The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-10-30
ADJUSTMENTS
Forbes Robertson

It is a rare privilege to see theatrical performance that is already a part of
 stage history. such as that of Forbes
 Robertson at the Jefferson theatre last night in Hamlet It is conceded that the eminent English actor is without a peer in the character of Hamlet and his superlative genius has made his portrayal of the part one of the great achieve ments of histrionic art one that will live and keep his fame imperishable There is no actor, with the exception of Forbes Robertson, who has ever been deemed an equal to Booth in presenting Hamlet and
 by many who have seen both actors, the performance of Forbes-R Robertson is thought superior to that of Booth.
 The Jefferson was filled last night with an audience that taxed the capacity of the theatre, drawn by the lure of a great actors name and the promise that he
 would appear in the part on which his fame chiefly rests. And everyone there, from the late purchasers of tickets who were glad to get seats in the gallery. to those fortunate ones who were first in line at the box office when the sale opened, paid homage to the superb acting of Forbes Robertson. His musical voice, which he uses with matchless art, his per- vasive magnetism, his cleanly chiseled features the mirror of countless emotions, and his complete mastery of a role which calls for extraordinary gifts in it's in- depreciation, were the component parts of performance that will never be for gotten by anyone who saw it.
 Savants may quibble over Hamlet's san ity and bool<worms dissect every speech
 he makes, but the fact remains that one cannot resist the tremendously human ap- peal in Forbes-Robertson' impersonation, in which all the charm of Hamlet Is revealed, along with the deep undercur- rent of tragedy that is sweeping him on to the plays bloody conclusion The play is one that reaches the profoundest depths and any portrayal of Hamlet that does not sound these abysses of thought Is a failure. Therein lies the true greatness of Forbes Robertson. He gives Ham, let soul.
 Miss Cowie, with her youth and beauty and her histrionic ability, was an admir- able Ophelia--not a great Ophella, per haps, but nearly so She was particu- larly moving in the mad scene, in which she excelled Even the ripe powers of Julia Marlowe could not have done 1t bet ter s. A. Cookson's Horatio was sin cere and exceptionally well acted. He showed himself an eminently pleasing and finished actor. Ian Robertson as Polon- ious was another member of the com pany who deserves the highest commen- dation. The humorous possibilities of the part were fully realized by him and ably |. presented. As the first grave digger, H Athol Forde did choice bit of acting which stood out prominently. George Hayes as Laertes wsss rather disappoint- ing, although he did conscientious work, and the parts of the King and Queen, taken by Walter Bingham and Marion Grey, were as we'll presented as they usually are. MT. Bingham being some- what above the average. In fact, 1t Is quite impossible to surround star with a company capable of acting all Shake spearean roles as they should be acted, and whatever shortcomings there may be are soon forgotten under the spell of such an artist as Forbes Robertson.
 At the Jefferson
 The management of the Jefferson thea ire announces an engagement of unusual interest to all music lovers of this vi- cinity, in the DeKoven Opera company which opens on Monday for stay of three nights and Wednesday matinee in Robin Hood" which for years has been conceded the funniest and most tuneful comic opera ever written.
 "It Pays to Advertise"
 "It Pays to Advertise is one of the brightest best acted. and most enJoy- able plays that Conan and Harris have produced in the past ten years Written by Roi Cooper Megrue and Walter Hac- kett the farce ran for 52 solid weeks at the George M. Conan theatre. New York, where t made an enviable reputation as laughing success. It seomes Thursday matinee and night.
 In 'Tt Pays to Advertise the authors have dramatized phrase that Is known to everyone who reads the newspaper or magazines. and have done 1t cleverly. They have written crisply and wittily of things that might happen to everyday persons, and in way that everyone can understand. There is nothing nfgn brow about "It Pays to Advertiser neither is there anything low brow. But just the same it is a very human and most in- teresting farce that keeps its audiences in state of nearly constant laughter ell the time the curtain is up