The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-15

Heroert beerbohm Tree, associated
with Klaw & Erlanger. made last night
at the New Amsterdam Theatre a pro.
duction Of "Tfenry WILL" which is less
familiar here than some OF the other
plays or shakespeare. The performs.
ancc. were II not intended as the f,rss
OF a series to honor the tercentenary Of
the poet. might nave seen ed a more or
less Inappropriate selection. since there
Is so little of Shakespeare In the play.
But the English actor has nae notable
success with the play in his own coun-
Try. lie treats II as n pageant, which
resulted In some brilliant scenes on the
stage last night. The apotheosis ~ the
piece he makes the coronation in Vest
minister Ashley instead Of the christening
Of Queen Elizabeth In the palace. This
Is preceded by the vision OF Katherine
at kimbolton. another well designed
scene.
The version OF the chronicle play acted
who has divided it's three acts Into
eleven scenes. The first act consists OF
a scene In a cloister. the council chamber
In the palace and the %banpueting hail
Of Wolsey. Act RI. opens with the incl
dents on the street in Westminster and
Is successfully followed by the Or'el
Gallery In King Palace. the Pleasaunce
~ "liiuS'E hib INV HENdN u a.
Blackfriars. Here the arrangement OF
the scenes does no, differ from the usual
versions acted. The third act. closing
with the p~ageantry Of the coronation Of
the new queen. Is opened with the Pleas
aunce again. shows a council am
n as an antepenultimate episode
shows the death OF katherine at KIM
bolton as "A contrast to the splendor Of
the Westminster tableau.
Other Productions OF the Play.
Since Henry Irving and Ellen Terry
played Wolsey and Katherine at the
knickerbocker Theatre in 1894 there had
been no hearing Of the drama until
last night. Its nne theatric qualities
In spite Of the little OF the genius OF
shakespeare that Ia in II always kept
tho play popular. however. with
actors OF O former generation. They
seem to have revelled in It's fine speeches
and it's rhetorical possibilities. The
English actors who visited this country
in the last century rarely failed to ap-
pear In II. Charles william Macready
acted the Cardinal and 90 did Charles
Kean, while his wife played Katherine
Of Ardgon. .
Charlotte Cushman was accustomed
to appear alternately as WoLsey and as
Katherine. while Fanny Janauschek fire.
. QutlIN uulAllS tax "i'''
American career acted Katherine. John
Mccullough used occasionally TO act
W'olsey. and Edwin Booth had the part
in his repertoire, although II is not one
connected closely with his greatest
achievements as an actor.
When Helena SIodjeska at the Garden
Theatre played Xdthcrine In New York
a year before Ellen Terry was mrs, seeh
in the part. Otis Skinner played the
King. Genevieye Ward. who has just re-
turned TO the stage in Londo at the ripe
aye OF IS, wa another noted Katherine
of the day in which there were MOI. only
actors but a public for the pla!S Of
Shakespeare. 1t may interest the old
timers to recall that Charles Couhock
was seen as WOIscy among the first roles
he acted here.
Trce's Advancement 81 the Piece.
Herbert Tree has omitted the refer
erces TO the Reformation and curtailed
mercifully the long speeches OF Ruckin0-
ham, Tho chronicle plays need suc.i
condensation, since they are
now but a picture OF a remote past 20
the theatregoers occasionally allowed
TO witness them. Before thc pubic FOR
which they were written there was still
/, a keen and lively interest in history
that had peer made only "a few genera
llblS DNIplo Ni'F' go '''
p,ay. The %grandiose progress OF these
|, pieces makes them interesting to auditors
> to-day and they are not so engross!ng
Z ~ historical documents. To our fathers
, they were valuable as displaying the
/. virtuosity OF the actors. who were esti'
: mated by the skill with which they de-
|, iivercd the mselves of the parade pieces
in these dramas.
what came between these famous
!, passages by which an i~mpersonation In
those days was to stand or fall was
more or less negligible. So nobody will
I quarrel with the English actor for con-
dens!ng the scenes In king Henr!
= VIII" As it Is, there ran he no criti-
clsm that too little OF the piece sur
wives. It began last night at 5 and
r continued until after midnight.
Sir Herbert Trees production OF the
a play last night succeeded In interesting
=. the large audience in most of its scenes
The p%ageantry Of the performance
reached its height in the coronation ant
at Wolsey's revels at Hampton Court
Then there was "A fnc sense Of space II
> the Blackfriars Hall. hut every one Of
= these scenes must have been much more
: attractive at any earlier period. In COS
tuning there was adequacy suiiicient Il
Great illusion, Shakespeare Is evidentl!
lone al His Majesty's Theatre In the ole
fashioned way 80 scenic beauty Is oh
talnpu AT tUe toH W - "N'''''
" There we're long waits between thu
scenes. There IL already the knowledg'
among those who have seen tho occa
sionaI efforts at producing Shakespeare
in another way that more rapid actor
with less thought OF investiture Is In
d Gn,tely more satisfying to the lovers o
the poets plays. Perhaps this NOR
q modern manner would be OF less ava
in the case Of "King Henry VIII sine
40 little of the dialogue " worth listen
ing TO. spectacle OF perhaps n a
ion may be Indispensable here.
The acting varied In qualify ;,
Herbert Tree played Wolscy with hi
usual unfaillng pictorial effect. Then h
denoted the polish and craftiness. tn,
ambition and determination OF the prizes
|. with consummate skill. or course an.
y range OF vocal dynaInics IL beyond hi
EXPRESSION 40 there was the inevitable
monotony In this particular. His down
fail was portrayed with a sense OF touch
" ing resignation that lacked only the feel
ing which some indication OF his emo
n tionsl state In his voice might have con
= vsyed. Even In his hour OF triumph ther
~ was no Indication OF the overwhelm
y irg power by which the prelate ha'
\. nut and could keep himself on the SAM
level ~ his king. His movements an
his gestures with the flowing draperie
!, Of scsr1et kept him . dominating hgur