The daily sentinel. [volume] (Grand Junction, Colo.) 1893-current, 1906-01-23
MIR. HANFORD'S "OTHELLo-
PLEASES GREAT AUDIENCE.

pie of Grand Junction. The announ-
cement that Mr.. Hanford is to appear
in Grand Junction in the interpreta-
ton of one of the great characters of
Shakespearean creation is all that is
necessary to call forth a great out
pouring of lovers of the drama.
The magnificent audience that was
assembled last night at the Park
opera house was truly splendid trib-
ute to the popularity and ability of
Mi. Hanford. Every seat on the
lower floor and in the balcony had
been sold before noon yesterday
Last night scores of extra seats were
placed in the aisles down stairs and
the gallery, which usually goes beg
ging at high class performance. was
almost filled. Ii was the largest
have been even larger had there been
any further seating accommodations
on the lower floor or in the balcony.
"Othello." the Moor of Venice. per-
haps the most terrible and tragic
character to he found in Shakespear-
ian plays was interpreted by Mr.,
Hanford in a most noble, correct and
soul inspiring manner. OF all the
roles Mr.. Hanford has assumed in
his twenty years experience on the
stage his Othello must stand as one
successful. Othello is really com
posite character, there is the devoted
and impulsive lover, the great and
fearless warrior. the simple and trust
ing friend who dares believe, in his
happiness, that every man is honest
and then after suspicion and dstrust
has been poured into his year by the
honest Iago.' there is the unreas-
oning, the suspicious. the rage-rack-
ed, the vengeful and the fearful hus-
band. AT every moment in the play.
in every scene Mr.. Hanford was al
most perfect in delineation. The blind
jealousy. the terrific rage. the heart
breaking sorrow and distress. was
free from all ranting and over-draw-
ing. Indeed the Interpretation would
rise to sublime heights in his wonder
Gus strength.
The audience gave him in every act
and at every scene ample and enthus
iastic evidences of its admiration and
delight
Too much credit cannot be given
this distinguished actor. He makes
plain on his first appearance that he
is entitled to rank as one of the great
Shakespearian actors of the day. Ii
is evident that he is one of the clos
est of close Shakerpearian students.
He is no imitatOr, throughout his
work there are marks of individual
ity, an original and at the same time
perfectly correct Interpretation OF
every role he assumes. He brings out
each situation as he sees 1t best yet
never departing from the teachings
and intents of the Bard of Avon. Mr..
iIanford has always had high con-
nections on the stage. For years he
was with Edwin Booth. He played
Mare Anthony to Booths Brutus and
Horatio and King Claudius to Booths
Hamlet and was Lawrence Barrett's
Claudius. He was regarded by Booth
and Barrett as a Shakespearean act
or of great promise and their eXpec-
tations have been fulfilled in every
respect.
Mr. Hanford's supporting company
could be much stronger but on the
whole il was very satisfactory.
OF course the role of Desdemona
was taken by Mrs. Hanford, known
to the stage world as Miss Marie Drof-
nah. The littl actress is just about as
popular with Grand Junction theatre
goers as her talented husband She
has long been regarded as one of the
cleverest interpreters of the women
of Shakespeare on the American
stage. Last night as Desdemona she
won many new friends and added
who have seen her and delighted in
her work in the past. She was pleas
ing at all times. Charming in her
personality, wholly graceful. easy and
perfect in her movements she makes
an ideal Desdemona. In not a single
one of the many great scenes of
Othello was she weak.
In Frank Hennig Mr.. Hanford has
selected a splendid. capable and
II ri.
role of Iago, the cunning, heartless,
lucky Iago, 'the man of great hon
esty." Mr.. Hennig must share hon
ors attending the success of last
nights production of Othello with Mr..
HaDford. In the first act we did not
think so much of him but in the four
succeeding acts his work can hardly
be criticised. Hatred, amazing de-
ceit, villiany. rank hypocrisy, deviltry
could hardly have been more truth
fully exemplified. Although taking
role that is naturally unpopular
with the audience, hatred of the char
acter was drowned by the intense adj
miration for Mr.. Hennig's mastery
work
Emilia, the wife of Iago, was, after
Desdemona and Iago the strongest
member of the supporting company.
Miss Katheryn Roth who takes this
part is a handsome and graceful
woman and there is a ring of SINGER
ity in every phase of her work. She
was at all times good. Her denuncla-
ito of the rash act of the Moor in kill
ing Desdemona whom he believed TO
be false, her glowing tributes to the
honor and character and love of Des-
demona and her terrific denunciation
of Iago, all brought out in one of the
great scenes of the last act was SUI
perb.
We didn't think much of Cassie as
portrayed by Thomas Mulligan. He
was weak, Roderigo was an extreme
ly poor character. the worst inter
preted of the cast. John Kline as
1 Montana deserved mention. The
minor characters of the cast were
fairly well taken.
The costuming was correct and
magnificent Othello's costumes and
make up were excellent. giving n