Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1912-10-25
MANTELL' ART AS
HAMLET SUBLIME
Entire Support Gives Admirable
Rendition of Shakespeare's
Masterpiece at Shubert's.

A play is one thing; an event an
other. Hamlet" at Shubert's last
night rose to the height of an event.
Robert Mantell, as Shakespeare $
immortal melancholy prince, outdid
himself and won round after round
of applause.
This was doubly merited because
not only was his own acting fully up
to the standard set by Shakespeare
himself In the famous directions
given by Hamlet to the player, but
because each member of his support
displayed rare histrionic ability,
coupled with a sympathetic apprecia-
ton of all the subtle meanings of
the wonderful play.
Magic of whispered Words.
In the scene wherein Hamlet plans
to trap the king into a betrayal of
his secret of murder Mantell utters
eleven words in a whisper: THE
plays the thing to catch the con-
science of the king Never, perhaps,
in performance, were whispered
words so effectively used. They
thrilled and served admirably to at
tune the audience for the tragic
scenes that were to follow.
And once again, in the play. did he
whisper words of sublime import:
1.-THE rest is silence Hamlet's final
utterance when he is dying from the
wound inflicted by Laertes.
Emphasis Works Wonder.
The soliloquy, ITO be or not to be,
that is the question" was rendered
in a manner which seemed to give it
a new meaning. Most actors have
emphasized the demonstrative pro-
noun that Mantell puts the stress
upon the word Question In the
former case the meaning is that there
are but two alternatives, namely, Ito
be- or, by ending ones life, mot to
be-" Whereas. by emphasizing the
word question" Hamlet implies that
there is a third alternative; in other
words. that 1t is questionable whether
suicide is merely decisive of exist
ence or non-existence. And that this
version is the one which Shakespeare
had in view is made clear a moment
later by the exclamation: What
dreams may come when we have
shuffied off this mortal coil must give
us pause"
Importance of Trife.
The peculiar infection of one word
rather than of another may seem
trifle, but it is precisely by such
xxyln h.
er or not he has a true conception of
the part he is playing; and, judged
by this standard, 1t Is safe to say
that Mr.. Mantell stands ac the PIN
nacle of his profession.
Miss Florence Rockwell was
sweet, sympathetic Ophelia; Miss
Genevieve Reynolds a noble queen.
absolutely ideal.
Brigham RoyceIas the king merits
especial mention OF. account of the
wonderful clearness of his enuncia-
tion, which was observable likewise
in Alfred Hastings as the grave
digger, and in John Burke, the ghost.
Indeed, the ghost, commonly made a
secondary figure and left TO the ten
der mercy of mediocre players, be-
came truly majestic parsonage in
the hands of Mr.. Burke.
If Mr. Mantell's presentation OF
Hamlet" has any shortcoming at all
1t must be sought In his enunciation.
Now and then he showed tendency
to slur words. This, however, con-
sidering the bell-lilSe music of his
voice, was scarcely noticeable, and
certainly did not detract from the
audiences perfectly clear understand
ing of the worlds greatest dramatic
masterpiece.
Something TO Censure.
Unstinted praise of merit without
censure of defects were rank flattery.
Mr.. Mantel himself would not want
this. Be 1t said. therefore, that he
seems to forget that Hamlet is