The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-04-08
Cbe CbeatreS
MT. sothern and Miss Marlowe.

Tn d series of pictures of surpassing beauty, peopled with men ana women of creative understanding MT, Sothern an audience at the Montgomery Thea tre, an audience that went tn gre to sn- joy true rendition of It's own Shake- speare. ,..,,.., and 1t was presented in a style that
 gives hopeful augury for the future of the American stage. There is
 in the modern drama; dramatic art Is coming into its own again; 1t IS 10 pc
 again one of the fine arts and not a
 so-called art. These thoughts are
 production of Romeo and Juliet" but
 by the fact that other great actors
 like Forbes Robertson, Otls skinner
 and Richard Mansfield are learning
 for a true appreciation ot the master
 dramatist. Better still, the mere com
 mercial purveyors of this art are lm-
 pressed with the more or less new
 idea that Is springing up among us,
 after a plethora of tommyrot tnaL
 Shakespeare pays. The production of
 last night, with It's thousands upon
 thousands of dollars or scenlc equlp-
 fects and wealth of detail is the en-
 terprise of that shrewd American the-
 atrlcal magnate, Charles Frohman, ana
 even Klaw and Erianger: the mighty
 
 going in for Shakespeare.
 The praise is due the people,; It IS a return to our better senses and stlli
 better day. is dawning:
 It may be said that there IS grave doubt that when this better day comes around, If an improvement will be
 made on the soul-satisfying perform
 ance of Romeo and Juliet by sothern and Marlowe. True there Is room for doubt if MT. Sothern is the ideal Ro- meo and there may have been here and there a discordant note In the execu- ton but these are matters of mere opinion that one will not quibble over
 when the whole was so near perfect and the result was almost without blemish.
 A competent writer has said recent | ly that Miss Marlow is the greatest Juliet who ever undertook to portray the lovelorn maiden of Shakespeare s the sympathetic. graphic picture pre- sented by Miss Marlowe last night will take issue with her enthusiastic friend | who declares she is the greatest of all
 '"f The @0"iIr difference mnc a between the Romeo | of MT. Sothern and the Juliet of Miss
 Marlowe was that MT. Sothern showed
 some very fine acting, while Miss Mar lowe was Juliet. Ones mind was nev-
 CT to the level of regarding her as but
 an actress playing part. There were only ftful periods when MT. Sothern scared above the skillful actor.
 In the tragic notes Miss Marlowe was heroic. almost sublims; in the lighte, lyrical strains she touched true chords
 in truth, she showed genius through
 out. MT. Sothern was depressing. The | deepest passion was given perfect ut l terance and in the emotional shades he
 was effective. As the lover, he was
 "Hamiet' all of his great talent and his poetic genius. but his Romeo, to | Miss MarloWe's magnificent Juliet, did
 not leave the impression that was ex-
 At late hour 1t Is impossible tc speak adequately of the fine company | of players associated with MT. Sothern
 and Miss Marlowe or to do simple Jus,
 with perfect truth 1t must be said
 that the honors of success, heapeo upon MT. Sothern and Miss Marlowe
 were shared by MT. Hunter as Mer- cutio and the aged Mrs. Smith as JuIiet's nurse Mrs. Smith played the part after her own conception ana she | made the devoted, but some times querulous old woman, very me pl' | of stage Illusion. 1.. Mir. Hunters Mercutio was the best | Montgomery every saw. His reading | of the dream speech in the second scene of the first act and his death scene at the hand of Tybalt was so true as to be startling. His execution throughout was a delight to students | of Shakespeare Norman Hackett. one or the pest or l the younger generation or Shakes nearean actors, did not invest Benvolio with the virility that was epected, but after al Nh Hackett is too good an actor to be cast as Benvolio. And this l is a repertoire company, we must re- member.
 Each and every member of the com papy, with the exception of MT. Mather
 who played Paris, is entitled, to the ut most commendation for the success oi the play and they will be remembered | long. :, admirably and Gounod's music entre acts, added zest to the entertalnment. MT. Sothern and Miss Marlowe were | called before the curtain after nearly l every one of the scenes. so impressed was the great audience with the ef- | fectiveness of the play and the attrac- | five environment of the great tragedy
 of love in Verona.
 l