The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-12-07
Amusen7ents
Mr. MantelI i'm "kinx Lear..

! In the most tragic character of all that Shakespeare made Robert Mantell, at the Grand last night. played King Lear with an art that, setting out the role In the complete fullness of it's majestic passions, was never strained :; that running through the wide range of human feeling left untouched, in the gamut of experience and fancy, no chord of pain. grief, joy, anger, hatred, rage, madness, or love; made no false nor even uncertain touch. it's every note ringing strong and true.
 In the first scene of drama, in which the tragic note Is most dominant and constant, MT. Mantell, with sym pathetic conception of the austere ma jesty of the opening, pitched the key of his acting high. But not so high that. with the crescendo of intensity he did not have reserved the power to play through the part with easy rendition of growing emotion and pas sion. At the last, when in the ex- treme of coiumingled madness of hatred and love, he gave vitally effect i've expression of the grandeur of the climatic scene.
 Not in many years has so magnificent a production of Shakespeare, as that of King Lear by Mir. Mantell and his fellows, been seen in Montgomery. His own splendid genius. though it shone with such glorious brilliance, was yet, aided by the talents of actors which were not eclipsed, but were merely of lesser glory and were not dim, but less bright stars in the con stellation that frightened the dramatic world Montgomery with its radiance last night. With complete cast, of notable consistency of histrionic abil- ities admirably selected in person and temperament, he was well, even amply, prepared to render a play
 Z.I- the immensity of tragedy, has hardly been equalled since Aeschylus.
 To the material efforts of the drama exquisite care was given. Its costumes were planned with strict re- gard to the time and the place of the tragedy; and were. rich and sumptuous. It's scenery was magnificent in scheme and execution, and its uses highly but aesthetically effective. The general of the stage was excel lent, the settings being made with care and dispatch.
 "A good Shakespeare house." was the criticism of the audience by a man of the world tbeatric. That was rather ly good: but in its appreciation of a that is admired by the gem eral public only when he Is safely and quarto calf. the audience of last night vas admirable. From the first 1t caught both the overt intent and puf- pose of the play and it's almost mystic spirit of strangely wrought human na- lure. The dramas tensest notes fell upon sympathetic ears, and the listen CTS were never out of accord with dread, inevitable movement of the trend of the tragic plot. What was more strange. for that it's expression was less Irresistible, there were but few words of humor, that. quickened de- spite their long age. did not meet with responsive smile or laughter.
 It was an audience that compliment d Mr. Mantel1 and credited Montgom-
 Mr. Manteli used the version of King Lear which William Winter made original is abbreviated to a marked iegree, but this cutting of the mann- lccount of the unwieidy length of the play. More than one auditor, however. ines and scenes omitted. The cut ing was we'll done; and the continued lctIon not only in its story. but in It's | underlying motive is excellently pre- erved. It Is not probable that bet-