Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-18
SHAKESPEARE IS
STILL POPULAR
MERCHANT OF VENICE DRAWS
IMMENSE CROWDS
Burbank Stock Company Presents Per-
formanee Remarkable In Many
Respects on Only Five
Days Notice

Does Shakespeare at popular prices
pay? It has been demonstrated al
the Cooper Institute In New York that
a man does not have to be rich 10
appreciate or want to appreciate the
Bard of Avon, and this was verified
yesterday at the Burbank theater,
where at both matinees and evening
performances hundreds were unable to
gain admission TO witness the MEM
bers Of that versatile stock company
present 1.-THE Merchant of Venice"
The seat sale indicates that many
more will be turned away during the
week, and the close attention and APP
plause yesterday of those who did get
inside is evidence that the perform
ance satisfies it's patrons exactly as
well as though the occupants of the
boxes wore diamonds sunbursts and
similar ornaments and had their names
enrolled in the blue book.
That a stock company should have
the temerity to present Shakespeare
probably makes several of the elect
speechless, but why not? Most actors
are familiar with Shakespeare; it is
the bible of the profession, and this
is the only reason why it is possible
to stage such a production as the Bur
bank does in five days. With the ex
ception of Ben Greets Elizabethan
offerings Shakespeare has not been
seen In Los Angeles under the two
fifty scale of prices for many years,
If at all. The Burbank company pre-
sents a far superior performance of
1.-THE Merchant of Venice" than did
Ben Greet's players and the Mans
field audience on Friday evening did
not appear nearly so Interested as
those who sat through the Burbank
offering, and the former aggregation
had to absorb five times as much
Shakespeare in order to get results in
proportion to the money paid That
is not saying Leo Cooper Is better than
Mansfield or that the stock produc-
tion excels the travelling one-"com-
parisons are odious."
The Burbank company gives a re-
markable presentation of this great
play and no one who loves Shakes
peare should miss it. Manager Mo-
rosco is taking his place as an edu-
Gator and those who sit in Judgment
on Sunday theatricals can forgive. for
one week at least, all of the melo-
dramas with which his company has
now and then decorated the first day
of the week.
The performance was one of the
most artistic efforts ever presented at
the Burbank playhouse. There was no
theatricalism, no elocution no weird
individual conceptions of any parts,
no vaudeville Gobbo. 1t was straight
forward, clean, legitimate Shakes
Leo Cooper was a surprise even to
those who expected much of him.
Laboring under the handicap of play
ing Shylock the week following the
performance of that character here by
one known as Americas greatest actor,
he acquitted himself with highest hon
ors. His Shylock has more of the
human and less of the monster than
Mansfield gave the Jew. His work
Showed careful preparation and in
every respect it presented the finished
performance of good actor
Miss Hall in the role of Portia also
achieved triumph. Physically she is
not the towering figure most familiar
with the part. but her mental concep-
tion and artistic fire outbalances this
feature and makes her Portia n work
of genuine merit. In the trial scene
Is she especially deserving of the high |
est praise. Her wonderful reserve
force and excellent rendering of the
lines were notable.
Henry Stockbridge. John w. Burton,
Harry Lewellyn, William Marks. Will |
lam Desmond and Jane Kelton were
excellent in leading characters. The |
scenic effects and costuming were re-
markable.