The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-12-27
An Incident Of the Hanf0rd APP
pearance Which Amused.
Half His Mustache Adhered to
the HerOine's Cheek.
AUDIENCE
Actor Joined in Merriment as
the Curtain Fell.
Audience Delighted With His
Claiming of the Shrew."

An amusing thing happened at the
Hanford performance at the close of the
third act at the Crawford last night.
Petruchio. as impersonated by Han
ford, a just succeeded in tanning his
shrewtsh wife Katherine, who was Miss
Helen rGantly, and the audience de-
manded the rise of the curtain 1t went
up revealing the smiling c-ountenance
of Hanford holding Miss Grantley by
the hand, and both were bowling grace
fully. The actor was surprised to hear
a litter spread over the audience, which
swelled into a roar Of laughter, and
giancing at Miss GRAVITY he saw the
cause. There on her cheek was one
half his little black mustache. HIS
laughter as the curtain was rung down,
and when it rose again the muStache
wal where it belonged. on Hanfords
lip.
Mr.. Hanford was compelled to do in
Topeka what he has never been known
to do before-make a speech. After
the mustache episode was over the au-
dience simply him to respond,
and he made a neat little speech. say
ing hat he was glad to be back to To-
peka and hoped to come again, just as
actors always do. His reception was
the most hattering accorded to any star
in Topeka this season
If the Bard of Avon could rise from
his resting place in Stratford and walk
like the ghost in he might
witness a Hanfordian performance OF
The Tanning of the Shrew." If he did
that master playwright would go way
back and take up his rest where he left
of and never more set foot IN top OF
earth. And all because Charles Il.
Hanford has given Mr.. William a
peare a few up-to-date pointers in the
staging and playing of so old a comedy,
which was seen by a large audience at
the Crawford last night
Mr.. Hanford has made much out of
that humorous old piece. He has thrown
a new color and charm into the four
acts He has tuned it up to concert
pitch. The comedy Is as modern as is
possible to make it and still stick to
the ancient speech and wearing apparel
of Shakespeare'S day and age. Mr..
Hanford, with years between himself
and the author. has been able to dust
the mould of time from off the cob
webbed speech and wrinkled hose and
doublet, and is it sacrilege to say that
the comedy is all the better for the Han
Jordan atmosphere? From the people
in the parquet who reread the play in
anticipation of the performance, to
those in the gallery who went without
a clear conception of the meaning of
"shrew," the performance was we'll I'M
derst0od and thoroughly enjoyed. Han |
ford is a great ~collaborator. especially
when the "co" means with William
Shakespeare.
There was a surprise in store for the
audience. The unexpected was a cur
tain raiser entitled The Old Guard" a |
story in the life of one of Napoleon1s
veterans of the Battle of Waterloo. In
this Mr.. Hanford took the part of an
aged exile of the Little CorporaPs once
famous body guard. He was living in
London with his granddaughter Me-
LAME" Mr. Hanford was "Haversack,"
the old suardsman who stuck to his
faded uniform till the last. Marie Drof- |
nah, who Is Mrs Hanford, was Me |
lanie." Mr.. Hanford's portrayal of the
white haired and lettering old mus
tache was artistic in every particular.
It seemed that he must really be the
once stalwart veteran of giant frame
whose shrunken form failed to fill out
the old uniform. Several times during |
the performance of the curtain raiser
the audience heartily applauded and
especially when the old soldier endeav-
ored TO straighten himself as if on
dress parade and bring his trusty old
musket to a salute. 1t was too much |
for him For that one bit of acting Mr..
of applause. Miss Drofnah was espec- |
tally pleasing and both she and Mr..
HanfOrd spoke their English lines with
the French twist in a decidedly truthful
manner. No more artistic performance,
no matter how long nor how short, has
been seen in Topeka in many a day
than The Old Guard"
1t was interesting after the curtain |
had been down but a short time to see
Mr.. Hanford from under the
snowy wigs and powder of the part of
the OLD man TO the gay and r~ollicking |
character of "Petruchio" in 1.-The Tam
ing of the Shrew." He made the change
with ease From the start Mr.. Hanford
was a capital tanner. He played the /
part with more ~braggadocio, perhaps.
than others who have assayed the part.
He did not give 1T the subtleness of
Booth. 1t was a different nterpreta
ton but by all means good. Booth
used to play "Shylock'' and then a short
version of THE Tanning of the Shrew''
to show the contrast between the two
characters. The contrast between Han
ford's "Haversack" and "Petruchio,
was as marked. He was called before
the curtain after the third act.
Helen GRAVITY played Katherine
in a fairly acceptable manner She was
by no means equal to the role in the
first part She does not possess the
physical strength for the emu
scenes before she was tanned. She did
far better towar the end after she was
tanned and she was in a submissive
The supporting company was
good. but William ]. Shea as
"Grumio" was an exception and he put
plenty of comedy into his lines and
added greatly to the pleasure Of the
performance.