The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-03-23
MR.. WHITESJDE'S RICHARD iii
AS A SUNDAY NIGHT BILL.

Walker Whiteside. sometimes popularity
styled the young American tragedian''-
which. by the way. is a somewhat mislead-
ing title. since he Is an actor Of experience
ana by no means youth-has set his mark
nigh, upon the three headpieces of Shake
spearean drama-Hamlet Shyiock and Rich
ard Ill
His production Of the latter, well received
oy Century audience last night, is a cost
~ anu Weh-staSed piece. OF the company
II shouio De said that it assemblies some de-
gree OF merit Leila Wolstan, leading lady,
- an actress of pronounced beauty. Her
lacy Anne evoked the heartiest applause
OF the evening
mis-. miss Morse; one time of the old Imperial
BUCK, played the queen mother most &C.
| ceptably. Mr.. Morris as buckingham de-
! serves favorable comment for the vigor and
warmth Of his work. Nowhere did the cast
raj within the category Of bad.
"hiteside does not begin Richard with
tne text, as some tragedians have done
His version of the play opens with a
sol!loquy of the aforementioned King
Henry. as do the conventional presenta.
IONS; consequently the oId-fashioned lover
o! the text Is disappointed by the absence
OF the opening lines-which, however. ara
gwen later. soon after Richards entrances:
Now Is the winter of our discomfort
MADE glorious summer by this sun Of Yor,
Inns arrangement and the transpos,tion
VI some later-occurring lines provide a most
etecuve entrance for the star. and aIso
present the motives at the outset more
clearly to the audience
Nhiteside's conception of Ricb,rd 10 ~,
sistent. At least this much should hs soid
oi IL But 1t departs bit from the estab-
lshed conception. the traditional Seeking
LOT something with which best to convey an
Idea OF Whiteside's portrayal, one hits upon
The line: Il can smile and murder while I
smile That seems to be a keynote to the
actors feeling. True, Richard did smile "a
ne dealt death: but 1t seems to have been
smile of deeper and fiercer malevolence,
partaking more of surly hate and snarlin9
than Mr.. Whites!de's
Richards deeper enmity sprang from real
ization OF the contrast between him and his
"eil-formed, straight-legged. happier souled
Iehow-nen; and the enormity of his desires
was Duiie upon avenging himself upon man
ana woman; ambition for the throne was
bottomed upon foul envy and malice-an
ambition to dominate and tyrannize his
more fortunte fellowcreatures.
Whiteside's Richard rather seems to be
colder fiend. swayed and dominated by great
motives which are exterior. apart, and out
side OF the monarch. which are, as 1t were,
presences coming here and there upon the
stage to move his actions. The actor Is not
Inquired In passion, stepped in hate. The
passions do not possess him-they are pres
ences in the atmosphere with which and
by which he moves. And at times he seems
to recede and appear small by the contrast
OF the heroic passions which were in the
mind OF the immortal playwright-and
sometimes the murderous smile appears al
most shipper, weak, shallow.
There are moments and passages how
ever, where the actor more nearly ap-
proaches the Richard we like best. In the
first scene with Lady Anne he does not dis
appoint Incidentally, praise should be ac-
corded Miss wolsta1 for her Interpretation
at this point Of one of the most difficult
passages IN any female ShalSespearean role.
The gradual impress Of vanity upon grief
and intense hatred. as her husbands muir
derer fiatters her into q half-Submission,
is well shaded.
a word as to Whiteside's walk. His Richard
Is no foul lump Of deformity"; doesn't 60
lame enough: one Of the actors handsome
legs refuses to be longer than II really
ought to be-" and the lameness such as II
liz. Is dangerously near a swagger now and
then. As for the =,,rgestion of hump shout
ders, that Is puzZling Is Mr.. Whiteside's
Richard really any sort Of hunch-back?
Sometimes. once Just after he had placed
the crown upon the regal brow, he straight
ened up. neck and shoulders, like q proud.
virtuous. handsome sovereign.
Women have saved a good many sftua-
qona Thev are the life Of when Reu-
ben Comes to Town" the new musical
energetic ladies. They sang in chorus and
they sang all by their lonelies. They
danced; they animated their skirts.
The opening chorus was THE Duster
Brigade" which introduced a number Of
singing girls. modestly attired as house,
Mo,
and the World Laughs With You" sung
by Will MORROW
Nobody took the trouble to find out what
It was all about. other than that Reuben
Norman CHANGED to be Fin town. and out
for pleasure The performance had to do
with what he saw and heard. !
Mayme Gehrue and John Ford seemed to ]
get more laughs than the others Their
way Of giving "Our Wedding Tour went
SO well that the audience noisly clamored
for more. Another feature proved to be
THE Girls Of All Nations" speciality, ar
ranged by Herbert Hall Winsow and John |
Hall.
The Hoyt idea of naming characters -
followed as though it were young For ex-
ample:-
e esdIs Ess from 10Th the Iensen Aquarium
Among the diverting music numbers were
There's No Love Like the Old" Just Like !
Scene From a Play" MY Little Choco-
late Queen and Susie Anna"
-
Francis Wilson comes to the Olympic to- |
night in "The Toreador" |
"A Montana Outlaw" q new drama Of the |
frontier West. opened at Havlins. David |
Hartford has the principal part, as Jack the |
buster, cowboy and trapper. George Perrin |
plays Jim Tracey, outlaw. Marion Hyde
has the soubrette part in Drift, the little !
lOYQGn, The scenes that xy{tl h.
greatest care are the cowboys lynching bee
and the attack on the old Kootenai City
POEMS WORT