New-York tribune., 1907-04-09

required such adequate scenery before presenting
sisnor NoveiH 20 the American public.
Ihe ptaybill-when It was finally discovered In
the maze OF advertisements of corsets parlor
lamps and hairoil. wherein the modern manager
secretes his programme,-stated that Hamlet and
the Ghost would meet on 1.-The seashore" but their
Heeuns occurred in a woodland glade The
SWORDS worn by the Venetians in "Othello'' ap-
peared IN the hands Of the Danes in Hamlet" The
same Asht blue curtains. with a huge peacock
On one OK them, that draped the bed OF Desde-
iHOHa' were used for the play In Hamlet,
arranged TO rise and fall like a modern drop-cur-
tam; the old statesman Polonius was employed as
lneSSenser. 10 60 behind and tell the players 20
Oeslh. inc back drop used in Hamlet" and like
wise IN III Ratio dele Sabines" ETC.. displayed a
landscape in the neighborhood OF Rrvn MaU7r with
q country club in the middle distance The Ghost
wore brightly polished armor (somebody in purga-
toEy must nave worked hard over it). draped with
soLnething like a mosquito net, which when the
,liiIeHsht was turned on him. assumed the hue OF
lavender: and his ethereal head was crowned with
.lohtahos helmet Laertes wore a helmet embel-
"eu @ Gu win what seemed TO be a model of the Elf
4el lower The King, queen, Hamlet foIonius
Ophea, in fact the whole court wandered around
IN the same house. all the time This dispIav
"esei' ' "hether viewed acting or picture
"@S % supremely ridiculous that It could only in
SpiIe astonlshment. in any mind really acouainted
with Shakespeares tragedy No 1cngIvh- -.ooal-,r.
@ctoI-hot even the Count Of Jones-vouId ba,o
a. e. ~, - pieSeh: IT, or would have been tolerated
~ ana such exhibitions are called great acting
- S0A0 ABOUT the excellence Of bis ali
performer when considered from the Italian pont
OF view. That is nonsense Thera cor ba 10
question as 20 point of view" Either tho roir+
OF view must be the justified by ShakesDeare,a
teA. oE else II Is wrong point OF view, and the
performance resultant from II Is radically false
one man plays upon the niccoIo. orotbar D1,r.
upon the grand organ; each may have a nerfoct
mastery OF his respective instrument: but though
'D piccoio may De an excellent musical imple-
ment IN its way, and be much liked the grand
To ha
ment and perfect mastery Of it is vastly superior
70 any sort OF mastery OF the piccolo. To commend
Slgnor Novelh for well-doing in OtheUo Lear
ShyIock' and Hamlet--characters that he COM
pletely misrepresents-is as foolish and ridiculous
as II would be to commend Mr.. Sousa il he were
10 play Beethoven's Ninth Symphony IN rag
tiine' Daslns commendation the ground that
the wicked deed had been well done
dueh likewise Is said about the superiority OF
the Italian and other European continental actors
This is not the propitious time for a corpari
son or the exponents of the different schools of act
ing; but even under the commercial and obstructive
conditions now existent, such comparison would
not result to the disadvantage of English-speaSux
ACTORS IL IS known. in even the most unImportant
companies OF English speaking actors-and the
knowledge Is used,-that audience should see the
performers, at all important moments and there
iore our actors do not. as rule. crowd in front
or each other tangle themselves with the
scenery and furniture-a confusion that has hap
pened repeatedly in the Novelu performances That
actor has been observed from five different points in
the theatre, and II has been noticed that wher-
ever observed, he has. at important moments. been
concealed by other actors. has himself concealed
them; and that at other times both ne and they
have gone up the stage and passed behind articles
OF furniture. secluded themselves at the rear Of
the scene, in order. apparently to whisper to the
back drop
Signor Novelli has many and strongly marked
peculiarities. In person no is elderly. somewhat
stout, heavy on his feet and rather clumsy tn his
movements HIS legs very slightly bowed. and
solid and muscular. He Is tail and strongly /
made. His face is large his eyes are dark and |
expressive. His IS large and Hebraic. He |
has large mouth and strong but not sympa- |
thetic voice. When moving and speaking he, at |
times, puffs out his lips after the manner OF g /
stout man who is scant OF breath. When acting |
OthellO ne bends his legs slightly at the knee
and when moving rapidly up the stage and glaring /
back over his shOulder,-an eXpedient to which no
is much addicted-wavng his arms and displaying |
his teeth. he resembles an angry gorilla In Lear !
and Shylock he a copious investiture Of hair |
and beard. the manifest detTimeRt OF his facial
expression lie has way OF smiling, widely and |
suddenly, and also way Of partially closing his |
eyes and then swiftly and abruptly opening them. /
He makes incessant Of the hands and Of the |
particularly OF the foTehnger OF the right
hand; now holding II straight. now crOoking It. |
now moving 1t up. depressing IT, waving |
pecularities Is 10 speak while drawing in his |
breath Another is 20 move his lips while other
himself or making inaudibls comments on their
speeches still another ie TO use all four fingers
that he frequently employed in King Lear and
his fingers % on a6y eas S Of furniture ha
hap hh'SPPen ito, to be be near him A. singular custom s vita
Of hs mouth soha and then e6hanE IT, With = a., slightly
he @ % m h6d vS enS dasg 9 ana cSg @
gether. as IL he We're holding tiny seed between
hand. In every part that ne has played he has
worn either one or two rings on the second finger
other gold seal ring: he wore those ornaments
even when playing conrad-the escaped impoV-
No objection; Of course should be made to signor
20 MIN ana some or them are agreeable. NO actor
OF any consequences was ever yet seen Who ala not
part or every ndivldual ana signihcant actor JUST
they OF every individual and Significant
be remarked that whenever an English speaking
actor: Of power and consequences, has shown
Mansfield Robert Wsntel' David WaPaeid Ada
a have been PrmRy and S 0snen
thai Haase. Salvini Rossi, Barnay. Mime. Duse.
Nine Bernhard and Signor Novel they become
ments Of minute detail in the revelation OF char
acter II Henry Lying had worn gold rings when when
Mansfield had carried diamond incEusted snuff
box. in the last act Of Beau Brummen. the pup
lie and those actors would never nave heaEo inc
II Is not meant that signor Novelli is not good
actor On the contrary. In plays that are S lnosS-
nous 20 his own language, and IN eccentric coIe4y
fs not great actor in anything: he IS not impor-
tant in tragedy-for the reason that in tragedy he
has % re Ss o on ana in
nical proficiency OF execution: and, while his hunor
dian, 10 outran1 Of he has done anything to eguaD
such actors OF the recent past as John , Gilbert
Charles Fisher. John s. Clarke. and charles Gou!-
IOh James |