The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-02-08
In the Mimic World

Walker Whiteside's portrayals of
Shakespearean characters upon the To-
cal stage during the past week suggest
some reflections concerning the pre-
sentation of the masters dramas by
these our actors"
1t is frequently remarked that the
present generation of American act
ors is notably devoid of players capa-
BILE of doing anything like justice to
Shakespearean roles, and that the man
or woman who would star In an El1z-
abethan drama is at a loss to secure
adequate support from the ranks or
the profession.
True, Hamlet may find a Polonious,
Juliet a Friar Lawrence or Capulet,
Rosalind an Adam, forsooth, inasmuch
as the older players, who have as
sumed these roles in 1.-The palmy days."
n are fitted by g for their portray
al, are still to be had. But when 1t
to finding a Laertes, a Mercu-
ito, a Jacques, an Orlando, a Macduff,
a Richmond, they are mighty scarce,
because the younger actors best adapt
ed to these roles have had little or no
experience in the Shakespearean
drama.
Perhaps this is true, and pity it is
tits true. Granting that 1t is, who is
at fault but the public?
But after all there is no sound rea-
son for assuming that a capable actor
cannot play a Shakespearean role sat-
isfactorily, merely because his work
has been restricted to the modern
drama. On the contrary, If he be ca
pable, in other words, If he be an
actor in the true Of the word,
he should find the playing of a Shakes
pearean role a c%ongenial task. For
what playwright ever furnished more
suitable. more responsive, more nat
ural, wittier, sublimer, more inspiring
lines than Shakespeare?
True, his blank verse, with Its oc-
casional archaic forms of expression,
seems to present insurmountable diff
fculties to many players of unques-
toned ability. The cadences of the
some are apparently unable to acquire,
yet, on the other hand, many players
of varying temperaments n abilities
lave nevertheless attained proficiency
in delivering the speeches of the clas-
sic dramatists. Witness the passing
generation of ~thespians, so many of
whom appear to the best advantage
in the greatest of all dramas.
1t requires an actor of strong per-
sonality and unlimited and
originality to lift a mediocre, poorly
written play into any distinction, while
in h case Of Shakespearean drama
he has but to speak the lines set down
for him, and to suit the action to the
word. The great genius of the dram
atist does the rest. The perfect drama
is there. All he has to do is to in
terpret it.
But woe to him if he be incompe-
tent, If he be lacking in dramatic in
stinct and the faculty of imagination
which feeds that instinct. The quick
est test Of his capacity to act is the
appearance Of a player in a Shakes
npQ roam Tnln Tho CnnnHhQ0 o11nffn6
to the actor are SO brimful of nature,
so expressive of human impulses and
motives, that the faintest false tone
produces a discord that is at once de-
tected.
To be sure, there are successful and
able players whose talents might have
been hid under a bushel had they con-
fined them to "the legitimate" They
seem unable to catch the swing of
blank verse, SOFAS to deliver 1t as eff
fectively as they speak the language
of today. Yet that of Shakespeare is
susceptible of a reading so lucid as to
make 1t seem entirely modern. Edwin
Booth fairly illumined the text, but of
course he was an exceptional reader.
But look at such players as Louis
James, Joseph Haworth, E. H. Soth-
ern, Walker Whiteside and Julia Mar
lowe, Ada Rehan and a host of COM
p~aratively obscure artists who today
Feau SnaKeSpearean line with infinite
Eest and Intelligent emphasis. 1t is a
mistake to suppose that they are so
scarce.
Two actors in Mr.. Whiteside's COM
pany eXcelled in this respect-Mr.
Sears, who played the king in Ham
let" and Mr.. Chester, as Polonius. 1t
was a pleasure to hear them deliver
the immortal lines with an emphasis
that revealed their rich significance.
So, too, with the players in Mr.. Ham
lords company, who impersonated Don
Pedro, DogberrY, and his -perannu
ed clerk, Verges. These artists seem
ed to imbibe the spirit Of the dramatist.
10 comprehend his orbit, to understand
MS creations, albeit not one Of them
manifested symptoms of innate distinc-
ton or future greatness.
AS for Mr.. Whiteside himself. II IS
always a pleasure to hear him deliver
!lnes fraught with deep meaning. al
pelt ne is prone to theatric and stilted
utterance at times when a more colo
qulai and natural tone would be pref
erapie. Ihere IS less of this tendency
IN his Hamlet than in his ShvlocE
propaoly because Of his greater famil-
iarlty with and superior adoption to
the former character.
AFTER all is said, the actor can o.,
gage IN no more profitable o~cc1natinn
tHah d minute study of HamIet's a6-
wee 10 the player. 1t is the epitome of
lhe art OF acting direct from the
worlds supreme dramatist. a no.rr