The Washington herald., 1907-03-21
''The Merchant Of Venice and
7kIng Lear"


ITheater yesterday afternoon large au-
dience gathered 10 see AfT. A1anteii and his
company present Shakespeare's ''The Mer-
ichant Of Venice. Many teachers with
their pupils, and many young people were
in the audience 20 see this. one Of the best
known and most often played Of the COM
edies of the master playwright
1t cannot be said that Mr.. Manteil adds
ianything 10 our knowledge of the charac-
ter Of Shylock, nor is his presentation
feither seenically or in the quality OF It's
tacting entirely satisfying. The lines Of
lShylock are intelligently read, for il is ev-
ident that Mr. Mantell is a close student
Iof Shakespeare, but the part does not be-
Hong in his repertoire. It is outside his
lrange; he lacks the necessary tempera-
ment
his acting in this part is Of the old
school; he rants and tears the air, gasps
for his words. rolls bis eye i'm fine frenzy,
and strives. obviously. for the effects he
!gains. In the first scenes he was mark
edly of the key; there Was no finesse in
his acting He won much applause FOR the
lscene ia which he rails alternately at the
tioss OF his daughter and his ducats. and
Ichuckles with sardonic glee over the news
lof AntoniO's losses. but his ferV0r here
was Of the sort TO catch the 'groundlings"
ana to make the judicious grieve." Nor
was the great courtroom scene entirely
convincing Mr.. Mauteil put in savagery
islOp gh, Dat there was missing that note Of
Ipatilos by which the great actors who
have gone before contTived at the last
10 win a heaping measure of sympathy
Ifor this aged Jew. caught in the Christian
trap Mr. Mantelrs shylOck is the least
satisfactory Of his performances and his
failure is due largely 20 his personality.
There is some question of taste, 200, in
the interpretations of music for which one
wonders where Mr. Manteli found war
rant. The play lends Itself 10 ranting ana
Ito excesses of acting and the Interpolation
OF music makes IL all the more melodra-
matte and by so much spoils IT,
The Portia Of Marie Booth Russell was
"A fine example OF part that this actress
Ieann0t play. She was entirely inadequate
20 the fine opportunities Of the courtroom
scene, and ''The quality OF mercy" speech
was so I'll delivered as 20 lose much of its
beauty and force.
The supporting company did not show
either, 10 great advantage. NJ. Franklin
Bendsten. of course. won many laugh
as Launcelot G0bbO, but the laughs were
Idue to the lines not TO Mr. Beudsten. Mr.
Alfred Hastings as antonio looked more
like an honest burgher of the Low C0un-
tries than "a Venetian.
1t IS good to hear Shakespeare lines.
however mouthed. but "The Merchant Of
Venice" as presented yesterday afternoon
was a distinct disappointment; it fen 50
Tar short OF what, iR view Of the fine
work done in ether Shakespeareaa plays
by this company. one had right TO ex-
lpect
The best performance in his Shake
spearean repertory that Mr.. ManteH has
SO Far this week given was his fine work
IN the tragedy Of King Lear last night.
This play. infrequently given nowadays.
seems TO prove one Of the most attrac-
tive of the Shakespearean dramas, for at
the New National Theater last night was
the largest audience Of the week.
The play served as an excellent con-
trast 10 the plays that had gone before:
the Macbeth. displaying man in conflict
with the passions Of ambition which
leads TO crime the ShylOck. displaying
man urged on by crafty revenge; Othello.
driven 10 madness by the strain Of ieal-
ousy. and now Lear. a tragic soul de-
picted in bis conflict with ingratitude and
dire misfortune.
. The tragedy Of the drama lies not al
ali in the untimely deaths-indeed. most
OF the deaths are we'll deserved. Ed
Regan. and likewise Gonegil COrdelia,
alone, in her tragic hanging calls foi the
sympathy Of the audience. Tho tragedy
of the play lies I'm the fallen king. and al
ways present with the audience is the
sense. not only of the suffering he en-
dures. but the high and noble estate from
which-through his own tender love and
IgenerOsity-he has fallen.
Whether we see him upon the blasted
heath, wet 10 the skin in the pouring
lst~rm and defying. in his mad rage, the
forked lightning and the roarin. thunder;
or in the daylight with the pathetic posies
about his clothes and his venerable beard
lstraW-matted he is always a glorious and
la splendid personality. Even as one de-
piores his fall, ones heart weeps for the
ills he has endured.
Mr. Mantell plays the part Of the aged
king with d lofty grace and sympathetic
understanding that quite wins the hearts
of his audience. At first the Querulous
tqUarTelsOme old man. yet regal In his JUS
itice and his generosity; and then TO find
love fallen from him. his state slipping
laway. respect honor, reverence the
things that should be his rightful due. de-
MED him. Up. and still up mounts the
minds rage at the cumulative wrongs. un-
til it so moves the heart that every one is
In perfect sympathy with him when he
cries his curse on Goneril and prays tho
lGods:
With cadent tears fret channels in her checks;
Turn all Ter mothers pains and benefits.
! To laughtes and contempt that she may feel
How sharper than serpent's tooth it is
| To have a thankless child.
Up to this :ime Mr.. Manten emphasized
rightly the weaknesses Of the old king
but In the scene on the heath. amid the
storm, he rose to heights of power thai
quite carried the audience away with him
1t was in the frenzy of madness that he
cried:
Ay every inch king
When i 90 stare.
! See how the subject quakes.
/ pardon that mans life
What was the causef
Thou shalt rot die
No No!
/ Tot luxury pcll-mell fer J lack soldiers
Fie fe fiel Pah pah
Give ne an ounce af ciYet good ap0thecary,
70 sweeteu my imagination
There's money for thee.
Sad and sorrowful as this play is. il
was most enjoyable last night for tn,
perfect presentation of the chief character
AIr. Mantelrs acting in this pant ahow'
that he has come into his own indeed
ard deserves the rank to which he has
aspired so long.
OF The supporting company. the bes
work was done by Mr.. Gordon Burby ii.
| the Earl of Kent, who gave a clean-cut
earnest. and conscientious performance
Miss Russell has little opportunity al
CosdeHs, but she acquitted herself we'll
ar. Bendsten as Oswald. as in other parts
displayed an element of efficiency that il
quite out of place and mars the scenes
In which his voice IS heard Miss Kings
bury and Miss Margaret Grey did gOoC
5 work as GoneTiI and Regan. respectively