New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-15

| Sir Henry GLiifOTd ..................A. ID. Maglfy
! SIR lhomss Lowell ................... craig Ward
Sir Nicholas Naur Alfred Shirley
/ Thomas Cromwell ....-.............. Douglas K0ss
Griffith Observation-Disclosures. Henry Herbert
Ilut Gentleman .....................Er Eric Snovd1n
Second GENTLEMAN ................ Charles HOs ard
f. Garter hlus az Arms. ..............H u Irving
T surveyor Gerald hamtf
/ serrcaut-at-Auns Arthur Gaskiu
! servant Waller flnge
! a trier .........-. Cecil Nixon
( A Scribe Observation-Disclosures. Frank Arnold
Jester Henry Herbert
J queen katharine ......... Edith Nynnc Matthisou
Anne Bullnl Wiiisits kershsw
4 An old Lady Observation-Disclosures. Maud Milton
Patience .hatheilne SaJfo
With magnfcence in which British
enthusiasm finds justification, Sir Her
bert Tree, probably the most celebrated
Of England's actor managers, last night
produced Shakespeare's "King Henry
VIII" at the New Amsterdam Theatre.
From the standpoint of pageantry, Of
silks and satins and brocades and vel
vets, Of pretentious scenic effects and
kaleidoscope pictures, the production
takes rank as one of the most notable
of recent years. BY system of lavish
costuming and staging, Sir Herbert
lulls one into frequent forgetfulness Of
/ the plays incoheroncies.
It is a matter Of eighteen years since
! this actor was last seen in New York,
and king Henry VIII" was not then
in his repertory. The reports from
London, following its production half
a dozen years ago, coupled with Sir
Herbert's oft-quoted views on his
method Of Shakespearian presentation,
prepared one for performance planned
| largely for the edifcation Of the
/ eye. Making entertainment his first
aim, Sir Herbert has not spared the
/ Shakespearian text. The plays five acts
emerge as three, and the cutting
throughout Is on such a Wholesale
/ order as to confuse one who endeayors
| 10 associate the original text with The
playing version. In addition, the text
has been embroidered with infinite
business, most of which has its pur-
pose in illumning the dialogue.
No one surely would deny Sir Her
bert this privilege of rearranging. The
play is one which it is customary to
/ dismiss lightly as being of that class
whose authorship is hedged by grave
doubts" Such being the case, it need
not be treated with reverence. but 1t
does not follow that all of Sir Her
| bert's changes are for the better. In
| the current version, for example. only
| two scenes. instead of two acts, fol-
/ Low, the deposition of Wolsey. The first
/ Of these shows the dying Katharine;
and IL is during this scene that the
death of Wolsey is communicated 10
4 the audience. Shakespeare placed an
act between these scenes, and the Gar
+ dinals death IN the interval was there-
iore quite plausible.
I Sir Herbert, by juxtaposing the
scenes in a single act. adds TO the
plays dramatic shortcomings. Unless
+ otherwise directed, an audience VIII
d link successive scenes closely together,
from a standpoint OF time. Consequent
+ iv IL seemed highly improbable that
man so robust a few minutes before
could have died so quickly--eVen from
broken heart. Possibly Sir Herbert
could have helped to bridge this chasm
/ nv making the Cardinals breakdown
/ more emphatic in the preceding scene.
Sir Herbert, however, has been frank
"a admit that he has not scrupled 10
sacrifice the play to the necessities OF
/ condensation and pageantry, so IL Is
| LARGELY as spectacle that the production
must be judged.
I'm that respect IL meets every re-
ouirement. There is beauty IN every
one Of the ten scenes, and striking e1-
fects are achieved in three OF them
/ These are the banquet hall in the PAL
ace OF the Cardinal, the hall IN black-
| friars and Westminster Abbey at the
coronation of Anne Bullen. In me
/ frst-namcd, where the masked monarch
first meets Anne, Edward German
rather lugubrious music grows sprignt,
" for a time 10 admit OF dancing ana
/ Notification. This scene, which occurs
at the end Of the first act. IL really
the most dramatic of the play. Inc
brooding Cardinal, ever jealousy
watcbfuI scowls as he observes the
| Kings sudden intimacy with Anne.
/ Katharines downfall impends; Buck
ingham is in the Tower-a dozen SIMS
ter influences are at work beneath the
surface jollity.
The next finest scene. pictorially ond
| dramatically considered, Is the spec
tacle with which the play concludes
tho coronation Of Anne in the Abbey.
| Not having been conceived by snake
| speare, the scene Is wordless. snake
speare merely limited at the coronation
but Tree, like irving, has preferred 10
show il upon the stage. Backed by the
solemn architecture and magnificent
stained glass windows Of the Abbey
windows that were real stained glass,
not an imitation-the multi-coiored
e uayaral hundred npr-
sons in the coronation party form o
superb picture. Henry, regally aloot'
looks down upon the browning OF ms
Queen from a perch aloft. The drama
Of the scene is largely potential; 10
grasp il. one must look ahead te"
wears 70 the day when the head OF Amaze
rolls in the dust by royal command.
The tria hall, at the end OF Act H.
pleased the eye, but II had not the
dramatic power Of the other scenes. A
fine spirit OF gloom pervaded the scene
al the river gate, however, and the
passing of Buckingham was rendered
really impressive.
In assuming the burden OF what he
terms the "Shakespearian Tercentary
Festival" Sir Herbert stepped before
tbe audience as the logical person 20
undertake so formal and formidable an
enterprise. Being the leading actor
manager Of the land of Shakespeare
] nativity, he is well entitled 10 direct
the celebration. Sir Herbert's recep-
ton last night was warm to the point
OF fcrvency and Of character which
eventually brought him before the cur.
tain for an international speech OF
thanks.
II was rather ms manager than as
actor that Sir Herbert scored his great
est success last night. The cares OF
Office have been resting heavily upon