Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-03
THE THEATER.
New National Theater.

The man who confesses to a human and
thorough enjoyment of the writings OF
Shakespeare-or If there be Baconians to
be appeased, of the plays which appear
over that successful managers name-is In
danger of being regarded as an impracti-
cal bookworm. Yet he finds his justifica-
ton in the fact that every actor who at
tains success in other fields is ambitious to
play Shakespeare and willing to take great
risks, both of pocket and in pride IN order
to accomplish this result.
Richard Mansfield has determined to play
Shakespearean 1t Is a grim, dauntiess de-
termination which nothing shall shake, not
even his charming Characterization such
as Beau Brummel'' and Prince Karl,
which playgoers hold in such affection that
they are 10th to sacrifice them even for
Shylock or a Brutus. 1t is to this de-
termination that the American public owes
one of the most elaborate productions or
tragedy that has been seen in many. q day.
Julius Caesar is a play which recks but
little of an actors vanity. First one char
acter and then another Is tossed to the
center of the stage as exigencies of plot
may suggest, regardless of who may be
standing in the wings crashing his teeth
while another revels in the lime-iignt.
Even the humble servitor and the first cftf-
zen are intrusted with speeches which
stand like keystones in the immense poetic
structure. Unless recollection holds these
well in place the play tumbles into con-
fusion and becomes only assemblage OF
sonorous declamatio
1t is, of course, Marc Anthony who
charms the multitude today, just as he
charmed the multitude in Rome. The ad-
vantages of personal and rhetorical graces
are all on his side. 1t is useless to attempt
to belittie him by representing him as
deliberate demagogue and a traf1cer In
sentiment for his own benefit. His envoy to
the conspirators represents him with we'll
that besets friendsof Caesar disavow with
studied emphasis any abandonment OF his
love and admiration. This humble servant
(who ought, speaking as he does In An
tony'S stead, to be no mean actor declares
that IF Brutus will vouchsafe that Antony
may safely come to him and be resolved
how Caesar hath deserved to lie In death,
Marc Antony shall not love Caesar dead so
well as Brutus living Cunningly phrased
as is this message. 1t is no denial Of prin-
ciple on Antony's part, but rather chal-
lenge to show cause. ."->-
1t is at this critical moment that the self
confidence which Cassius has so studiously
developed In Brutus begins disastrously to
assert itself To Cassius, the fiatterer, Bru-
tus lends willing ear. but to Cassius, the
earnest adviser, he is deaf. Despite the
honest esteem in which the character of
Brutus Is held by many students of the
play, admiration for his patriotism must be
modified and sometimes overwhelmed by
pity for the laundering egOism, which first
opens the way for Antony's appeal to the
mob, and whose plan Of battle adopted
against the persuasion OF Cassius finally
leads to disaster. The eulogy which Antony
pronounces over BrutuS at the close Of the
play reeflcts the magnanimity Of the orator
more than its subjects worthiness of unal-
Logged esteem. Brutus' lack of intellectual
alertness is also impressed in the quarrel
scene, where he rebukes Cassius in one
breath for not giving him money and in an
other stigmatizes with whitening contempt
the means by, which this money was OBJ
tained. But the genius of Shakespeare has
lifted Brutus far above the level Of the
vulgar assassin. and made him, with all his
faults, man of pure motives and daunt-
less purpose.
Yet it is to Antony-one hour the masker
and the reyeler and the next an implaca-
BILE minister of vengeance-to whom interest
irresistibly turns. Studious analysis digni-
fies the roles of Cassius and Brutus, but
the torrent of sympathy that Antony
aWakenS in the mob carries the auditor
with it. Mr.. Forrest is not the best inter-
prefer of Antony that this city has seen,
but he earned four curtain recalls after the
GRAFTON, and some members of the audience,
forgetful OF the prerogatives of the star in
any production, went SO far as to call on
him for a speech. Mr.. Frederick Pauding
established himself at the outset in the
good graces Of the audience. He played
Cassius with fine discernment and read the
lines with scholarly precision and at the
same time with emotional vigor.
Mr.. Mansfield's greatest praise is earned
as producer rather than as an interpre-
ter. The debt of the American public for
bringing this splendid production before 1t
is great, and it would perhaps be unseemly
to weaken an acknowledgment of this obli-
cation by questioning too far his Judgment
in intrusting his laurels to this role
The production is a brilliant and unfag-
ging pageantry. The mob scenes enlisted
the services of a veritabe army and were
enacted with spirit and spontaneity which
carried the spectator back through the CEN
turtles and made him feel part Of the
scene. The man who has made a Shakes
pearean play to any extent the companion
Of his thoughts rarely finds an actor who
completely realizes his ideals. And they
who have gained their impressions entirely
across the footlights are prone to cling to
first impressions and to regard the new
conner as successful only in so far as he
succeeds In initiating an illustrious prede-
cessor. Yet Shakespeare the public must
have, and they who cannot reconcile Mr..
Mansfield's emphatic personality with these
plays must still admire his courage, his
liberality and his art in bringing forward a
production which is as a whole splendid and
satisfying.