The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-05-27
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| To him who viewed the Sothern-
Marlows production of THE Tanning
of the Shrew," In the Garrick theateT
Thursday night came an overpowering
sense of the Joy Of living in this good,
good age, also, a sharp realization OF
that oft-stated fact that Shakespeare
was a prophet for all the future, and
| wrote for all time. For under the mod
ern handling Of those eminently mod
ern, and intensely human actors,
/ Sothern and Marlowe, the play Is re-
yealc.i as a farce OF this time and age
and for this time and age. with all the
dash and ginger, and ribald hilarity
that a twentieth century farceur
might inject into q play to reach tho
appreciation of this giddy, boisterous,
40-horse-power day.
One tried to imagine the same lines,
read and acted by the serious-minded,
old-fashioned "play-folk" OF Shake
speare's own day, with the modern
piouancy, sauciness and dash left out,
and the very idea caused one to emit
a grateful sigh, and to settle down to
/ chuckle and laugh, and be entertained.
There Is no suggestion of dusty book
shelves, no reminder OF the fact that
/
truchio becomes real, throbbing with
life, dynamic energy, and wild humor,
while Katherine, the Shrew, Is
woman OF today, exercising all OF the
finished, twentieth century arts OIL
coquetry In vain effort against sur
render to her masterful, II terribly
erratic spouse.
There was many q nod, and gesture
and sidelonS glance from the wonder
fully expressive Marlowe eyes, that
in themselves, modernized the play
One felt that the playgoers OF Shake
spears's day had missed much In not
seeing how the terrible Shrew could
be played, without loss. by q winsome
actress like Marlowe.
Il was equally difficult to mentally
place an actor Of the Elizabethan vim
tage, In the place Of the raging Pc
truchio of Sothern, who stamped and
swore and sulked and cracked his
eyer.ready whip ut his menials. but
always with an interpolated humorous
! background which revealed wise
llikeable man who was going to have
peace IL he had to fight for IT,"
Mr.. Sothern at all times held the
center of the stage. The play re
yolyed entirely around HIS entrances
But the task Of showing just how i'm
portant a foil could become, was the
duty that fell to Miss Marlowe, and
needless to say, she more than mel
the requirements. So subtle was the
Marlowe Interpretation, as the charac
ter ran through the gamut Of human
emotions, that one almost wished thai
shakespeare, when he was writing the
MAY for Marlowe and Sothern, accord
ing to the prophetic plan OF his i'm
mortality, had given US more oppor
tunity to see her In her different
moods.
The record of the Marlowe-Sotherr
productions makes II superhuous &c
add that the supporting players were
all excellent In their parts, and thai
the scene settings were Of an ordel
scarcely permitting Of Improvement
Rowland Blackstone. as Grumio, Pc
. truchio's comical, fat servant, prob
ably received the majority Of the
scraps Of conversation not given u
the two leading characters. His wai
an intelligent, intensely amusing rem
dition, with facial expressions which
spoke volumes.
William Harris, as Baptista, fathe
Of the Shrew, also gracefully accept
ed his few opportunities to slip ;
word into the general upheaval. Mis-
Norah Lamison, as Blanca, who ha'
nothing much to do except to lool
pretty and demure, In contrast to he
fiery sister, and Frederick Lewis, a
Lucentio, her lover. with about AZ
equal amount OF work, gave thei
small contributions toward the gen
eral perfection of the production, II
praiseworthy style.
IIuNIpv rom pI.AQQ