The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-02-21
ADJUSTMENTS

Dundreary - Hamlet Hamlet - Dun
dTeaTyi
What greater range OF characters could
mere De-. ana what greater opportunities
Ior an actor TO show his grasp and his
versa tility2.
E. H. Sothern closed his engagement at
tue Salt Lake theatre last evening with
Hamlet II was wise arrangement
that started with t'Dundrearyr worked up
to "Richelieu'' and closed with Hamlet
Beginning from the other direction would
have meant going from the sublime to the
ridiculous As planned. the engagement
the sublime.
Mr. Sothern has placed his Hamlet be-
tore the public for several years and con-
ssquently II is no new thing Neverthe-
less he has been gaining finish as the
years nave passed, and he is now in
position to challenge comparison with the
greatest OF the actors who have PLAYED
Shakespeare most exacting role BY
common consent Edwin Booth Is placed on
u pedestaI by Himself In this part Tt was
adapted peculiarly to the Temperament of
sooth. and he played it with tremendous
llhehess, magnetism and power. Since
Booth there have been many who have
sought public favor in this most famous
or parts, and few have been worthy of
even passing notice Most of them have
fallen SO far short that they have not
come within shooting distance. Not so
with Sothern. Who is there to name a
candidate challenging Sothern as the
greatest Hamlet since the DAYS of Booth ?
Mr. Sotherr is an example Of the apho-
rlsm that the greatest genius is hard
work He is indefatigabIe Every nodu-
iatiOD. the slightest gesture he makes IN
ms rendition of Hamlet shows applied in
tellect and infinite palms. as well as nat
uIai Soilty Scarcely move of the fin
ger IS unstudied OF uHrehearsed. Yet he
invests 1t all with his personality and
magnetism. and DISCUSSES the study So
that It is unTecognized unless a person is
looking closely.
Mr.. Sothern is a modern Hamlet. Don't
misunderstand this assertion. 1t means
that he has studied Hamlet painstaking-
" and tries to play it so that modern au-
diences can understand thoroughly the
conception of the greatest playwritina.
genius of the ages. He does not rant and
rave and tear. in accordance with the old
fashoned IDEAS of portrsying Shakes
peare. Why efhe actors of other DAYS
should DO this and claim to study Shakes
peare is inexplicsbe for wha. could be
further from Hamlets ADVICE to the play
eTs, undoubtedly inspired by many weary
Tehearsals? Mr.. Sothern. on the othe-
hand. follows religiously the advice 10
% erstep not the mod esty of nature for
anything SO overdoue is from the purpose
OF playing. whose end. both at the first
and now, was, and is. to hold as 'twert.
the mirror up to nature
Mr. Sothern Is true student of Shakes
peaTe. and he makes a living breathing
human Hamlet Shakespeare wrote for all
ages and conditions. and his character
drawing is just as true today i'm the er.
OF trust promotions. airships and machine
guns as it was in the days of satin
breeches, blunderbusses and rapiers Ham,
let acted much as a man of similar tenn
permanent under similar conditions today
would act. This is evidently Mr. Soth-
ems conception, and he carried out the
idea with the infinite detail OF which he
is capable.
Be it said that Mr. Sothern emphasizes
the position taken by the vast majority
OF modern critics-that Hamlet was not
insane. but feigned madness to suit his
vengeful purpose. Sothern wears lunacy
merely as a mask, to be thrown off from
time to time when his ends do not re-
quire the disguise Especially is this true
in the scenes with Horatio. wherein he
constantly turns to his bosom friend in
natuFalness. with the taeit understand
ing that Horatio appreciates his posi-
ton.
Hamlet is Sothern's masterpiece He is
adapted by temperament and stage pres
ence to the part. but, what is more i'm
poTtant than either he has the intellect
to comprehend and the industry to work
out his conception. There is no Hamlet
on the stage today who can compare with
him, and there are but few In stage his
tory.
The production as 2 whole sustains the
Sothern reputation for mounting and
choice Of players Some of the settings
are especially well wrought. while the
company maintains a high standard.
The women members did not show to
such good advantage as the men The
part of Ophelia requires genius for ade-
quate portrayal Virginia Hammond has
youth and personal appearance in her
favor, and she works hard. but il is un-
fortunately true that she does not come
within wireless telegraph hailing distance
of the role in its perfection.
Miss Gladys Hanson again shows q
combination Of natural ability with anna
teuTish crudeness. She has a splendid.
melodious. strong and gripping voice at
II active personality and real magnetism
Yet she is SO awkward on the stage as to
be almost painful. A little schooling