The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-03-25
AT THE THEATERS
MetropoiItan-Warde and James !,
HOtheJlov

-.s ! . .
Frederick Warde and Louis James are al
most the only American actors Of note who
refuse to admit the truth Of the saying of
the modern managerial cynic that ''Shalxs-
pere spells ruin Practically the only sur
vivors OF the old school or American acting
that gave to fame such names as For
rest, Murdoch, Davenport, Mccullough,
Booth and Barrett, they have yet had the
good sense to embellish their classic pro-
ductions in such splendid fashion as mod
ern stagecraft makes possible. BY uniting
their professional fortunes under such
auspices, they have exercised the spectre
OF failure that has put to rout other
mummers with Shaksperean ambitions.
"othello," the great tragedy of jealousy,
was the first bill in the Warde- James sea-
son. and rarely has this one of the four
great Shaksperean tragedies been pre-
sented here with finer intelligence or more
potent effect. It offers, of course, two
nearly equal roles to the. principals, and
roles that are admirably adapted each to
the individual art Of the actor concerned.
Othello must be played inathe broad, sim
pie heroic style of the olden day-and who
better fitted than Louis James to give us
such an Othello? The guile Of Iago, on
the other hand, has the completely which
seems to US quite modern, and it lies quite
within the hand Of Mr.. Warde to illu-
inmate it's dark and sinister recesses with
the lamp of his artistry. This distinc-
tion, oddly enough, separates the other
characters into two groups. Like Mr.
James, Norman Hackett as Cassie and
Alma Kruger as Desdemona seemed to
belong to the old regime-to have stepped
out as it were, with rcameo-like sim
plicity and distinctness from some old
| painting. .~
! They breathed the medieval air. They
were the people Of that day. In direct
contrast was the delineation of "honest,
| fat If,,I To- IT,. III.
Miss Engel Summer, and Roderigo by
Thomas Coffin Cook, Il These were all very
modern, nor would the audience have
been surprised to have heard a bit of
twentieth century slang, from their lips,
IN addition to the emphatic 'I'll BE
hanged" of Emilia
| Mr.. James fine physique and startlingly
! effective makeup were material aids to the
success he achieved as Othello His read
/; ing ofsthel lines Was refreshingly clear and
| effectIye.ss The Echaracter in his hands
4 wins the sy1npa thv of his listeners even
4 while arousipg their contempt because OF
! the manif est ease with which Othellos
mind is poisoned MIR. Warde, on the other
hand, juggles with the audience, takes it
into his confidence, bestows upon it the
winks and sneers that make so patent
the .villainy Which poor Othello cannot
1 see. He invests the, character. Of Iago
With Notwithstanding grace. He breathes
| INTRIGUE, corruption ana OlSnOnOr with
wonderful SENTENCE It is q 2masterful
piece Of work. -
Miss Alma Krugers Desdemona was a
1 pleasing delineation.l Her portrayal OF
the dog-like affection of the simple Vene-
tian maiden, the affection that would ca
ress the hand that s1note her, was, if moi
great, at least lovely and feminine. The
work Of Norman Hackett as Cassie was
Quite uneven, but Ill the drunken braw]
and while receiving the condemnation OF
the Moor, 1t was all that could be desired
Mr.. Cooke as Roderigo furnished an exr
cellent, If villainous piece of comedy. Miss
Sumner as Emilia, lagos wife, while
hampered by a faulty: enunciation, did
some clever work. The other parts were
taken but indifferently we'll. -
The play was :sumptuously staged A
large audience was present and there were
many curtain calls with the inevitable
speech in which Mr.. Warde.. expressed
gratitude that there was still in the hearts
LOT men a love for SHAKESPEARE and an APP
probation of his works.
| H. B. Chamberlain.