The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1906-04-10
PROVIDENCE OPERA HOUSE

At the Providence Opera House for the
week with matinees tomorrow and Satur-
day. Mr. William A. Brady. announces
eight performances of classic drama by
Mr.. Robert Manten.
This unusual engagement and produc-
tion OF the Shakespearean drama was in
augurated last evening with king Lear -
The plays selected are all OF the tragedies
For the balance OF the week the varying
bill is offered as follows: Tonight Mac
BETH" Wednesday matinee, "Othelo:"
Wednesday night, King Lear" Thursday
and Saturday matinee, Hamlet" Friday
and Saturday nights, Richard III"
king Lear is so rarely produced that
it's place at the head OF the list was
naturally designed 10 excite a good deal
of interest as the introduction of Mr.
Mantell in Shakespearean roles. Mr.
Mantell is widely known and has been
particular favorite in Providence in
seasons past as a talented romantic actor
with a very marked ability also for char
acter art. His portrayal OF the mad king
last evening was fine and forceful and
indicated pretty clearly that. for the bal
anco OF the engagement and for the sew
eral roles which he will undertake, high
degree OF interest and value is assumed
Mr.. Mantell is well equipped In the Inn
portant particular OF voice for the heavier
Shakespearean role. like Lear, say. or
Macbeth. II is a rich and sonorous voice
excellently we'll trained and highly mo-
bile. His reading OF the greatly diversified
and elaborate lines OF Lear represents
about the best that the stage affords to-
day in the way OF English speech as COM
bined with blank verse delivery In the
acting OF the part, Mr.. Mantell was equal
ly gratifying. IL was a restrained but
warm -blooded and highly sympathetic
portrayal that proved convincing to the
audience.
Shakespearean productions are not so
common with actors and managers as 10
warrant anything but the most friendly
comment on such as have the ambition
and boldness 10 test them. Making
Shakespeare popular" has for at least "A
generation been an undertaking the re-
wards OF which have been too often limit
ed TO the virtue thereof Particularly
hazardous has been the experience when
the actor is a new star i'm the armament
or--almost equally so-when he or she is
particularly known and particularly a fa-
vorite in other roles than those now
dominated the CLASSIC The pathway Is
strewn with costly failures and doubtless
some broken hearts, while the public has
confined its welcome TO producers that
had somehow got themselves well estab-
lished and were accepted as a matter OF
course by the theatregoers who rarely
showed disposition TO try new candi-
dates for their fame.
The times have charged. though. and
rather for the better so far az such pro-
ductions are concerned since Frank Mayo
one or the greatest OF stage artists. lost
following. worldly possessions and about
everything else dear TO the actors or any
mans ambitious heart upon turning from
dear old "Davy Crockett to Hamlet"
and Macbeth" IL was charged against
Mayo by his critics that he had slaugh-
tered tradition by making a scnic spec
tacle OF the classic drama and such a
thing was not 20 be tolerated That time
has gone by and. though stage equip
ment may not answer TO make good the
fundamental defects OF inferior acting OF
the great roles. IL is still not frowned
upon and with Mr.. Sothern and Mr. Mans
field. for instance. II probably helps more
than a trine 10 the acceptability Of their
And In the past decade we
have seen not n few OF the favorites OF
the stage triumphantly cross the Rubicon
into the Shakcspearean drama and hold
their audiences while they were demon
strating their capacity and htness
Mr.. MantellS style Is simple, direct
vet by no means lacking in subtlety Md
d'sfinction lie ought 20 make a most ad-