The times., 1901-05-19
The y.tiopaI-N g. Goodvin

The special revival of THE Merchant
! of Venice to be made at the National
! Theatre next Tuesday evening by Klaw
/ & Erlanger, in which they will present
/ n. c. Goodwin and Maxine Elliott as Shy
! lock and Portia, respectively, will be one
/ of the most important events of this dra-
| matte season. The play is a classic, of
! the best in dramatic art, and the per-
! formance will, in a sense. be the fruition
| Of the ambitions of two most worthy ar
I tists-a man and a woman who have
/ struggled to attain distinction and whose
/ advancement has been steady and sub
/ stantial for several years.
Through early success in low comedy
! characters Mr.. Goodwin naturally became
I looked on solely as low comedian with
| capabilities limited to that field Of en-
/ deavor. He aspired, however, to attain
to higher place in dramatic Work. be
1eV1ng that he possessed greater hiStri-
onic abilities than he was credited with
even by his most sympathetic friends
Had he not had greater faith in himself
than even his most ardent admirers. he
would still be appealing for recognition
only in the comic side of stage work and
would have left the Interpretation of the
nobler emotions to others. From his beau
1 tiful wife, Maxine Elliott, he has received
inspiration from one whose ambition is
as great and undaunted as his own. Her
influence and help have been plainly mani
fest since their marriage, not only In his
art as an actor but also in the more as
piring efforts he has made-productions
like Nathan Hale" and When We Were
Twenty-One," which met with an extra
ordinary measure of success and enabled
him to prove that he possessed a most
virile versatility.
1t has long been both Mr.. Goodwin's and
Miss Elliotts ambition to appear in cIas-
sical impersonations-in characters made
famous by the greatest players the Eng
lish speaking stage has known-and in
their coming essay of Shylock and Por-
tia will undoubtedly serve not only to dis
play their advanced attainments but also
TO inspire them to stin further endeavor
in Legitimate" or classical characters
With the restless intellect of the true ar
uSt-eager, active, and inventiVe-Mr
Goodwin will introduce, in order to bring
home by vivid dramatic Interpretation the
lasting truths and humanity of the old
drama, new business in several situa-
uons. BY this he hopes to throw fresh light
on his difficult subject. He will seek to
combine in his treatment the strength and
power of the old school of Shakespearean
Interpretation with the delicacy grace
and intellect of the new school of acting
He brings to the arduous task a powerful
equipment. His performances during the
past i've years have always been charac-
terized by so much truth and force that
the present step to the highest form Of the
drama seems natural one.
Mr.. Goodwin has proved conclusivclv
that pathos humor strength, and at
times, fierce intensity, are all completely
within his wide range of dramatic ability
To these forcible characteristics he adds a
calm dignity and at times marked evil
dence Of reserve power.
In the stage management of all his pro-
ductions in recent years he has shown an
artists faculty of invention and a gen
erals power Of organization. Mr.. Good
win exceIs in this branch as strongly as
he does in the presentation Of character
Every hint afforded by the author is work
ed up to produce the desired effect with
the patient intelligence that shows his
power as stage-producer. With such
qualities at his command the forthcoming
production of THE Merchant of Venice"
will undoubtedly possess merit that leads
it TO be looked forward to with uncommon
interest by earnest students of the old
LlZa bethan drama.