The San Francisco call., 1901-11-24

Sir Henry Irving's Shylock, lately
seen in New York Mr.. Bell mas
a = gone to the trouble, with very
picturesque result, to spell out the Shakes
pearean blank verse as pronounced by Sir
Henry Irving, according to the Bell audi
ton. He prefaces this literary curiosity
by saying:
There were times when Sir Henry might as
well have translated the fount Of English un-
dehled. SO far as conference of sound and syl-
liable were concerned, into Choctaw.
Here is the Irving English as heard by
Mr.. Bell-it is perhaps necessary to state
that it is Shylock's speech to Antonio:
Wa thane. eet no eDeres. All. Uni 70 ned
m'eIp;
ough! Ough! Cav too thane Hal I'm! 70
come n saay,
All shilok I'm! Ouch. we wode hev moanies;
70 saay so;
Ach. Ha, YO Ouch. thet dade vide ye rome
i2on m bard,
N fuut m. Ach! Aeh! 'syo spourn stringer
cOor
UNI 'ver you threshold; moanies s yore suit.
Aeh. ouchi What shode I saay toe youo
Shode Int saay.
Hai Hal UNI Hath aa doag nnoany? Achi st
paws bic, UNI Uml
A core n lsynd three thousand dookits? Or,
Ouch.
Shell eye bind low ANNA bawndsmin's kaye,
Ith batted brath 'nwisDrin hombleniss.
Say thsss, Hai OUCH I'm. I'm, UGH
Far seer Hal 70 spate nina n wednesday
last, Ushl
UNI Ouch! yOspund may sOOch dOag. No
70 caIt m Ha. Ha! dOag. I'm, Mind for thess
1dritissys
Ha. Ouch. Uml elnd 70. Ha! thoss mouch
mOanies.
The New York Press critic then goes
on TO say;
Only an intimate knowledge of the play
itself can carry through these puzzIing
experiences Tor when the actor becomes ex-
cited by his role not even professor Of Ian
guages can decipher him. With all his faults
Sir Henry is a wonderful player. In the battle
scene OF Macbeth he abandons Shakes
peares verse entirely and contents him with a
series of grunts and inarticuIate ordinations
yet who can portray the Thane OF Glamis bet
ter2 In his scene with Tllbal on Friday night
not one word in ten could be distinguished
even with opera-glass-yet Irving's shylock
is a stroke Of genius that has no parallel in
the annals Of the drama
II IS q paradox that actor who is def
cient in Of the fundamental principles OF
acting should remain in the applause OF critics
and theater-goers. be knighted by his sover-
eign, and universally recognized as the great
est player OF his day. The pays the thing
with us. It with Hamlet and any per-
former who SO mumbles the language Of the
drama that It cannot be understood must
merit condemnation. apparently rather than
compliment Sir Henry Irving openly denes
elocution- He 2ronounces the English tongue
It is pronounced by no other man. woman
or child. he laros the flowing verse of
Shakespeare with CALCULATIONS Intersections
exclsmations and inarticulate grunts that have
no place in the poet Wholly apart from his
carriage, which is individual and unique this
actor is fecund with vocal eccentricties that.
II the laws OF logic ruled the theater, would
be rejected on the stage. oddly enough, the
better he acts the worse he enunciates until
when the dramatic fervor is at its loftiest
height the audience can make nothing OF his
language
The good old standby, lyon Yonson,"
is TO be the California Theater's pro-
gramme this week, with the special inter-
est Of a ''yenufne Yon' in the title role.
Knute Erickson is his name, and Sam
Thai picked him up at Kullagunnarstop.
etc, in Sweden, last summer, after see
ing him in the role in London The honor
OF being first comedian in Sweden is
claimed for Mr.. Erickson, and there is no
doubt Of his success in England and Ger
many in Swedish dialect parts. He is said
to resemble J. K Emmett in personal ap-
pearance as that favorite actor-singer ap-
pesred in his younger days, and also sings
like him in a voice that vividly recalls
Emmett's. His humor is Of the same rich,
Spontaneous sort and he is going to show
US a Yon that. by all accounts, will range
itself with the delightful German dialect
characters of Emmett. The names in the
supporting cast promise we'll
George H. Robinson. who plays the
part Of Hix. the reporter, in ION the
Quiet is a Californian product and a
son Of the late DR.. Luke Robinson. Mr..
Robinson has more claims than one to
consideration. Besides a neat histrionic
faculty, he writes well and is now en-
gagged upon novel soon to be published
by Harper's that he purposes calling
Splinters,' the story Of street acrobat.
He is author of a number of playlets.
among them "A Family Affair." 1.-The
spiritualist. "A Game Of Con" and Dick
BUrtons Rival" all of which have been