The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-03-05
ADJUSTMENTS
Warde at the Metropolis
tan in '.king Lear"

tulA III AAAiA6, 1880
:. Lear is perhaps, !, the. most speaking
tragedy Of Shakspere.e 1t makes its appeal
straight and direct leaving nothing to the
imagination. The catastrophe which involves
the old man is laid bare from its inception.
To the scholar this may be defect, but to
the general run of unimaginatiVe theater-
goers it is an obvious merit. We see the
king question his daughters. We hear the
lip protestations Of love. returned to him by
Regan and Goneril. We note his wrath at
the silence Of his youngest and best loved
daughter, Cordelia.
Then come Cordelia's Punishment and the
signing! away of his domain by the foolish
old man. Too late he realizes the truth. To
apply .Ha1nlet's phrase to- the situation, the
older daughters protest too much, and q
swift revolving doom bears Lear on to: his
final undoing. The insults heaped upon him
by his most unnatural daughters; his grief,
anger and final loss Of reason, all are held
up, quivering, for inspection. The tragedy
appeals to the heart and to the eye. The
third appeal, that appeal to the Imagination
which Is the chiefest charm OF Hamlet is
lacking
Frederick Warde and his company gave an
eminently satisfactory production of the
tragedy at the Metropolitan last night. Mr..
Warde realizes the character of Lear per-
haps, better than any other Shaksperean role
In which he has appeared. The transition
from Wrathful regal father to an anguish
stricken, tottering old man, realizing to the
full how sharper than serpent's tooth it Is ia
have an sungrateful child is depicted with
! admirable effect. The distinction between an
ger and anguish is sharply defined; and Mr.
Warde's acting in the storm scene is in every
way worthy of praise.
Alien1sts say that insanity oft serves to
accentuate the predominant character trait
of the person it attacks. Lear's strongest
sentiment was his love for Cordelia; and with
the departure of reason that love again be-
comes the strongest motive OF his existence
His vindictiveness against the children who
had despitefully used him passes and in 1t.
stead Mr.. .Warde shows us only regret fo1
Cordelia, whom Lear himself had despitefull,
| used. ...
Next to Mr. Warde, Barry tombstone is de-
serving of commentator for his playing O.
Edgar; and Charles D. Herman for his act
Ing OF Edmund. Kent is we'll handled by
| Francis d. McGinn. Miss Antoinette Ash
| ton as Regan and Miss Virginia Drew Tres
colt as Goneril are acceptable, but Miss Ma,
Warde finds Cordelia somewhat beyond he]
grasp. Miss Bertelle, who has already 1r
this engagement given evidence Of her tai
ents, was rather overweighted with the rol,
| Of the fool. This is, next to Lear, the mos
/ important in the play, and while Miss .Ber
! telle was equal to the emergency in the ear
lier scenes, where the fool is only a. fool, tn,
| storm scene, where the lightning flashes re
| veal him in his true worth, proved too srea
a tax upon her powers. The role of Regan.
! steward was burlesqued by the PLAYER I,
whom 1t was intrusted. J. F. Fulton's Clos
| ter was Inadequate.
! The production was an elaborate one an,
! the difficult storm scene was managed witt
! excellent realism. u 8. Lawrence.