New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-08
THE DRAMA.
,v FORBES ROBERTSON Is HAMLET.
Kricks-Sockcr Theatre.

...rsrcsoly Dane has come. exceptionally
~ -, -e-.of.g who have no. slrsody been SUI
....,lv steeped IN gloom. by toe doloroCs pro
-. ~ MS rhastiy dramatic season. can CD
sr.sh iInnlersion IN solernniy BY repairing
-. Ey-lcge-bocker Theatre ard gazing on Ny
. - rors-tscn tn :he guise OF Hamlet Mr.
L,. rof,e-+sor r. an actor OF ability and OF large
-r.,e--s cqured in thirty years or almost con
-, --ac+ice a THE dramatic art; he early proHteo
,sc-efora al association with that TeTsauile' pow
p -, y 80 thorough actor Samuel Phelps-of whom.
- years ago. he wrote an instructive oog-
et - has had the great advantage Ok acting
-. -ho example leadership. and guidance o.
- irving: he Is student. a thinker Wrl'e''
- an artist; he has played many k'nos OF paius
- an the maturity OF middle life. II would
~ ,sse5 strange II he were not able 10 give
-.,--,arce OF Hamlet that should ifpfess even
49,. observers as proficient and respectable.
-, a.. -.e~forrnance r.: and such Inc puhic VIII
- q. M be-the careful. methodical coInPs1e'lt
.,-sr,ert OF a practised actor. following the CON
e-.,orel method and walking IN The traol'lo''4'
path. ,--.-...- %. r4s-n,e,'s men
.-si.io- whatever that may be- arc duly PRO
- ,ogethcr with an the customary s1age eo-
-, tbat heighteu and enforce the eleeahI orS"-
-. ~ tbis afflicted Prince ana help 10 dlHuse
- .r,-,i,rv % woe" The raiment. as usual Is 81
. h.,pteous. duslly hue. and very becoming. me
.,.,, is Immaculate. and thCs in the hshesI
-. c-edItable 80 those rartorial and tonsoTlal
-,.,, who have always manifested such delgh'il'
.,,s etxIU al the stage Court 81 Denmark anu
= ,-srrhodv knows n miserable man VINO sees
- and contempstes suicide. necessarily must
A. srd always is. more than commonly scrupuous
- his rersonaI appearance. The vocal InacIllh-
= ,-.sl-s q lttle-Mr. Forbes Robertson's tones
tsur dry metallic ana gasQy.-but he oelI'eIS
1, frert and occasionally It is meIhuous. Inc ia
si aspect Is that OF lantern-jawed tenuity appro-
--iate 20 fhis aronized being, and eloquent OF MS
despair The text Of the tragedy.-aslde from tA-
,seons that are imperative. and reservations tnat
are csuricious-Is correctly spoken. The Ghost
scenes are made sufficiently spectral. with lonel-
mss and iiuelight. The Play scene Is oeItty car
red 20 a telling cllmaE,-although mere, as AT 1e
greater climax fn the Queens closet Nay hno"
not, Is Il the King?'D Mr.. Forbes ROBERTSON
shows only the intention. and not the faculty OF
,-acic power Flowers scattered and snatches or
--e are u-arhed by p hard, unlovely. insipid. and
sshfuIly artificial Ophelia. Reynaldo is retained.
o. that there is little more q the tedious senlity
Of polonius-quite needless since the part was
bsdlv PLAYED and worse spoken. and Fortinhras
e retained 10 point tho moral FOR which no.
hody cares. And there is the usual liberal dis
rlsv Of royal and noble corpses ~ The close NJ.
Forbes Robertson's ideal Of Hamlet may be. and
probably IS in most particulars. correct: II was
not however. made absolutely clear: his expression
a. 4 did not AT any point. except iu Hamlets in
fe-rew with Ophela. Immediately after the soiilo-
Guy on death rise above the level Of reputable and
Efficient mediocrity, At the last OF that coloquy he
manifested exceedingly We'll. the wounded heart.
the dsordered mind the seething passion. the Wild
and indefinite purpose. and the bitterness and scorn
that are the constituents elements Of Hamlets par
cYvsm. Neither here nor elsewhere, though did the
actor denote that Hamlet Is a man who has passed
beyond love and who. at some time, passes across
the limit of sauity-as when. for example. he pur-
poses 20 take such vengeance on his enemy as
viii condemn the soul Of The monarch 10 eternal
torture in the depths Of he'll. Indeed. the cutting
q part 81 Hamlet's speech in tho Prayer scene
almost vitiates-certainly much perpleXes-the intel
Agence Of the whole embodiment
As TO the larger significance OF the character.
ssds from SIS various values as a vehicle Of
tsmatic expression.-meaning Its piteous exempli-
asn0n OF finite man. dazed. mystifed, over
Ehened. and crushed, IN the vain and hopeless
eBdeavor 10 pierce ;he mystery Of HIS infinite
'ironmert ln the awful universe 81 God-Mr
Forbes Robertson's presentment OF Hamlet makes
no reference nor does IL give even the slightest
Eign that this has been considered. The actor
Is shown 10 interpretive. intellectual pensvely
eonlbre. endowed with sensibility and refinement,
and professionally capable the performance is un-
inspired and cold. j has been officially proclaimed
os 'the most impressive Hamlet since that OF
Edwin Booth" Such q could readily be-for since
the tine of Edwin Booth (Which was also the time
90 the great Hamlet or Henry IrIing). there has
been no embodiment OF this character that was
Impressive" unless 81 were Impressive Tor error.
y is vastly preferable. however. 20 the dissertations
that have been exhibited here, from Germany. Italy
and France Cthe elderly, brawny, muscular, and
sat the fantastic. wizened and vapid Hamlets
q such actors as Sonnenthal. Salvini Rossi
Mounet-Sully. and Sarah Bernhardt). and Il easily
trsnsconds the feeble essays OF such prosy, COM
rnonpace performances as Mr.. I. II. SOthen and
NJ Robert ManteL II lacks the authoritative pre-
dominance Of a great personality. Il lacks poetry
ln rs effort 10 be modern colloquial, and eXpedi-
aous its manner dwindles 10 that OF the preceptOr
IN the representative. eNpository. and tame ut
OF the great speech about DEATH or 20 that
% the craving exquisite (as IN the instruc-
tons % the Players and IN the dialogue with the
graveyard clown. but Il is sustained and sincere.
and al least "a has thought dignity, feeling, and
grace. In the old days OF the stage reputable per-
formances OF Hamlet were. comparatively, nurner-
Gus and nobody was expected 10 80 into mysteries
about them. The present exposition OF the tragedy
viii not ignite the neighbOring waters but Il en-
Ehles the community 20 see pictorial though not
always setting OF great play and 10 listen
n some Of the most majestic and beautiful words
that were written. and. announced at the
outset OF these remarks, IL VIII stimulate that
toennity Of feeling and meditation which is good
Tor the soul W. ".
CAST OF HAMLET"