New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-02-02
THE DRAMA.
e-7s SKINNER AND ADA REKAE
shylock and PoTtia.

----rl, and Miss s5a Ecaan repeating her
- t.5v,r 0crfo.5nancc as porTio- no new local
!. ne r0et's conception = shyiock Is eNpecte,i'
- +-s.e1 10 possible. The character is semi
o. -, 80 r. .rca~nates the malignant: spirit q
re --1,~g passions are avarice a1c
- -rrr .rurrose Of Shylock IS murder. he
- 90 --tl1ier Antonio. first seoause ne hatss
=, Co. reirr a Christian. and. secondly. oecaase
= 49, him more f0r lci0g n prosperous HNat a.
- .,-f 4. r-acticai opponent 20 usury. Chsncc
.ro-ss 10 him an opportunity 10 set les~i 'Tap
= .-.1-io and be seis this trap with an al
,...s-ta- q kindness aue uleTri-ueni-not u tHe
-. Receiving himself but PLAINLY oeelai *
-. ir case HE willy scheme succeecs ne wiz,
:. -, Fullest exte-t. eratify his ancient groose-
= e crafty cruel villain. with homlcloal
-, I Ike almost ali villains however. ne
y. es1--es-.sfying sastfcstior fo- his motive
= ,ts c-~s.,t. Re Is an orthodox jew. ana ne
~,nsr himself that Antonio is an enemy 10 TIE
r.,ssb religion hating the sacred na1on ana
--,t-r no secret OF his hostility TO rnisneieFers
- ..-,,, throat dogs CT the Hebrew rece. This
- -. bs rvears by the Jewish holy sab
-" sn5 registers his oath in Hes 10 de-
-, ,,e minors Christian. Assuming this ?ositlon
!, = -estcailv convinced that he represents rs
tribe and being man Of Tremendous persona
so-ce ne eeerns 20 tower as Il plcai llaee "a ne
new aotaron.srn 20 Christian tyranny He has
abundant reason Tor resentment DIT that iaet Goes
- exte,nr,e MS nefarlous proceedings or invest
bs-- Win the c,anou- e nobility. Ire man VINO
trfclys bic enemy icto q faJal dilemma WIKI me
rurrosc % o1-ti-E thar eaeuys heart oul q MS
body. and is Only prevented. BY iesa nav q
bubble from fulfilling that purpose Is criminal
und nothing else Various actors o. me pan
have bult. upon shylocks illusions 20 cur HOLY
ABRAHAM sud 20 Leahs ring and % the oeceltli
-sss,ca-s u1fal conduct the theory thai ms ms
lrns NJ Jew IS a viceEsrent q the jewish Goo. .
mourning widcver and tender Father; anu 7h'Ie
upon thev have read into the character ls'li-'is
a. -rf-N 81
that 5. does not possess Their purpose oSNio-e's'
IVES to make this wretched nan austerey Tent-
eous i--placably vir-uous and hunanE sensl~Ne'
srs rnus 20 win Tor him greater admiration u rs
npparert prosperity. ard deeper synpathy' IN his
trials his defeat and his AFFECT oegradauch- De-
sence Of this method s OF course toerahy teasioe'
or the rlsa OF effect" The wiser method.-eTenl-
r.lded by he elder Wallack. by G. = BROOKE, y
E6vin Booth. and by the greatest actor OF shylock
fhat has been en- IN or trne-Hcnry l-vinE-is 20
place thc stress on the terrible grandeur OF Ire
man. and or The blighting. whitening STRIFE that
goes on On his soul-Tapaging and emaciaung hls
bosy.--between the good ard eva CT which human
nature is couDoscd.
ar Otis skinner. while apparently, basing Ms
embodiment on his remembrance OF Edwin Boom
ana Lawrence Pprrert, left his ideal ouoo2s- 10
actor can 1resorr.rarriv clnhody SHylock who does
not possess prodgious individuality. Arc q intellect
and 'overv-heluing tragic force There must oe In
herent authority IN the man himseL or there VIII
be no adequate resultant illusion Given the knoWl-
sdge. the skill ard the experience tndispensa bic
% The representative a this part The decisive at
tribute is the greatness Of elemental power Mr..
