The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-12-07

It must, of course. go without say- ing that Mir. Mante1l was the more than half of the play last night Aside from his superior talents, the very IOa role in which none other might stand. From his first entrance upon the stage not only the character, he portrayed. but his personality, his self dominated, both the auditors who stood before him. and the persons of the drama who with him trhd the stage.
 MT. Mantelfs conception of the char experience of the scholar qaickened by the magic touch of the artist. First of all king, majestic In statue and instructive personal dignits, power and ing beauty of Lenignant age; he was royal, without austerity, yet strong; commanding with the mightiness of his scores of imperial years. {/. mutations by anger and grief, 'disap- pointment, humiliation and subsequent rage against almost all about him; now raised from despair for brief moment by renaiscent love, again tossed into a He'll by frenzy of hatred. was DOT trayed by the actor with a sensitive { Perhaps most admirable of all the parts of his comprehension of the character was the expression of the tortured by burning flash of reason. The admsn mach Kim, wnN as fsappy ag star ssd ity of his poor. lost Kingdom.
 The acs9rs portraya of the e charno.sr ssr physique and mien. made-up and cos tuned with elegant regard to details, his appearance was beyond criticism, girt about with the raiment of royalty, clad in the simpler garb of the tmperial huntsman,, or clad in the pitiably tat. . In behavior and physical expression Mr Mante tnwas was tbs mssnsssn' tdncs of ns his beard. the drawing of his robe about him; the turn of his eye. flashing m rage. cast down in despair. raiseS n, w,to t6 tears. looking quickly about him in the nervousness of insane fear, or staring. Wd eors ed nd ysf hs s m earth. The thread of majesty. the step of the wanderer asser the tse ptottersg of ms erable age--in all these he showed an unexcelled appreciation of the art s ot motion: Not an. gesture rest, was eNcess'Ve'
 But MT. Manteiis voice is perhaps his greatest power. An excellent reau- e ;cia he Gponsnd nd 9us Seanty n a of the lines of his part. His speaking voice, exquisitely attuned to the not narsn TatCOuSneSS or all OlO put man. was used with admirable effect. No word, was lost. and none was spoaSSa spnSa with false stress or tone. lie spoke practically every human nst naa pass, never lack ing in either force or expression' na ad his Anthemata upon his children. ana his nlaying testing with the Fool, and in his most frightful frenizes or pas, sion, in the gentle recognition ana n the clamant tumrlt t,a or ,n ms fheir T accuracy
 iH MT. Manteli was .he master of the the players and ,ha of ena en4se of % eyery Scene he wwas comneHed by the continuance oI the ptaudits of the audlence to appea before the curtain a, tba ana Star po was strong. H. Cooper Ciiffe as Edmund piayeo with admirable art and except for slirhtly affected gait would be, an the role he portrayed, quite beyond casuat criticisri. Francis McGinn as Edgar played with excellent sympathy anu SpW. H. crompton as Gloucester was entirely adequate, and in the scenes oI his blindness was markedly soou. Gordon Burby as ni,a Kent sofsu atrons ~ and clear which, however, he did not nouu late as to prove the flexfbility 1t must possess ..kr ,t hard when he reads that he played the Fooi with sympathy because 1t takes Wiss S man properly to play one, ana tne Asnu aas he played was really Jester: Lindsey entered into the spirit or the character with fine spirit. showing S,ny a delicate appreciation or tne u nua'iVr ;r, of tbe lines and wonderful aptitude Tn their appropriate expression
 As Gonerif Marie Booth Russell was distinctly able. Though summonea onlv in one scene to express hign tensity of emotion she was entirely satisfactory in it. and in her expres- sions of scorn and hatred she was con sistentIy strong. She had a line ap- pearance and a good enunciation. .,
 Aida Cortelyou as Began was merl- torious. Her rendition was satisfac- tory. .,-.iy In sympathy with the part lacked gooo vocal expression. but was otherwise good. .r.,x Ihsan's play. "A Dolls House." matinee ana night Saturday, is the next attraction at The Grand.