Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-13

Horatio, a friend to Hamlet. ,.......
The Ghost Of Hamlet's Father.....a.
.......u...... Mr., George Stillwcn
Polonius, Lord Chamberlain
Cladius. King Of Denmark. ....
Mr.. Henry Fearing
Laertes, Son Of Polonius: .."."..":.,,
Ro2encrantz. .........Mr Cassius Ferguson
Guildenstern ............ Mr.. Oscar Pfefferle
Anothor NJ VARY Kearns
An officer ...........Mr Frederick Baldwin
A Gravedigger ..........Mr. Edward Levers
Osrica a Courtler ......Mr. Howard Bartz
a Priest ..I........,..Mr George ANDERSON
Ophelia ..........Miss Marie Booth Russell
Gertrude ...,.......M Miss Genevteve Reynolds
The Player Queen.
......"........ Miss Agnes Elliott Scott
Aside from other considerations, the per-
formance Of Hamlet Is a tour de force
of sufficient note to challenge wonders
for more than three hours the star Is COM
PEELED to be on the stage, save for brief
intervals, which do not permit him to rest
or recover himself. dominating the action
at ali times, frequently delivering himself
Of soliloquial discourses OF considerable
length, and always leading the CONVEX
sation. 1t Is in many ways the most exact
ing role ever essayed by man in the mimic
world OF the theateT, and II Is not a matter
for especial wonder that as yet no one man
has appeared who has embodied in him
self the whole of the qualities that must
go to make up the ideal Hamlet. An
other formidable opposition the actor must
overcome Is the prejudice in the minds OF
those who are sitting in judgment on him.
No play has been more written of or dis
cussed, none has been more studied by the
public, and none has been enacted in more
different ways than this, and the varying
conceptions Of the character of Hamlet are
as numerous as the minds that are capable
Of forming a opinion. 1t is therefore a
courageous as well as an ambitious actor
who essays the part these days, when fame
may be much more easily snatched from
the stage. Some actors have been dubbed
popular favorite' merely because they can
screw their face into grimace somewhat
different from any other before achieved.
Mr.. Mantell must have felt III of this
when he added the play to his repertory.
He is too experienced an actor not to
have known that in his undertaking he was
challenging the combined experience of
all the past and present, and to some ex-
tent, the future. Of American patrons of
the theater. But he also knew that no
actor may hope to say he has actually
won his crown of greatness In the serious
purpose of the stage till he has at least
given a satisfactory performance of Ham
let" And Mr.. Mantell does more than
this. He gives a most impressive and even
an authoritative performance of the great
role. Using the Booth manuscript of the
play, with the setting suggested by that
really great Hamlet, Mr.. Mantell, has In
a large way preserved the Atmosphere
of the Booth production. and it is no
stretch of flattery to say that in many
points along the progress of the play one
did not have to imagine much to see Booth.
A similarity in methods of expresslon; per-
haps, the traditional Hamlet has fallon
into hard and fast lines on these points,
and yet as onespasses in review memories
of all of the best and most OF the worst
OF actors who have given the character
life on the American stage for more than
thirty years, this conclusion falls before
the varying methods of treatment INDUCED
by the different actors, and the statement
will carry weight Of a complimentary
nature. ..,so
Mr.. MantelTs Hamlet is more like that
of the late Edwin Booth than any now
recalled. And IL is not a mere replica; in
the quieter passages, where the studious
Hamlet wrestles with his fate and pond
ers over the task set before him, Mr..
Mantell Is most convincing, and therein
most resembles Booth. But a serious ear
nest purpose permeates the actors effort
from first to last, and while 1t may be
that he does not invariably achieve the
exact effect he aims at, this does not
lessen the value of his conception or
presentation of the role. has
that quality that will offer forever to the
student of the drama some new and elu-
sive element so long as 1t is followed as
worthy Of study. So to the actor, 1t af-
- -.HA 49,
new and untried avenues OF expression, and
along many of these the way is so tempt
ing that 1t almost amounts to the ''prim-
. rose path of dalliance." But Mr.. Mantell
has eschewed exploration for the most
: part, and contents himself with climbing
the 'thorny road" that leads straight over
many difficulties to success.
= If one were to pick out for especial praise
!. a few of his most excellent points. judg-
ment turns to the scene with the queer
k mother after the play scene, to the scene
a with Ophelia, following the soliloquy, and
e to the scene with Horatio In the grave
% yard. All the way along, though, tn
n progress of the play is marked by sucl
excellence that one might name a dozei
points equally deserving OF praise II an!
10 adverse criticism is to be INDUCED, it viii
% lodge against the close Of the second act
winch ID just a ~ wv AOASs ~
the best effect, giving the impression tina
/ ramatic is sacrificed to theatric value.
Miss Booth is a charming Ophelia; MI
r. Lindsey an excellent Horatio, and M
Lieber a fine Laertes. Mr.. Artings a
times shows a full grasp IOf Polonlus, an
at other times fails to understand what
OF required Of him. The same is true of M
Fearing in his Claudius. Mr.. Levers
OF a capaltal Gravedigger, and Miss Reynold
ce ufts the queen we'll above the plane b
" her excellent judgment in her trying scenes
IN The play Is superbly mounted, and gair
quite a little because of the most artist
background against which its pictures al
projected.
nd Omaha folks apparently do not care g
Ill much for Hamlet" as for Macbeth, !" Il
Dy the theater was rather sparsely settled la
night. Yet those who did gather wei
amply repaid, and gave to Mr.. Mantell an
: his associates the most earnest expressio
= of their approval. Romeo and Juliet
the matinee today. and King Lear tn
evening close the engagement.
Acquire the habit of keeping on hand
bottle OF Chamberlain's Cough Remedy ar
save anxiety. There Is nothing better Il