The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-02-09

troubles OF heart and OF conscience Of
his assumption IN manner that stamped
him as a man OF high intelligence, Of the
deepest sOul-insight. Of the Iveliest sym
pathy. and OF artistic perception and at
tainment Of the very first order. There
was no laUsc In the steady and absorbing
interest with which he developed the part
from the first scene 90 the close. One
forgot ID was acting one was Witnessing,
50 deep below the surface Of conscious
ness did the Illusion strike. Il went to
the heart and the nerves IN a way that Is
rare, indeed. IN these DAYS with any inter
probation Of "a fine Shakespearean charaC-
ter. for players with intelligence TO under
stand intimately and power and art TO
portray efficiently and wildly. The great
roles Of the master are conspicuOusly ao'
sent from our stage. Since Mr.. Robert
son was seen here In this role last year
he has grown notably in competence FOR
its Interpretation. He has given il finer
finish. a deeper resonance Of poetry and
passion, and he has brought 10 the illu-
mination Of its many splendid literary
passages "A nicer study and a keener SYM
pathy
His reading Of all the famous speeches
is fawIess I'm nicely of shading, bringing
out all the musical beauty Of the phrases
and revealing beyond misinterpretation
the fullness of their significance. His
rendering Of the crucial To be or not 10
be" is beyond question the most adequate
and completely expressive in tone and ac-
ton that has been heard in our time. The
/ audience seemed to hold its breath, that II
might miss no uuance of voice-intiection.
and it devoured the player with its eyes
/ in eagerness to catch every movement Of
/ feature and body And then it broke into
an outburst of delighted applause. In the
scenes with the players, with Horatio,
with RoseucrantZ and GuildensteTn. with
his mother with Ophelia. there WAS the
same breathless attention 10 catch the
beautiful infections Of Mr.. Robertson s
strongly musical and vibrant voice. As
suredly we have had I'm many years on
our stage no actor who has invested the
part Of Hamlet or any other Shakespear-
/ can role with the interest that Mr.. Rob
ertson last night threw around his as
sumption. Il was a real triumph.
| Mr.. Robertson mas not come into his
own in popular recognition without de-
Ilay. however, for although from the first
critical opinion has been IN his favor.
the public seemed loath to believe, and
during his first two engagements here he
/ PLAYED to audiences Of mCager proper
/ tions. The conviction that he was the
/ greatest Hamlet of his time grew stead
/ ily. however. until II crystallized into gen
| eraI conviction. The presence of an audi
| ence which tested the capacity of the
! National Theater last night attssted the
appreciation which he has at last won.
| The Ophelia OF Miss Gertrude Elliott
/ IS a fit companion 10 the Hamlet Of Mr..
/ Robertson. Here we have a creature be
set by trials as acute as those which
vexed the mind Of the prince without
/ the high and overmastering masculine In
! telIect which is needed 10 OverpOweT
! them. Her insanity was most touching
and in the scene preceding the suicide
| Miss Elliott revealed strikingly her emo
! tional capacity
OF the supporting company, Miss AIDE
line Bourne gave an effective delineation
of the erring Queen; Mr.. Ian Robert
son, brother of the principal is effective
! as Claudius and Mr.. A. Hylton Allen is
| interesting as Horatio. Others appearing
to advantage in the cast were Mr.. Charles
Langley. as Polonlus: Mr.. Vernon Steele
! as Laertes; Mr.. J. II. Beaumont. as
Rosencrantz. and Mr.. Frank Buckley, as
! Guildenstern.
| MI Forbes Robertson's acting version
is somewhat different from most Of those
in general use. introducing the strong
final scene which depicts the funeral OF
the dead prince and the coming Of young
Fortinbras. closing with HOratios touch
ing farewell
| Hamlet Will be repeated at the matt
nee to-day, and Mr.. RObertsOn's notably
successful engagement will close with q
second performance of Mice and Men
to-uigIt