The Washington times., 1905-07-09
Nk:S. Grker-
The Chef fReh.sco
C1ur
Female Hamlets
Early Predecessors of I'm
mortal Sarah-MTs. Sid
dons and an Old Plagbill.
A Noted Company.

Strange to say, although research has
thrown its searchiight into almost every
nook and Granny of bygone theatrical
history. one important fact has baf-
fed all inquiry. No one can say posi-
lively who was the first actress to play
Hamlet. In his recent book on The
Lyceun and Henry Irving, Austin
Brereton, usually an accurate historian,
is rash enough TO aver that the pioneer
was Mrs. Glover, a capable actress who
played the young Prince at the Lyceum
In June 1921, before Edmund Kean and
other interested specta rors.
All this is very wide of the mark,
according to W j. Lawrence AND an ex-
tremelv interesting article in the
Dramatic Mirror At least three fe-
male Harnlets, says Mr.. Lawrence, had
been seen in England before this. one
of them no less a parsonage than Mrs.
SiddonS. The first he can trace wes
Mrs. Turnival. the excellent leading
lady of the old Smock Alley Theater,
Dublin, who, at that house and for her
benefit adventured upon the Melancholy
Dane on April Is, 1741.
Longo intervalla, Mrs Siddons was
next In order, but how she came to play
the part would be difficult to say. From
first to last there have been nearly a
hundred female Hamlets, the bulk of
them married women; and it would ap-
pear almost as if it required the en-
llarged experience and widened horizon
of wedlock to enable the female mind to
grasp the poets PHILOSOPHERS.
Mrs. Siddons Was Squeamish.
But on all showing, Hamlet was a
curious role for Mrs. Siddons to be at
stracted by. Essentially a prudish
woman, she had no great liking. for male
attire. and when in after years she came
to play Rosalind she dressed her in the
woodland scenes in a quaint nondescrfpt
costume that evoked much derision.
How her Hamlet was attired deponent
sayeth not, for she never summoned UP
courage to have her portrait painted In
the character. But If the Rev. Henry
Bate is to be believed, she was not SC
squeamish about donning male gar
ments in her period of obseurity as she
was in her meridian. Writing to his
friend Garrick from Worcester IN Au-
gust, Its. Bate, in speaking of the Sid
dons tells him she is "a very good
breeches figure" and sustains the Widow
Brady admirably. Nay, beware your
self, Great Little Man, for she plays
Hamlet 10 the satisfaction OF t.ie
Worcestershire critics"
The second occasion on which Mrs
eiddons was seen as the young Prince
was at Manchester on March 19 1T77
the occasion being the joint benefit Of
herself and her brother. John Philiy
Kembie. It is noteworthy that between
her first and second performances of th'
character she had made her debut n
Drury Lane and failed so igno.niniousl!
ss to be glad to creep back to tn
country She was seen again as Hamle
At Dublin twice IN the June of 1902. blu
she never rlzS<& the part in London
Elustraoga kzsseaates.
The Manchester playbill of 1777 is in
teresting not only because it pernlan
emily records Mrs. Siddons' second ap
pearance on the stage as the youn
Prince, but from the fact that amon
the cast in support one remarks tn
names OF one or two people who after
ward attained celebrity. But just
word as to the humber people first. TIL
sertation on Hobby Horses between tn
acts. was doubtless the James Cawde
who. previous to his retirement fror
the stage in 1898, had been fayorabl
known in the north Of England as
comedian and manager. He publishe
volume of poems and wrote som
long forgotten plays.
Mr.. and Mrs Stanfield, who took tn
Player King and Queen live now /
memory through the reflected light cas-
from their son. Clarkson Stanfield. T