The sun., 1910-01-27
TWELFTH NIGHT" WELL DONE
NEW THEATRE PLAYERS SEEN
Ar THEIR BEST.
Calvert as Sir Toby and GOttschalk as SIR
Andrew ASueeheek Have some New
Comedy In the Cellar Scene-The
Mlrthrul Pitch Is Well. Maintained

mt to open the theatre with Antony and
Cleopatra rather than with Twelfth
Night" Not that the vide spaces OF the
New Theatre are better adapted to com.
edy than tragedy-the contrary being
In fact. the case-but that to fail in comedy
may be merely comic. while to fail in
tragedy is-well. tragic.
IL is not strange that Twelfth Night"
has remained through all the three CEN
turies since it was first enacted the most
popular Of Shakespeare comedies. nor
that 1t still occupies that position. The
spirit or good humorsd mirth which
anlmates 1t is spirit always old and
always young, 1t is spirit Of noltime or
place but OF all times and all places. Shall
low pretension and pomposty are now
as fair marks for the wit and the humor-
is. as ever they were and the love OF
poetry is not dead. though all the poets
may be.
And il Twelfth Night contained no
poetry at all but it's marvellous ballads
Il you'd still be worth while. for there
10 only one:
o mistress mine. where are you roaming,
Oh. stay and hear: your true loves coming,
That can sing both high and low;
Trip no further, pretty sweeting:
Journeys end In lovers meeting,
Every wise mans son doth know.
Nor has anybody ever duplicated:
Then come ana kiss me. sweet and twenty.
Youths stun will not endure.
Sir Henry Irving and Miss Ellen Terry
came pretty near to spelling American
audiences for Twelfth Might by the
magnificence of their general produ ction
and the superb effectiveness of their
and ttot1. But though the memory OF
their achievements may perhaps for the
older generation rob subsequent per
tornances of much OF their effect, that
e no reason for keeping this comedy on
the stage and the New Theatre has done
well and properly to produce it,
Mr.. Louis Calvert, himself an excellent
actor and thoroughly Versed in the hest
oI the elder traditions OF the English
stage is responsible for the tagging of
the present version of the comedy. On
the whole he has done his work excellently.
A pleasant spirit of mirth pervades the
whole performance, probably Just the
spirit its author intended for it and per-
haps the same that enveloped it on that
duced in the Middle Temple in january.
1901, II was the spirit Of the Christmas
revols,; and perhaps that is why Shake
speare gave It its genially informal sub
title OF What You Will" just az Joe
f'gOCi N0oShADCu Ohlc VI inc somewhat
less famous merry go-rounds seen some
years ago at his less dignified temple OF
AFiddle-de-dee.
The version Of the comedy used last
evening was prepared with excellent
Judgment. It's story is clearly told and
nothing essential has been eliminated.
Its scenery painted by several scenic
artists, is rarely beautiful and set in a
spacious mood. The greatest care has
IN FnEa NUytN n
the costumes and the songs are for the
most part set TO real Eli zabethan airs.
There is no use complaining about all
the old Shakespearian giants and giant
esses being dead and gone or old and re-
tired There is still smaller profit in COM
pairing with these elder heroes those dar-
ing asplrants of the modern stage who
have the courage to essay the parts in
which the great have moved. After all,
seeing for themselves even Il they are not
greatly played. And it was trying and
trying again and again that dev eloped the
giante. Nothing short OF positive clown
ing can spoil Hamlet" and nothing less
than gross ssincompetence can uin-Twelfth
Night"
There was no such Incompetence in
last evenings performance, even IL there
was no positive greatness. Mr.. Calvert's
performance as Sir Toby BeIch was by
Tar the highest achievement Of the
figure, a genuine swaggerer but not with
out real courage; q drinker, a brawler, a
rlffian, but all in a fine. large way that
lent dignity to his heroic monkeyshines.
he had an able assistant in the person !
Of Ferdinand Gottschalk as ARdree AgUe- |
cheek. Mr.. Gottschalk may always be |
counted upon for an effective perform
Ance in eccentric comedy. and he did |
not disappoint expectations last evening. |
Both he and Mr. Calvert were deliciously |
both IN thu ChalIaw,
and in their drinking bout in the wine
cellar. Here they were well buttressed
by Jacob Wendell, Jr., as the clown and
by Miss Jessie Busley as Aarid, and their
singing OF the catch Hold thy peace,
thou knave." set the house in gales Of
mirth.
At the end Of this scene a new piece
Of business was introduced. IL con-
listed OF the return OF the clown covered
with a sheet and making ghostly means
trinker. the clown subsequently throw
ing on his disguise and joining in the
shouts OF bibulous mirth that follow.
This proved extremely effective last
svening and it would not be surprising
% see it repeated in forthcoming pro-
AUCTIONS Of the comedy.
Indeed it is only fair to say that both
ls producer and as actor Mr.. Calvert was
he chief mainstay Of performance that
vas on the whole creditable. 1t may he
i've, a trifie toe anxious to make points
md get things, over the footlights, but
hat is a vice which the architecture OF
he house encourages.
In the main it was fine, mellow. ripe
full of authoritative
iumor. The broad comedy Of the play
vas indeed its most effective side,
or the house laughed uproariously at
ii the famous old scenes in which Sir
rohB and A0uecheek participate.
Oswald Yorke essayed the much de-
ired part OF MalUoIio, and therein dared
he lightning The old timers in whose
nemoriss the deeds of the heroic ones
4 stage history still bulk large will not !
are much for his performance. and
indeed there was little OF Elizabethan !
lnality about il.
But Il was a workmanlike performance.
ven IL IL did lack the virility and the
lrgeness of touch that indicate the mas
Or. Mr.. Sothern's impersonation Of this
is the most recent one Of nots
hat American playgoers have seen and
! comparison with that Mr.. YoFke's
erformance does not emerge with great
redit '
Matheaon Lang was the Duke, and he 4