poetry. than
careful perusal of The Jew Of Malta
Side by side with The Merchant OF
Venice" what is the merest tinsel and
tawdry in Marlowe's case is filtered
through the crucible of Shakespeare's
imagination and comes forth transmitted
into the pureSt gold
There are. Mr.. Goodwin maintains, GER
tain accidental resemblance between the
characters of Barabas and ShylOck. but
separated Barabas is fend in human
shape without touch of nature to redeem
him. He is a monstrosity that takes de-
light in deeds Of blood and revels In devil
ish Vaccinations. Shylock. on the other
hand, is essentially human. his cruelty
being constantly relieved by cunning
touches Of ShakeSpeare'S art Mr. Good
win points out that considering the enOr-
nous preiudices that existed against the
Jewish race in the EliZabethan age.
Shakespeare shows an extraordinary
breadth of view. and the character OF Shy
lock is a brilliant exemplification Of the
truth of old Ben jOnsOns Enc that
Shakespeare was mot OF an age but for
all time" He dares 10 hurl defiance
in the teeth of the prejudices of his coun-
trymen and makes those prejudices just
as hateful as the reaction OF cunning and
cruelty in Shylock Of which they are the
cause. The revenge and demand for the
pound of flesh are simply the result Of
long pent up insult endured without
possibility Of recriminatiOn until the op-
portunity brought about by AntOnIo's
losses opens up Barabas. on the other
hand. has no such powerful motives TO
stir him to action and lacks the many
touches Of humanity seen in Shakespeare's
ShylOck.
In regard to the season OF musical
comedy which was inaugurated at the
Columbia Theatre last Monday night,
Manager Luckett says; Business during
the past week has been very good. de-
spite the presence in town OF another
musical piece and the circus. But it was
funny to watch the people who came
here to see y Runaway Girl They
looked rather doubtful when they came in,
but they were pretty sure Of a good thing
when they went out. We are doing things
on an extensive scale. and if the people
of Washington will only realize it. they
are getting the best musical entertain
ments ever offered at popular prices.
I'VE brought the "A Runaway Girl COM
pany here intact at great expense be-
cause We wanted TO prove our promise for
nrst class productions, and The Geisha'
viii be given on even a greater scale.
With few exceptions the cast will be en-
tlrely new Miss Edwardes and Mr.. Park
VIII remain Elgie Bowen, of the San
Toy company, viii come here to sing
the role of Mimosa San Henry E. Hoyt,
the best known scenic artist in the coun-
try, is here repainting the scenery
and fifteen additional chorus peO-
pie have been engaged. This is the first
time these pieces have ever been put on at
popular prices on account of the heavy
royalties. Charles Frohman shelved The
Circus Girl which followed The Gel
sha, because he couldn't afford to keep
OF light opera at less than half of what
our present venture is costing u.s. but the
people wouldn't patrOnize il. l believe
many OF those who did not see A Run
away Girl think we are fooling them,
but We're not, and if the local public will
only do its part we shall certainly do ours
and give the best and most complete sea
son OF first class entertainment that has
ever been offered anywhere in America -
Persons who attend vaudeville perform
ances and have noted the manifold pecu-
liarities Of the people who provide this
style of stage entertainment will be in
terested in the following impressions of
vaudevillians as printed by Z. d. Price
under the nom &c plume of The Man Be
hind the Scenes, in the Telegraph
Mr.. Price first considers the sidewalk
eonversationalist and concerning this type
of actor says:
'One is tall and thin. He is the feeder
for his partner. who is short and stout
They possess some native sense Of rough
humor, but have not enjoyed educational
advantages. They never saw an English
grammar and their speech is the rude ar
got of the East Side streets and tene-
ments, usually favored with Irish or Ger
man dialect.
..As youngsters they knocked about and
sold newspapers ana played craps, and
their school of art was the gallery Of q
cheap variety theatre. Their professional
debut was made on amateur night in one
of the cheap Bowery houses. From there
they graduated to a museum, and by slow
and painful stages worked their way into
better class establishments.
The Irish team ideas of makeup in
cline TO red scratch wigs and striking
facial imitation of the simians in Central
Park. The tall, thin cOnveTsatiOnalist is
smooth faced, with tufts of hair gummed
on in front of his ears. The fat little
funny man wears Galway slugglerS faS-
tened under his chin with a string.
They both affect condemned dress
suits, very full and baggy, with red vests.
green neckties, and antiquated silk hats.
which undergo rough usage as the act
warns UP. When they are not slaDDing
each other in the face with folded news
papers they are knocking off the silk hats
and stamping on them
THE sidewalk cOnversatiOnaIiSts con-
verse huently but ungrammatically, and
their talk reekS with the slang Of the
slums. The impromDtu joke is their
strong card. One of them springs a wit
ticism that has been part OF the act
since their first appearance. The other
gives away to uncomfortable manifesto
tons of mirth as if it were quite sponta-
neous and he had not heard it twice a
day for three years. The low fOreheads
in the audience go into spasms of delight
over the impromptu joke, although they
are never deceived as to its antiquity.
The sketch team comes in for share
of attention. as follows:
"A very slender man and a very fat
woman always constitute the sketch team.
THE man is nirnble and grOteSque: the
woman is phlegmatic and pOnderous. She
usually applies to the man for instruction
in acting, and they burleSque some scene
from familiar play II that isn't the
theme Of the sketch then violent do
nestle controversy is its cornerstone
They make preteXt of taking the audience
into their sacred family confidence and
ridicule each others physical imperfec-
tons unsparingly. The impromptu joke.
so feeble and decrepit from long service
that it cannot stand alone, is also i'm
menSely popular with these entertainers
THE performer who springs this witt
cism usually adds with a plausible afTec-
tatiOn of sincerity. And that's no stage