The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-05-27
The DRAMA.

A large audience. many of whom had
seen Frederick Warde and his sup
porters in a majority Of the plays they
have SO ably presented here i'm the sea-
son just closed Joined with the actor
last night in his wish that the future
may see him here again. Warde's
twelve performances have been uni
formly successful and deservedly so,
and they have included a well selected
list of great dramas, yet last night
gave evidences of talents i'm the COM
pany not brought out in the plays pro-
duced. There were two or three bits of
acting that make one wish to see the
Warde Company in the dramas of
which these were the choice scenes.
Walter G.. Smith, editor of the Ad-
vertiser preceded the actors with an
address on Shakespeare and the Play
ers," in which he paid an eloquent tri-
butte to Warde and his supporters, but
did not say more than his hearers felt.
do we ever stop to think what man.
ner of man it is who can meet the tests
which Shakespeare sets for players?'
said the speaker. 1T is not merely that
he shall follow the advice which Ham
let gives the actors of the King; to let
his own discretion be his tutor; to suit
the action to the word and the word to
the action; to show virtue her own fea-
ture, scOrn her own image and the very
age and body of the time his form and
pressure. 1t is not merely these quail
ties that our player must have, but to
quote the phrase of Antony, wit and
words and worth, action and utterance
and the power Of speech to stir mems
blood There must be a great man to fit
the great play, else the play shall suffer
at his hands. There must be a mind spa
Cious enough to hold the spirit as well
as the thoughts of Shakespeare; to feel
and live the noble part. 1t all goes cas-
lily upon the stage, but that is because
intellect and sympathy genius and
skill and the power for hard, unyield-
ing work are there"
Mr.. Smith closed by quoting as des-
criptive of the great poets own position
in literature, the words which Shakes
peare put into the mouth of julius
Caesar:
The skies are painted with unnumbered
sparks,
They are all fire and every one doth
shine,
But there's but one in all doth hold his
place:
So in the world, it's furnished well with
men,
And men are flesh and blood and appre-
hensiVe,
Yet in the number l do know but one,
That unassailable holds on his rank
Unshaked of motion.
The tableau that followed was a Won
derfully impressive grouping of nearly
score of the greatest character crea-
lions of Shakespeare. Some of them had
been seen here during the previous per-
formances, others We're new. Warde
appeared first as Jacques, in AS You
Like It." after Miss Bertelle had beauti-
| fully given the song, Il Know a Bank, IS
| and had retired to reappear as "Ophe-
! lia," and give the audience one of the
most perfect bits of acting seen during
| the entire engagement. This bit of
work, with Barry Johnstones rendition
of Hamlets soliloquy, make one wish
/ to see both Miss Bertelle and tombstone
| do more of those parts.
| "OthellO" by Charles d. Herman was
! also worthy of praise and in a later
| scene this actor, with tombstone, re-
! peated their success Of a few nights be-
| fore, in the quarrel scene from Julius
| Caesar" Miss Virginia Drew Prescott
as Queen Katherine" from Henry
| the VIII" did another bit of work new
| to Honolulu which the audience greatly
appreciated, and her repetition of one OF
! the best scenes of Macbeth" gave
| those who missed that play last week
! something of an idea of the triumph
| she achieved in that tragedy.
| Mr.. Warde gave the SOlilOQuy of the
Duke of Gloster, from Richard H."
in which that impressive character lays
! bare his heart and projects. 1t was
| again new piece of work TO Honolulu
| and it was a real treat. Warde com
! pleted his evenings work with a repe-
! titiOn of the trial scene from The Mer-
! chant of Venice" The actor made four
| appearances during the evening, as
Jacques as the Duke of Gloster,'
| then as Warde himself. speaking a few
| eloquent words of farewell, and finally
as "Shylock."
The actors farewell was full of the
appreciation for the hearty support the
| plays have received,-a support of the
legitimate of which, he said, any me-
tropolis might be proud. He thanked
the public and press, gave thanks as
well for the address of Walter G.. Smith
and spoke his appreciation of the fra
ternal greetings of the local lodge of
Elks. for whom he promised to carry
messages of brotherhood to the lodges
on the Mainland. The address closed
with Warde's expression of a wish that
he may live to come again to Honolulu.