The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-05-14
THE DRAMA.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES:

king Lear" is named on Warde's
bills as shakespeare sublime TRACE
dy" and the adjective is one that many
critics think not too strong 1t has but
a single theme, and is dominated by
the one great character of the monarch
who gave away his kingdom to boast
ers and ilaterers and disinherited true
hlial love that did not show itself in
words. The rash gifts open the play,
and the rest of the five acts give the
story of the consequences and the ava
kening. This is all the story of the
great tragedy. The lesson of this folly
pervades even the other elements of
the play,-the other tragedy of the ter
rible fate of the Duke of Gloster,-be-
ing based largely on a parents hasty
ill judgment of a faithful son. Lear
disowning his only true-hearted daugh-
ter and Gloster tricked into driving
away his faithful son, are two tragic
figures of the same sort.
Warde's production of the tragedy is
undoubtedly a great one, and it was
appreciated to the full last night OF
course there might be questions raised
it is one of Shakespeare charms
that there usually are. The old con-
troversy as to whether Hamlet was
mad or not has added interest to many
interpretations of the part by students.
In Warde'S Lear one might question
whether the first act does not introduce
a monarch already over feeble for the
horrors that are coming, though it is to
be remembered that the whole play
spans but a short period of time. In
the madness of Edgar brilliantly as it
was acted by Barry tombstone, one
might ask whether the part demands
that the assumed madness should be
Co.. 1 /
old Kings lettering reason away and
joining in his lunatic antics But these
are matters of an actors judgment and
however they may be viewed they do
not detract from the enjoyment of a
great performance.
From the time when he assembled the
throne in the first act, to give away
his kingdom, till in the last act he
passed away beside the dead body of
his murdered faithful daughter, the
figure of King Lear is one of tragedy
and pathos, and Frederick Warde
showed himself the master in his i'm
pressive presentation of the part.
Throughout all the varied emotions the
poet has brought out in the character
alternate rage and grief, kingly dig
nifty and pitiful pleading, madness and
final Observation-Disclosures carried the
audience with him. He was never
ranter and never read the lines inds-
tinctly, which is d supreme virtue that
every one of an audience always APP
preciates.
Barry tombstone as Edgar sustained
the good opinion he has already earned
III other roles. In the great storm
scene his acting of the part of assumed
madness deserved the interruption of
applause that the audience gave.
Charles D. Herman as Edmund merits
equal praise. Miss Virginia Drew
Prescott was a good Goneril and Miss
May Warde and Miss Antoinette Ash
ton creditably took the parts of Cor
della and Regain.
Warde's next production will be
| "Othello" tomorrow evening, with Her
man as Iago and Johnston as Cassie.
| Macbeth" has been decided upon as
! the play for Wednesday evening, May
| p. On the following evening, Elks'
night, The Mountebank" will be re-
peated by request At the last Satur-
day matinee Julius Caesar" will be re-
peated, and "Virginius' on the last
| Saturday evening For the farewell
night, a composite bill has been ar
ranged, including a presentation of
many Shakespearean characters, pre-
coded by an address on Shakespeare by
| Walter G.. Smith.