New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-02-08


hoas .........-..... ........... HsrD DsSd smlth
Young Siward. .....,....-.--... 'assins {. 4unDy
4 Doctor Observation-Disclosures. Allan Thomis
Sergeant. Il ssius 4. IumIy
A Porter ....-..........--.....W william 4 kgans
Lady Macie-h................. Miss Allen
GenilenoIiaA -.-.......- Mrs. Aei.last fn sHn
Second With. Maufl ilsee
Figg Nlur,ior-r. ............... Edward kunmerou
Second Murderer. ................ Henley Edu ards
Mes8-ngc-. ...................... Barry McCullum
James X. Hackett last night began
his Shakespearian season at the Cri-
teron Theatre with a performance OF
"Macbeth." Associated with him in the
venture s Viola Allen. With the re-
tirement Of Sothern and Marlowe prom
inently in MIND. last nights audience
stood ready 70 welcome the new COM
binatlon as the success ors OF the old
Eventually, perhaps Hackett and Miss
Allen will establish themselves IN The
positions thus vacated, but 1t IS eX-
tremely unlikely that they Will turn the
trick with Macbeth"
The Hackett Macbeth" is designed
TO meet the popular taste. II Is the anti
thesis the remOtest possible antithesis
of the Ben Greet style. Shakespeare
is subordnated and the mechanical &C
COMMITMENTS are overstressed. The
scenery is beautiful-st times almost
gorgeous The incidental music Is
plentiful. and frequently gayly melodi-
Gus, even during the most tragic
scenes. Hackett. in fact, does not oher
Shakespeare with incidental music, but
music with incidental Shakespeare. The
thunder and lightning, similarly, are
carried to a fine point. The costumes,
the general stage pictures, are all that
the eye could crave.
The acting, with slight exception, is
in keeping with this idea OF making
the play "A rollIcklng musical tragedy.
The music OF Shakespeare blank verse
has been almost entirely replaced by
the music from the orchestra pit. The
reading was for the most part indiffer-
emit; on innumerable occasions the voice
Of a player trailed off into a mean
ingless tumble when the end Of
speech hove in sight.
Racket, in the tremendously difficult
role Of the Thane OF Glamls. sinned
with his company. Ideally suited phys
ically TO the part. he brought out only
one or two of the characters many
sides. Only in his moments OF remorse
was he really satisfactory. AZ these
times one saw the man of imagination,
beset by creatures of the brain. Bu,
in the early part of the play, particu-
larly during the first scene with the
weird sisters. he had recourse to a
falsetto note apparently used for pur-
poses of comedy. Surely, II there is a
role in the worlds drama that cannot
be lightened, it is Macbeth.
hot lot Il
conceived Macbeth a. a folly old soul
was contained in his gay wave OF the
hand as ne entered Lady Macbeth's
presence in the letter scene. Its effect
was 20 quiet the cheering retainers
without, but, as Hackett delivered II,
it meant more than that. II meant:
"Ta-ta, boys see you later" And yet
at this very moment Hsckett had Dun
cans murder in his mind. The line,
Duncan comes here tonight" was
spoken with averted face and such a
rolling Of the eyes that the thought
in his mind was plain. Following such
an advertisement of his intentions, IL
was unnecessary for Lady Macbeth 10
point out the propitiousness Of the
moment.
The bloody thoughts and terrible
speeches Of Lady Macbeth sit but III
upon Viola Allen. She was tender
and loving wife, but she did not COM
pei. Her tone toward her lord was
coaxing one, rather than a command
ing one. Nor was her elocution great
Is above that of the remainder Of the
company. Her principal fault was
tendency toward jerkiness. The line.
Had he not resembled my father as
he slept, | had done T." was spoken
with long pauses after the words re
sembled" and slept" In the sleep
walking scene, however, she did much
to retrieve herself. Here she was
plaintive and pathetic figure, and the
lines of the scene are better suited 70
her than those of the earlier acts. II
she failed 70 send a real thrill across
the footights, il was because OF the
simple fact that the part Is beyond
her.
Paul Everton was as good Bsnquo
as ever twirled a yellow cane at Broad
way and Forty-second Street or played
baseball pool at the Friars' Club.
Scarcely line, no matter what It's CON
tent. but that he followed it with
laugh. The chief In ught in watching
Everton's Banquo was that somehow
one had confused the premieres and
was attending George Cohan's musical
revue. William X. Harcourt, however,
did some real Shakespearian acting as
Macduff. His breakdown, following the
news of the fate of his family. was
real, and he spoke his lines a though
he had some idea Of their meaning.
Charles B. Hanford was at least
gracious Duncan.
The witch scenes savored more Of
musical comedy than anything else.
They were we'll staged, Dut nary good
shudder eliminated from them. There
was a great deal Of laughing and dane
ing around, and a semi-eifective vocal
contrast was secured by having two OF
the creatures played By women and
the third by man.
The programme insisted that the
music used in this production has been
selected from Verdi. Wagner, Saint
Saens. Sir Arthur Sullivan and from
authenticated Scotch airs used IN the
eleventh century" II failed 20 men.
ton Richard Strauss, but II was one OF
his bubbling melodies 70 which Mac
beth died after the tight with Macduh;
Another sprightly tune was played
while Macbeth was engaging couple
of murderers 10 deal with Banquo. TINS
scene. in fact, was played in a spirit OF
pure comedy. The murderers were
pleasant faced fellows, not at all the
sort you would dread to meet on
dark night
Hackett's acting version contains six
teen scenes, and they were handled
with pleasing expedition. He has re-
arranged several scenes and has made
liberal cuts. nearly all Of which are 20
the plays advantage. The ghost OF
Banquo. incidentally, is not used. How
10 manipulate the ghost properly has