The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-26
AIL.STAR" ROMEO ANDJULIET"
PLAYED IN SEVERAL KEYS AT
THE KNICkERBOCKER.
h,rle Bellew a Saturnine. hut Graceful
RomeO--EleanOr Robson an Unsatis.
factory Juliet, Pretty and Petty
Rest OF the Cast Distinctly Good.

Rest OF the Cast Distinctly Good
T. is a hard and dusty road that the
Shakespearean drama travels in these
degenerate times, and those who recall the
elder, if not better. days will not hesitate
10 vow that children Of modern years know
M, the Bard of Avon. Yet ever and anon
,enuresomn spirits enter the sacred gar
dens of dramatic poesy and try to Gull the
blossoms OF the Elzabethan stage.
Last night at the Knickerbocker Theatre
under the direction of Liebler Il Co,
Romeo and Juliet was produced with
what was described as an "all star" cast
An enthusiastic audience, not of uncom-
Portable size. assembled in the theatre and
anpauded the actors with much gentle
feeling There was evidence, too, that
the play itself had not lost its interest, and
some people doubtless even found novelty
IN tho oft quoted lines.
Editors of Shakespeare would surely
have found food for comment in the treat :
ment If the text and scenes, but on the
whole chat was well enough, though the
sccnerv might have been better But, after
ALL what the average theatre-goer will wish
n know to-day is whether the -all STAR
cast was satisfying.
Now all star" casts seldom are, Tor too
many ndiyidualities with much faith in
themselves are hardly likely to work per-
iecly in the delivery Of Shakespeare's
poIyphonv.
That was the case last night, for there
were several keys in the performance
Those which sounded most sonorously
we're those which rang most like the old
tones Of the legit innate drama.
Fer whatever may be said OF traditions,
those Of the old blank verse drama were
the ourgrowth of long experience, and
they gave us a style suited to the play in
which it was used. Actors who have had
little or no experience" in the legitimate
drama and who try to act it with the methods
"f the modern theatre usually fall, and
when they fall, they fall like Lucifer,
never 10 rise again"
The greatest sufferer from the CONVEX
>alional play of to-day In last evenings
lorformance was Eleanor Robson. the
she read the lines OF the daughter of Cdpuiet
IN sort of DOLLS House, manner. Her
potion scene was so feeble as to be posi-.
lively worthy of commiseration. Her
nearest approach to art was found in the
balcony scene, but even here the touch
was heavy,
This was not a Jnliet who could sweep
the hPrpstrings Of passion from the silver
iteration Of emorous badinage 10 the tremu-
louis ContTalto Of loves "Credo" She wss
pretty and petty and merely dalled with
the part.
kyrle Belew was saturnine, hollow
voiced, but graceful Romeo. not without
ferror, but without that vibrant ring Of
tone which was wont in the old actors to
set the nerves to thrilling He killed
iybat swiftly and he wept vigorously, but
his despair in he Friar's cell was he despair
Of a gentleman afraid OF soiling his tights.
Of all the men he who won most at the
hands of the audience. and deserved it.
was Eben Plympton, whose Mercu'io was
da.hing Edwin Adams, nor in perfect accord
with the rest OF the presentation of the
drama but was manly, sympathetic and
'renchant Of speech. He spoke the Queen
Nab speech well and was heroic in the
quarrel scene.
Then there was a darling old Nurse in
Mrs. w. G, Jones, who has n,lrsed a royal
line of Juiets and seen more strains OF
applet blood than would -the multitude
d,us seas ncarnadine' She was admirable
N appearance, speech and action, fra
grant memory of grand old school whose
iradltions are fast fading from the stage.
Ut hers who were seen were George
arke. who was most excellent Cdpuiet:
:, c. Bangs. who lent the skill of his art
the small role of Montague: Forrest
Robinson, tolerably good Benroiio: w. j.
Ferguson. a respectable Peter and John
kellerd, highly explosive Tyboh
The immortal love story will be repeated
during the remainder of this week. As
plays go in these days 1t is wonderfully
good one and as acting goes in these days
he performance is quite as good as can
ne expected