The Washington times., 1902-12-23
His Performance at the Ma
tionaI Theater FavOrablv
Received -InVeStiture /
Lavish and Company
Large
The Two Schools a Good
Comedy - york State
Folks" Scores 4 Hit
Usual Bills at the Other
Houses.


Theayer last night by a company Of
which Edwin II. SOthern was the fore
most figure. This young actor. whose
adventitious rise from the characters OF
light comedy to the enactment Of the
most exacting role I'm all dramatic lit
erature must crafty deeply all lovers OF
stage presentments. embodied the part OF
Hamlet. and invested Il with marked
force. sympathy. and character His
company contributed a most satisfactory
support. particularly in the person OF
Miss Cecilia LOTUS. who appeared as
Ophelia. and lent much charm Of person
20 that thankless role. An audience Of
notable brilliance. even for Washington.
received the performance responsively
and enthusiastically. Hamlet" was
thus most fortunately enacted. and the
result is that Mr.. Sothern has confirmed
locally his title as the best American
Hamlet since that Of Edwin Booth
This production has now continued
through three seasons. and was seen in
Washington last year. It was then much
commended Mr.. Sothern's Interpretation
OF the title role being estimated as un-
traditional but forceful. uneven but
adequate Since that day the entire ma
terial equipment OF the company has
been destroyed by FIRE Particular in
terest centered on last nights perform
ance in consequence because of the new
and lavish investiture given the tragedy
and because this Washington engage
ment Immediately precedes a long stay
in New York city. where Mr. Sothern
will oppose his embodiment Of the mel
ancholy prince 20 that OF all the earlier
actors identified with the role in the
theatrical annals Of that capital.
Mr.. Sothern is the last Of a long line
Of distinguished actors who have under
taken this enactment in America. Ham
let" was first played in this country by
Lewis Hallam. who presented the trag-
edy in Philadelphia in 1853. From that
day to this more THAI 100 male actors.
two great actresses. Charlotte Cushman
and Sarah Bernhardt. and a professional
rope-dancer. John ". Hingler. have ap-
peared as the chief character OF the
play. OF these nearly all contributed
notable ability 10 their enactmen-s. but
only those who were foremost. for one
reason or another, can be mentioned
here-Thomas A. Cooper. whose per-
formance in 1897 was ranked with that
OF John Philip Kemble; John Howard
Payne, who excited much amazement as
boy Hamlet in 1904; Edmund Kean. AMI
Tphrr NTuT1urh -s-
taneously about the year 1870; William
A. Macready. a very popular actor az
the height OF his power in 1880. Junius
Brutus Booth who acted In the part
intermittently during the twenty years
ending m 1913. Edwin Forrest. whose ro-
bust impersonation continued through
about the same period; Edgar l. Dayen-
port. Lawrence Barrett. Barry Sullivan.
and George Vandenhon. perhaps the
most distinguished group OF actors the
country ever knew. who acted in tho
sixth decade. and Edwin Booth. "The
ideal hamlet Of half the population oi
the country who have any idea at al Of
Hamlet's character The most bril-
liant performance ever given in this
country comprised a testimonial "a
WaIlack given in New York, May
2i 1855. with Lawrence Barrett as
the Ghost Frank Mayo as Claud-
ius. John Gilbert as Polouius; Eber
Plympton as LaerteE; John A. Lane as
Horatlo Joseph wheelock as the Flrs
Actor; Mines Levich as the priest;
Joseph Jefferson and william Florence
as the grave diggers; Miss = sllogg as
Gertrude. Miss Coglan as ne Player
Queen. Nine. Modjeska as the Ophelia-
% 'he Hamlet Of Edwin Booth.
All OF these men conformed their en-
actment very largely with that Of Bet
terton. an English actor. whose impres-
sion Of the role was obtained from Sir
william Dayenant-the latter ia his time
having received instruction as TO Ham
let from Shakespeare himself-and
whose performance Of the role was re-
corded in detail by Dean Swift in THE
Tatler' Of September 20 1909:
your admired Mr. Betterton behaved
himself so we'll" wrote the caustic
churchman, "that, though now about sew
enty-six he acted Youth. and by the
prevalent power Of proper manner, ges-
ture, voice, appeared through the whole
drama a youth Of great expectations, vi
vacity and enterprise"
Or. Swift and others Of his day left 50
detailed an account OF the BettertoI
Hamlet that it has become an accepted
acting tradition. and has dominated the
genius Of all the American actors named
Of Kemble. Mr.. Tree. and Sir Henry Irv-
ing In England. Of Bandman. Rossi
Charles Fechter. Bogumil- Dawson. Bar
nay Hasse-probably tho foremost Con
tinental actors who have appeared Ia tht
role. salvini. the one successful inde.
pendent. was. Significantly. powerful
but not effective" II Is therefore en-
tirely manifest that the role IS stcepe,
iE tradition. on which point Wilson Bar.
rett has said. "On the stage nothing ID
harder TO kiii than tradition. To no pla,
has tradition done so much harm as q,
Hamlet"
Nevertheless. this traditional Ham
Iet." as incorporated for example D.,
Edwin Booth. affords an admirable. In
deed the only. measure for adjudging thf
newest Interpretation. Mr. Booth, fol