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

have been investigated.
| prominent literary critics have main
| tanned that Shakespeare was very con-
| siderably indebted for his Shylock to Mar
| loves character OF Barabas In The Jew
| of Malta II is, moreover an .fudisputa-
| bic fact with students of Eiizabethan
| 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 Marlowe's plays I'M
| doubtedly contributed to influence Shakes
| peares choice of subjects. Long ago it
was pointed out by Charles Lamb that
| the pangs of abdictins royalty in Mar
| loves Edward IT. must have fur
nished strong hints toward shakespeare's
Richard ILL.," The two parts OF Tam
berlaine" formed models for what have
been expressively called the "EIizabethan
| tragedies of bleed . u Goodwin points
! oct that perhaps no stronger proof could
be ADVANCED to show the enormous adj
| vances mace by Shakespeare over Mar
Side by side with THE Merchant OF
| Venice" what Is the merest tinsel and
! tawdry in Marlowe's case is filtered
imagination and comes forth transmitted
| into the purest gold.
There are, Mr.. Goodwin maintains, GER
| tain accidental resemblances between the
characters of Barabas and Shylock bus
! in their essential natures they are widely
separated. Barabas is a fiend in human
shape without a touch of nature to redeem
| him. He is 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 prejudices that existed against the
Jewish race in the Elizabethan age.
\
breadth of view. and the character Of Shy
lock is a brilliant exemplification of the
truth of old Ben Jonsons line that
Shakespeare was mot of an age but for
all time" He aares to 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 a
possibility Of recrimination until the op-
portunity brought about by Antonio's
losses opens up. Barabas, on tine 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 Euckett says: Business during
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 a Runaway Girl They
looked rather doubtful when they came in.
but they were pretty sure of 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
viii be given on even greater scale
With few exceptions. the cast will be en-
tirely new. Miss Edwardes and Mr.. Park
VIII remain. Elgie Bowen, of the San
Toy company, viii come here to sing
the role of Minosa San Henry E. Hoyt,
he best known scenic artist in the coun-
sni IS s,, mere repaintingg the scenery
pie have been engaged. This is the first
time these pieces have ever been put on at
popular prices on account of the heavy
Circus Girl which followed The GET
sha, because he couldn't afford to keep
up the royalties We could give a season
OF ight opera at less than half of what
people wouldn't patronize it. | believe
many OF those who did not see A Rum
away Girl think we are fooling them,
but were 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 hrst class entertainment that has
ever oHered anywhere in America
Persons who attend vaudeville perform
ances and have noted the manifold pecu-
hart1es OK the people who provide this
style OF stage entertainment will be in
terested in the following impressions of
vaudevillians as printed by E. d. Price
under the nom de plume of The Man Be-
hind the scenes. in the Telegraph
Mr.. Price first considers the sidewalk
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
They never saw an English
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 and played craps, and
their school of art was the gallery of a
cheap variety theatre. Their professional
debut was made on amateur night in one
Of the cheap Bowery houses. From there
they graduated to museum. and by slow
and painful stages worked their way into
better class establishments.
The Irish teams ideas of makeup in
cline TO red scratch wigs and striking
.acial imitation of the simians in Central
Park the tall. thin conversat ionalist is
smooth faced, with tufts of hair gummed
IN in front of his ears. The fat little
unny man wears Galway slugglers fas-
ened under his chin with a string.
They both affect condemned dress
'uits, very full and baggy. with red vests.
green neckties, and Anticipated silk hats,
which undergo rough usage as the act
rms n hgrr
ZACH other in the face with folded news
,apers they are knocking off the silk hats
md stamping on them.
THE sidewalk conversationalists con-
-erse fiuently but ungrammatically and
heir talk reeks with the slang OF the
lums. The impromDtu joke is their
trong card. One of them springs a wit
icism that has been part of the act
inee their first appearance. The other
ives away to uncomfortable manifesto
ions of mirth as if it were quite sponta-
ieous and he had not heard it twice a
ay for three years The low foreheads
n the audience go into spasms of delight
ver the impromptu joke. although they
re never deceived as to its antiquity
The sketch team comes in for a share
( attention, as follows:
"A very slender man and very fat
roman always constitute the sketch team
THE man is nimble and grotesque: the
roman is phlesmatic and ponderous. She
sually applies to the man for instruction
n acting, and they burlesque some scene
rom a familiar play. If that isn't the
heme of the sketch then violent do
hey make pretext of taking the audience
nto their sacred family confidence and
idicule each others physical imperfec-
Ions unsparingly. The impromptu joke,
o feeble and decrepit from long service
hat it cannot stand alone, is also i'm
lensely popular with these entertainers.
The performer who springs this with
ism usually adds with a plausible affec-
a on nj nd hot M cfl