New-York tribune., 1906-10-23

/ |-~~--O
stinctive natural hostility. Iachmo had seen Post
humus, in Britain before their meeting IN Rome.
and had taken profound dislike to him. Such
Things continually happen, in actual fe.-human
beings hating each other for no assgnabe reason
The motives of IachiIno reside in conscious In
feriority, In envy and spite. and in cupidity-for
he has wagered half his fortune. and he does not
mean to lose it If lying will save It
There is informing description of enc odtime
personation OF Iachimo,-that OF George Frederick
Cooke.-which might serve as q guide to any actor
OF the part in the present day. It was written by
George Daniel remembered one of the friends
OF Charles Lamb. who edited the thirty-nne vol
umes Of "Cumberland's British Theatre" and whose
D c. with which inversion OF initials he
chose 70 disguise his signature appears at the end
or each preface in that collection. Cookies look
and manner" says Daniel, when he emerges
from the chest, in Imogens chamber were terribly
impressive An aspect Of more superhuman VII
any, dashed with fearful apprehension, never
exhibited on the stage. The audience was hushed
into the deepest silence. by his broken yet dis
tinct whispers. His deathlike tread rendered the
sleep Of Imogen profound: and the dtscrimi-
native critic Justly specifies. ilumnative of the
actors ideal and of his executive art his gloating
| eye, wandering her beauties; his breathless
caution when he unclasps the bracelet, the rreso-
luton and fear that alternately retard and hasten
MS return to the chest; and his endliks smile Of
exultation when he closes the lid"
MI j. II. Gtmour. of the most talented,
perlenced. and versatile actors stage pre-
sented lachimo,-making him light self-compla-
cent ironica villain apt with cynical and
bIandy specious; with but ta1nt show Of subtlety
ana with no special attempt contrasts OF char
| acterfzation- His assumed abstraction. in the
temptation scene with Imogen, and his nstantane-
Gus change from duplicity to buoyant joyous can
| DOR when the willy traitor, by his sudden, elo-
quent praise OF Posthumus, deceives the Princess
| against her woman instinct), the finest
strokes Of his art, and exactly in the right vein.
| His main design appeared to intend the general
effect of cool confidence and gay plausibility In
making the wager he had no doubt that he should
| win 1t; in Imogen's chamber fear of being dis
covered; in lying to Posthumus. tremor OF doubt
that his lies would prevail. A smooth smiling.
! easy-going man-of- -the-word rascal this
1acnlmo; and Mr.. Gimours mature, thoroughly
practised skill enabled him act the part clearly,
from his chosen point OF view, and TO give strong
performance, under conditions of serious disadvan
| tage. In the set at Philarios house.-which. me-
| chancaily, to have been made, not with the
view TO favor dramatic action but for the purpose
OF trying to show how the Romans furnished their
| abodes.-the actors huddled within q small
apartment, Uttered with furniture that
| Of them could move about in it without imminent
danger OF collision, and dark that scarcely
thing could be dscerned of their facial expression
There the wager has to be made.-the expedient
that Is the pivot of the play there Iachno has to
tell and act his series OF subtle and speoious liesi
and there Posthumus has to show his frenzy and
utter his terrible tnvecttve on the falsehood OF
| women and OF the maligned Imogen. The stage,
obviously, should be clear and the light should be
| brilliant: but those overloaded with
cessories. and. practically placed in almost
| the dark. The second OF them begins with gross
absurdty-Philario and Posthumus being dis
covered" at play, with dice Posthumus. at this
| time, Is poor man, dependent the bounty of
| Philario. and having nothing TO stake; and also
Posthumus is unhappy man, who has entered
into a degrading wager respecting his wifes chas
tity; and moreover that chastity is the subject Of
his conversation with Phlario. when they thus
set down at the dice-boardI In even worse taste,
II possible is the business subsequently allotted
to IachIno who. In the midst of his infamous and
| dangerous avowal of success with Imogen turns
| his back Posthumus, the husband, and devotes
his attention to the eating Of grapes.-probaby be-
cause Il is remembered that Henry Irving ate
grapes when he played lego. TO the Otheilo OF Ed
| win Booth Mr.. Gmour. however. with the facility
| Of an accomplished actor, accommodated himself 70
those ridiculous circumstances, and effectively i'm
| parted his ideal Of lightsome, nonehalant scamp
In the chamber-scene, which. dramatically, is the
best scene OF all (when done according TO Shake
| speare), Mr. Gumour has TO emerge from small.
! squat box covered with hides, instead OF long,
| iron-bound wooden trunk, which would be correct
That box is placed close to the footnghtsi and,
after Mr.. Gimour has emerged from II without
causing laughter (which greatly the credit of
his skill he is able to do), he has to look for
| Imosen, whom presently he finds. elevated upon
bter-like structure in an alcove. at the back Of
the stage Illuminated with blue light that makes
her look like corpse. He then has to walk
around the bier, and to hover over it. in order to
obtain the bracelet and to observe the mole. Much
OF time the back Of the actor is turned toward
the audience, that the expression of his face
cannot be seem and for, apparently, Mat same rea-
son he is compelled 10 speak aloud-and thus TO
ruin IT'S effect-the solloquy that ought OF course
he knows to be uttered in deep, thrilling whis-
per The chamber OF Imogen. which, according
to the poets description should be hanged with
tapestry of silk and silver is painted TO resemble
stone, and is provided with one small piece OF
Tapestry which Iachimo has to pull down and
examine.-rneking. he does so. a noise with
ropes and pulleys that, inevitably. would have
reused the sleeper: Of whom 1t is made known
that for a long time, she has been harassed with
insomnia or with fearful dreams Tha concealed
presence Of an intruder her bedroom though
unsupported, would, to such woman as Imogen.
be quite sufficient to vague apprehension in
her mind and uneasy motion IN her restless body;
yet In order to cause such a motion. and in that
way to startle Iachimo, recourse is had to the
commonplace expedient OF the clashing of armor.
outside The fact that Mr.. Gilmour is able TO
hold his audience in suspense, under conditions
destructive of illusion, affords decisive testimony
to his sterling talent. He omitted the closing
words Of Iachimo's soliloquy.-the half triumphant
half apprehensive exclamation, Time time, tmei"
as the distant clock strikes three, and the mis-
creant closes the lid. Those words are essential
and they ought to be spoken IN such way
almost to make the blood OF the hearer curde in
his veins Mr.. GIrnour made an effort in the line
of extenuation OF Iachmo. by causing him. on
returning into the chest, TO speak the words
Though this a heavenly angel, hell is here"
If he were already suffering remorse but It IS
obvious that If he were, he would not.-as he
does-pursue his wicked purpose to the bitter end
All that he is what he says: 'I lodge in
fear" After the chest exit a drop descends
and then 1t is almost Immediately raised, re-
vealing the same room except that iron grill
at the back has been closed over Imogens bed
! la4A1