The Washington times., 1907-03-19

Robert Manrell began his weeks
''Shakespearean festlyaP at the New
National last night with a performance
OF Macbeth luminous for it's SINGER
ity and good sense. So far as the part
OF Macbeth is concerned Il IS very
much the same Interpretation that Mr..
Mantell gave here last season, except
perhaps that longer use has brought
greater ease and Elasticity TO the part.
So far as the rest of the company is
concerned, IL is a vastly improved per-
formance. The company of this year
Is distinctly better than last year S.
Miss RUssells Lady Macbeth, in spite
OF certain oratorical artihciality and
tendency 10 everyday, is an infinitely
more satisfying one than Miss Emily
DOdds of last year.
Mantell gives an intelligent but rather
conventional portrayal OF Macbeth. He
relies more on his voice and on the
lines than on gesture or facial express
sion to convey the tumult OF soul OF the
ambition-ridden, wife-spurred Thane Of
Cawdor, whose power over himself
wancs as his power over others grows.
II is not an attractive or sympathetic
part-this Macbeth, the specter haunted
king, who has murdered sleep, the help
less shuttlecock between the battledores
OF conscience and ambition, the prey Of
vague, huddling fears. whose strong
viii. guided by stronger ambitions, can
scarcely master mis- terrified imaginings
But Mantell makes OF II a most inter-
esting psychological study.
In the scenes in the second act. lead
ing up 10 and following the murder.
both Mr.. Mantell and Miss Russell are
at their best. though there are other
moments when one or another Of them
reaches the high water mark attained
in these. Miss Russelps sleep walking
scene is particularly well done. She
loses there the vocal eXaggeratiOn and
artificiality that dogs her through TO
the greater part Of the play. and reads
her lines with comparative simplicity,
yet with a peculiar ghOstly hOllOwness
that Is singularly effective. II is only
fair TO remember. in commenting on
Miss Russells really careful and in
teligent work. that Macbeth has
b hen more frequently used in recent
years as the vehicle Of a woman star.
than for "A man. SO that s-e is up
against rather more OdiOus COmpd risGn
than leading lady has usually TO eX-
pect.
ManteH has one Of his strongest scenes
in the fourth act when he IS confront
ed by BanQuO's ghOst-tand, by the
way, II seems 10 mo mistake 10 bring
BanquO on 70 play his own ghost. Why
give the ghost such solid. fleshly form
W by not leave 10 merely a fgmeUt Of
Macbeth's disoTdered imaginationD-
and struggles vainly 10 hur IL of as
phantom OF his mind He raves at IL,
and he shrinks from Il, and the whole
terrible storm that Is shaking him is
splendidly portrayed Though indeed IL
is IL the Quieter scenes that Mr. Mantell
is most persuasive-in the third act
D. .rnwns 4
close in upon him, ia the first act. even
when, after the vanishing Of the wierd
sisters, he puts all the QuestlOnings and
STRINGS that their prophecies have
Wakened into his voice. in the last act.
Just after he has been told Of Lady
MacbethS death.
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are really
the only two characters In the play The
along the story Little attempt is made
70 give them any illusion Of realty. life,
or character In fact. even the t=7o
leading characters scarcely convey an
illusion Of life Francis McGinn and Ce-
Gil Owen. as Macduff and BanQuO, re-
speCtively. made the most. which is not
much of their parts. Guy Lindsay is
fairly effective as Malcolm Alfred Has
tinEs might have beer more kinEly as
the king. but he didn't last long enough
10 worry one.
One has to he grateful 70 the entire
company for the Intelligent reading Of
their lines. and the careful phrasinE
that gave all the speeches their full
value. The stage settings We're ade-
quate without being sumptuOus. the sort
10 form a satisfactory background 10
the action, but they we're distinctly Or
the noncOmmitaal sort, as indeed were
the costumes. The only suggestion that
Il was medieval Scotland, instead Of
medieval Italy or Germany for In
stance, was the eagle quill in the head
gear There was no attempt at at
mosphere presumably for the very
good reason that very little is known
of primitive Scotland. nor indeed Is the
period Of the play very accurately fixed.
The costumes signify a rude and an
cient time when Darbarism IS just be-
ginning 10 flow into civilization.
NJ. Med.