Skinner has the Advantages OK physical Higor,
sorority OF voice. and copcus fueECy u speech
He gave performance that lovers OF Shakespeare
can respect Tor eood intention. but not Tor either
genius or massive personality. OF inspirauonal eX-
preston. Ils makeup vas detective The lace
which should be EaGgsrd. was fun almost round.
and decicedly heavy. The figure. lacking height.
was nevertheless drape6 with garments that caused
Il TO seen broad IT Was long The elocuuon
VS. al tines dnicaI--as II ShylOck were the rem
nart Of an exquisite beau Age was expressed BY
q stoop in the shoul6ers-ouite ueedless-and by
nothins else The IDEAL IN so Ear as II could be
dscerned. seemed 10 be q hybrid OF strength ana
weakness OF commonplace malice and still more
commonplace vaci.iaIon. The scheme Of gesture
incaded much paving OF the air and much point
ing al imperceptible objects somewhere in the
armament A singular propensity for the seated
ettitude made itself manifest, on almost al occa-
Eions: indeed, Shylock took seat in every one OF
his scenes except that OF the Trial Even. In the
whiriwind.-as il ought 10 be--of the delirious
Street Scene. the sreuzied Jew found time 10 take
chair. AT no moment was the execution cousec-
utive. Amazing and completely unwarranted bus
iness" was Introduced IN the scene CT ShylOcks
parting from Jeszica.-the ole man paUsine and
calling back his daughter 10 kiss and ionole
aer. "Cur house e hell" SAYS Jess.ca, COM
&c Felicity OF the Shylock establishment.
For . Few moments in the street scene.
Ar Skinner allowed himself actual freedom. bat
having made ais picture and his effect with
hath not Jew eyesg' he could not hold IT, IN the
Trial scene after entrance like that OF the Fakir
OF Ava-seemine 70 see things in the clouds.-he
lspsed into tie mere Plaintiff doing. indeed. some
g the usual business" but making not one Of
the usual eTects. a sentence! Come-prepare!"
-Nlscready's great point-as spoken by Booth. used
70 oke the blood Of the auditor curdle in his veins
Il is useless 10 present Shyock mercy as correct
mechanical STAGE hgure. He is great person. and
ne should be greatly played. or not at az.
Miss Rchao's enbOd msnt OF Fortia has been
infinitely described IL This column and as her pres
cnt performance OF the part does not; IN any essen
tai respect differ from the performance OF il that
she gave tive wears ago, present commentator
OF it may appropriately follow the same line o.
thought that followed then. Miss Rehsn has
acted many OF The comedy parts in Shakespeare
among them. besides Portia- being Rosalind Kath-
crime. Viola. Beatrice Helena. Miranda Julia the
Princess q France. and Mrs Ford Her highest
achieN ement IN this Aeld is Rosalind Essentially
a Joyous actress % comedy. the uerrier the Part
ne more she Is at home N t. The character OF
Portia- which. upon the surface seems To be sim,
PIE as n re - one o. The most dcut as TO inter
raetoton, OK al the comedy heroines OF shaka-
speare Tor II requires personal beauty sucb as
can .aseanate by sensuous charm ara a 81. s.-,o
uii'e CHI cennians homage with stately diRnt,v
ana x exac;s spontaneous grace a. vrsu a. -
utte'ance q failery as in the expression Of pas-
sioneia love ana these attributes mus, he CO..
binoa with q nne, authoritative intelle-, gres,
moral fervor. geEtie. Charitable disnos;,,o- -
the faculty q oloouence. There lie nothing punv on
narrow about Portia- her words are noble .n5 "a.
d.stnguisLiEg Characteristic OF her conap,, a. I.
profase, involuntary. unconscious lovely mapaa-
nini1y There are three principal phases % Per
na's personality and experience 20 be shov1 a.,
a. actress or this part: her arstocrste bearing
tremulo1s socitD0e Curing me cosket scenes with
Morocco ana Arragou; her lovely telf-surrender %
bassanlo. aftcr be has made his happy choice.
ara her iEt s1se emotion. compounded Of susnenss
ard q Intellectual H-ior ans effort. IN her en-
- L =. -