The Washington times., 1909-02-23
Mantell Engagement In
cludeS Nine Noteworthy d,
Tragic Plays.
LARGE AUDIENCE
GREETS VETERAN
Old School Acting Gives Pleasure
in Lady of Lyons" and
Macbeth.

All Nll6d[GUDeuI OF NlOe-fG-t NlfE ed
N'ational value vas inauGurated at the
National Theater yesterday 10y Mr.
Robert Mantell. In fic course of the
week this experienced actor VIII pre-
sent nine classic plays-''The Lady OF
Lyons and Macbeth" being acted
yesterday; king Lear" tonight; The
Merchant Of Venice" and Hamlet, ."
Wednesday; "Richelieu Thursday:
Louis XI." Friday. and Romeo and
Juliet" and Richard H." Saturday
The repertoire thus comprehends the
highest achievements in all the range
of tragedy.
According 10 the older standards Of
acting and according to any standards
OF literature, these nine performances
give high character to the local theatri-
cal season. And those older standards
OF the stage are not unworthy of watch
ful and respectful attention from the
most advanced naturalist OF this latest
theatrical generation. They include
fun use Of the voice as a means of
musical speech; a certain grace Of pos
tuFe, and motion which centuries of
realism could not produce; a fine infiec-
ton OF the poetry Of the text; the
fruition being a representation Of per-
Sonality marked by dignity and renec-
tive of beauty, even though it be IN
like. all unidealized human nature since
the world began.
Mr. Manten has given his life to
fulfllment of these earlier methods. The
tools have become familiar 10 his use.
Surprise is indicated by a high raising
OK the brows; modesty by a deprecatory
wave of the hand shoulder high; shame
by dropping of the head on the breast;
deep emotion by vocal tones correspond
ingly deep, or 10y a defamation which
in the actual life then being portrayed
would rouse the countryside, or by
shake in the voice like the pulsing OF
bobbin in a sewing machine Generally
speaking, these indications of the inner
self are fitted TO all characteTs-tJ
Claude MelnOtte and to -MalvoliO the
elder GobbO and the Corsican Brothers
alike.
A Sort Of illustrated Reading.
In the end, the effect Of all this is 10
give liveliness and impressiveness to a
text. 1t is a sort of illustrated reading
The ultimate of it is spoken literature.
not a revelation Of personality in which
words are not more impO; tant than as
sumed tricks of gesture, or initiated
standings Of tone, or Photographic re-
production of the action OF Everyday
life sometimes in absolute silence
The great actors OF earlier days have
been great in spite Of these standards
not because Of them. Betterton, Gar
rick our own Booth were so near the
naturalism OF this day by intuition that
all the ranting and guttering TO which
they could be trained did not altogether
despoil their acting. And this state
ment Of a fact long known 10 all stu
dents sf the drama need not even 50
be taken as a razinR Of idols. Because
the change now being wrought in his
trionic art has its counterpart i'm music
in sculpture, IN literature, and is only
later expression of the movement ia
painting which began with Constable
and has now come 10 Turner, Whistler.
and Claude Monet
The two plays acted by Mr. Mautell
yesterday give special point 10 this com
ment Claude Melnotte is an artist in
France, young, buoyant, plebeian, res
olute- Macbeth is patrician Scotsman.
niddle-aged, dominated by a woman, q
soldier. and ruler reaching out for
power. rather than a dreamer and sen
fmentallst. and uncertain Yet the
chlef dinerenCe between the impersona-
tons OF these two chara cters by Mr.
Aantel yesterda y-impersonations which
HN
most worthy achievements-w that
the extremes OF elocution were the
more drawn upon for Shakespeare than
Sor Lord LyttOn.
Yet, 1t is an auguTy Of good for our
sage that yesterday two audiences
one OF more than moderate size and tie
other larger than that Of the usual sue
ceSsful musical COmedy-vieWed these
TWO performances with manifest pleas
IRE Stlf and unnatural as The Lady
% Lyons may he. II is. nevertheless
expressive Of honest faith i'm human
aature and its stilted speeches have
Pet a marked poetic beauty. Macbeth. 90
The shortest OF Shakespeare PLAYS.
and evidently much fnutilatcd is de-
ever gay n as n was acted last night
saw II very much as its author con
coived IL for his fellow subjects OF
James /. even though 70 was not the
expression OF an that a more natural
art might reveal
IN MI MantollS company three actors
made distinctly favorable Impressions
The first OF them was Miss Marie Booth
ltlssell, y no, in the one dav cuc0n-
passed the cloyiuc Pauline Of ..THa
Lady Of Lyons and the dominant Lady
Macbeth. acting both roles with discrc-
ION. and the latter with uncxDocted
spirit and power. Fritz Iicbcr the
Macd'f Of the second play and HE
BeaUseant Of the first. was much ap-
p'aUded In both and deserved his favor
especially I'm Macbeth. The third of the
bert Hales. and with him should bc men
Toned also Miss Lillian klngsburv WI
liam A. Brady has mounted the one
play eNccllentlv and the other more than
scceptaby ALLEN u. ALBERT tr