The Washington herald., 1911-02-11
LAST NIGHT AT
LOCAL THEATERS
THE BELASCO.
"The Merchant of Venice
By William Shakespeare.
DRAMATIs PERsONAE

salarino. ...... Antonio and Mr. Milano Tide
Gratiano.......J Bassan:u ........Mr Eric Blin
Lorenzo III love with JeBica. Mr.. John Taylo
Shyock. JeE........... ..............Mr. SOther
Tuba Jew. his friend. Albert s. HowSOi
LAuncelot Gobbo. a clown. servant to shylock
Rowland Buckston
Old Goobo. fath-r To LauncelOt...
Malcolm Bradle:
Leonardo, servant to BassSnio
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. MIR. William McCoOmh
Balthasar. servant tn Portia Frederick RolanG
POrta. rch heiress Miss NARROW
Nerissa her waiting maid. Miss Norah Lamsor
JeaSlcA, daughter To Sly
............................Miss Lenre ChippendaI
MaSnticoes Of Venice, officers Of the court Of jus
unf. servants, and other attendants
LadleS IN PoTtia = house
n ..-.:...:.. Misses Wisn, Healy and Coleman
Pages 70 PGrtia. ...............
- Misses Lewis. Bond. and Virginia Well
Serenadc. sung hy Mr.. Taylor and Messrs RADON
Bendtscn, and Robinson.
MUSICIANS .Messrs BiOndi and Blond
SYNOPSIS OF SCENES
Snne-Farty at Venice and partly at Belmont
AH Venice. public place.
Act ll-ScEne l. Belmont. room in Pcrtia
nous. Some .. Shylock's house BY a bridge
Act lli-Socne !. Shylock's house by bridEr
,cthe = Belmont. room in Portals house. Scene
J. rom in Portals hUrse
ACT ~ court of jnsticc
Ace '-Belmont Portals garden with tsrrane.
The legitimacy of Mr.. Z. II. Sothern'
claim to the highest honors the modern
stage affords was again made manifest
a. the Belasco Theator last evening
through his imperSonation of that most
dlfhcult of tragic character roles, tho
vtndict!ve ShyIock. The same increase
in power and greater fullness and uni
formity that marked his Hamlet OF
thIs engagement from his performances
OF previous years was noticeable in his
Interpretation Of the merciless Jew OF
Venice. In makeup and in reading Mr..
Sothern has so strengthened his charac-
tHriEation that it now stands as one of
his finest achievements, and one in which
he may. without injury to himself. face
comparison with any of the great players
who have essayed the role.
1t is doubtful if Shakespeare had any
intent to make of Shylock pitiful figure
The batting of Jews still was a fash
iOnablc pastime in the Elizabethan era
and the poet himself probably would
express utmost surprise to learn that
TO our more humane eyes the bad
Eered, eXeCrated. bounded figure OF
Shylock holds all the elements of pro-
found pathos. The lines in which ShvloCb
~ 'pIIHldnulnBlN ueCl2IfnS tne honorable
suferings of his tribe were put into
his mouth more by way OF bitter Jest
in sense of justice. and in the
court room scene he was undoubtedly ex-
peCted to be the spirit Of fiendish malev-
Olence and despicable revenge.
But in modern times there has been shown
by many great players the truly pathetic
greatness of this role. and it is this phase
of the character that Mr.. Sothern has
emphasized with particular effect. Vim
diCtive as he is, cruelty intent on the
execution OF his pound of flesh for the
qualification of his revenge-still does
tn" ShyloCk OF Mr.. Sothern rise above
tn" sOrdid cruelty Of his purpose and
stand forth as the very incarnation OF
the spirit OF his race. avenginG their
age-Old wrongs. Robbed of his daughter
and his boarded wealth. and with his
general enemies, the Christians repre-
sented in the man within his power, Shy
lock, as played by Mr.. Sothern. seems
nearly to be justified In his fell purpose
so powerfully does this fine player depict
the raging emotions within the perse-
Cuted Jews bosom. 1t Is a masterful
piece OF acting. scholarly in conception
brilliant in technique, and most moving
in its sincere expression of human feel
ing.
Miss MarlOwc offered a Portia whose
physical lovcliness was second only to
her wOndrOus fairness of mind and
spirit. In the speeches to Bassanio dur
ing the Casket scene and in the familiar
quality of mercy speech the tones
tumbled from Miss Marlowe's matchless
throat like strings of many-CoIored
jewels.
There is one Glaring inconsistency that
always weakens the strongest scene in
this play. No POrtia we have seen has
ever had the daring so to disguise her
appearance in the court room scene as
TO admit at least some element of rea-
son in BaSsanios failure to recognize his
lady love in the smooth checked young
doctor of laws Why could not Miss
Marlowe. whose beauty is of such world
wide acknowledgment, afford to mask
her loveliness in this scene by means OF
wig. and perhaps even mustachios. and
so Contrive her bearing and voice as to
present some semblance of a man. Mr.
SOthern and Miss Marlowc have done so
much that is both original and good in
their ShakeSpearean presentations that
one might think they would set aside
tradition to this extent and so greatly en-
hanCe the realism and power of this great
act.
SCenically the production is up to the
high standard set by their Macbeth"
and Hamlet" and as usual the staging
of the action left nothing to be desired
Frederick Lewis was a Charmingly dig
nifed. convincing, Bassanio; Rowland
Blackstone nearly made Launcelot Gobbo
funny; Mr.. Sydney Mather was an i'm
pressive Antonio, and Mr.. John Taylor
made a most attractive Lorenzo. The
Nerissa of Miss Norah Lamison and the
Jessica of Miss Lenore Chippendale were
COmmendable and the remainder Of the
cast struck no jarrinG note to mar the
splendid uniformity of the whole per-
formance. Tonight Washington will see
Miss Marlowe in one of her most appeal
ing roles, the tragic little Capulet maid
wife, in Romeo and Juliet" This after
noon Macbeth" will be repeated.
L R S.