Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-16

--HEN Robert Mantel was at the
VAY Boyd five years ago, he gave
!" much occasion for adverse crit
49, lcism. some OF which was ex-
IS1YLSSI pressed In this department OF
l The Bee. For this reason, 1t
for no other. IL Is a real pleasure to attest
the excellence Of Mr.. Mantells perform
arces in Omaha during the week, when he
gave four OF Shakespeare's tragedies at
the Boyd. Not that MIR. Mantell has at
tanned perfection, or that he lie no longer
open to critical comment. but he has
Travelled a long way on the road to great
ness. and has much more foundation for
his claim than he had at the time Il was
first put forward for him by his press
agent. In the beginning he had taste Of a
discriminating character, intelligence and
ambition. And these have led him upwards,
as they must, till he has come much nearer
his goal than Il appeared he would. For
the present he Is wrestling nightly with
such a task as only a strong man sets for
himself. To present one after another four
OF Shakespeare's most important plays is
an undertaking of no mean size, and when
this Is considered along with the further
fact that he presented at least two others
at Kansas City Just before he came to
Omaha, and that only one day of rest in
tervened. some idea Of the repertory
achieved by Mr.. Mantell may be had. To
intelligently portray the varying roles Of
Othello. Richard Ill. Macbeth, Hamlet,
Romeo and Lear in succession, as did Mr..
MGntell In successive performances, giving
TO each character its distinctive qualities
of person and manner is excuse for claim
70 ability, even without having actually
succeeded In giving either Of the parts
the dfgffuntion that warrants fba rupad nf
greatness" And this he did do.
%
In all ways Mr.. Mantell shows strength
and authority In his representations. He
has the confidence Of ease, without the
appearance OF assurance. and clearly estab-
fishes his conception OF the part he has In
hand, so that Il carries with It conviction
in its definittve outlines. SO far as his
Omaha engagement is concerned. his most
impressive work was done as Hamlet. To
this, most difficult of roles he brings no
especial effort at new reading, nor does
he slavishly follow in the path OF tradi-
ticn. Perhaps his most marked departure
from Hamlets of other days is his abandon
ment Of the melancholy phase of the
role. He does not abate the sorrow OF
Hamlet for his murdered father, nor in any
way lessen his determination to be re.
Venged. once he Is able to justify his sus'
picions. The purpose of Hamlet's quest
is kept fair and full in view, but his pro.
gress through the plays action is not made
funereal nor even lugubrious. Mr.. Mantel
is quite convinced that Hamlet was merely
shaming insanity, and that behind thl:
mask he hid his real mind. The one grea'
scene, on which such a conclusion nigh.
be predicted, is omitted from the version
used. II is that In which Rosencranz anC
Guilderstern undertake to sound the mlnC
of the unhappy prince, and into which OLE
Polinius interjects himself. This is
really pretty scene, and in a measure L
pivotal for the plot. When omitted, /
must yet be borne in mind, IL the cours
of the drama Isl to be inteIigently followed
and that is why one wonders that the les
important scene of the king at his prayer
is not sacrificed. Hamlet easily confound
the courtlers and thwarts their attempt
to draw him out, and then, when tn
amiable and garrulous old chamberlal
undertakes to quiz him, he assumes tn
air OF a eracked-brained fellow, and cor
vlnces Polonlus Of his lunacy. "I'll fool hr
to the top of his bent, says PoloniuI
little realizing It Is he who is being fooled
As the old gentleman had before OF
served, IF this be madness, then ther
is method in It,"