The San Francisco call., 1904-02-16
APPEAR
IN TRAGEDY
Warde and James Represent
Marc Antony and Brutus, Re
spectively, in Julius Caesar"
RECEIVE MUCH APPLAUSE
Alcazar Troupe Well Cast in
1.-The Charity Ball''-"The
Men of JimtOwn" at Central

Warde and James triumphed at the
Columbia Theater last evening despite
a paucity of accessories that was pain
fully marked and amid anachronisms
that were rather more calculated to up
set the gravity of the audience than to
inspire the dignity that properly at
tends the performance of a Shakes
pearean tragedy. The support was not
Shakespearean. Therefore all the more
marked was the superiority of Warde
and James. and the greater, necessarily,
was the merit that kept up a sufficient
semblance of reality to provoke the
audience to genuine enthusiasm.
The play was Julius Caesar" and
Warde was Marc Antony and James
was Brutus. Warde played the role
that was his with enough of subtle sug-
gestion 10 make a marked hit in the
oration over the body of julius Caesar.
Indeed, the audience had the curtain
rung up half dozen times, and would
not be cOntented until Warde came for
ward and made a speech, in which he
spoke of the pleasure il gave him to
find in these modern days the love of
Shakespeare had not died among those
who could understand and appreciate.
Later on James, after the ghostly ap
partition of Caesar at Philippi, was sim
ilarly complimented He spoke very
briefly. James Brutus was character
lied by dignity and finish throughout.
His natural physical endowments add
ed TO the measure of his success very
materially.
Thomas Coffin Cooke played the small
part of Julius Caesar. Norman Hackett
essayed the role of Cassius. Somewhat
inclined to tear a passion to tatters, he
sl-..1a ID Of flao
quarrel with Brutus and came in for
large share Of applause. The remainder
Of the cast does not deserve serious
mention from the point of Shake
spearean presentation with the exception
Of Miss Sumner in the one-scene part
of Calphurnia, and more noticeably
Aphie James as Lucius, which role she
made acceptable for picturesqueness
and fidelity.
There is no desire to detract from
the applause that was won on merit by
James and Warde, but if Shakespeare
is to be enjoyed thoroughly at the Co
lumbia there is need of furnishing up
and providing more ample accessories.
Imagine. for instance, the Senate house
where Caesar is slain having only just
enough of size to seat Caesar and the
few Senators who took part in the as
sassination. Then consider the unities
in the light of the fact that when
Caesar enters the Senate house the or
chestra is playing-what? Not any tri-
Umphal march of old times, but just
the plain. every day Hail to the Chief
dear TO the hearts of small beer pol
iticians. when they are on the circuit,
transforming in half a score of As
sembly districts per night, but decided
ly incongruous when introduced in an
cient Rome in the time of its greatness.
The Roman armies were but a platoon.
Hackett has A bad trick of twiddling
his fingers necessarily on the hem of
his Roman tOga when he is supposed
to be greatly excited or. ragged. The
effect may be intended to indicate
Roman anger, but in modern times it
has the general suggestion Of an in
satiate violinist. who is performing long
trills on imaginary and inaudible vio-
lin strings. 1t is a good trick to cut
out OF the performance, unless it is the
only way Hackett has to show that
he is perturbed.
The rain kept many away. undoubted-
ly. but there was still a large enough
audience to show interest in the trag-
edy and the people who were perform
ing in it The student class, young
men and women from educational in
stitutions. who are engaged in studying
in English courses, were numerously in
evidence.