New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-18
Drama
Robert Mantell Gives Vigor-
Gus and Lively Perform
ance of Hamlet
By HAYWOOD BROUN.

The only trouble with Shakespeare Is
his friends. II Rolfc. Hudson, Kit
rcdgc and the rest would let him speak
for himself a Little more he would do
nicely. Ever "The ziesield Follica'
might find difficulty in bearing up un-
der the burden Of an appendix and cx-
tcnsiyc footnotcs. VIII Rogers would
not be half so funny # savants insisted
on arguing whether he was crazy or
merely acted that way on purpose.
The dramatic rights Of William
Shakespeare will revive only when ms
PLAYS arc taken out Of the schools and
colleges. They have been studied TO
death. Why can't the next generation
Of Americans be allowed 70 see the
plays Of Shakespeare first ana study
them afterwards?
Little Rollo ought 20 discover
Hamlet" in the theatre IN single eve
ming filled with green lights and ghosts
and sword play and trumpe3 and
poison. He might then grow up 90
like Shakespeare fully as well as Eu-
gene Walter or Bayard WELLER. The
press agent Of "The Thirteenth Chair
asked the dramatic critics not 90 tell
the plot Of the melodrama, "a he was
afraid IL would spoil the interest o.
subsequent audiences. Isn't Il just as
true that Hamlet" would be much
more exciting if every last soul IN the
theatre didn't know how it came out?
And what chance would the average
popular success have If the people
knew all the good lines by heart?
Shakespeare fares even worse than
that Lines over which he chuckled
in the writing have lived, but Bartlett
is also filled with the most straight
away expository phrases. Shakes
peare didn't write Something IS rot
ten in the state Of Denmark" for pos
terity. but merely because he needed
it in his plot.
There is plenty OF suspense IN Nam
tells productions of Shakespeare, be-
cause one never knows what viii come
out. Shakespeare should cry out IKE
Cesar as his last friend cuts nlm'
However. cuts are necessary IN Ham
let" and the producer takes no un-
warranted liberties, a. he did with
"The Merchant of Venice.
Critical opinion Of New York has not
been altogether fair to Robert b. Man
tell. It discovered long time ago
that he was not great actor, and I'M
mCdidtely some SET MN uV"h % =" 80
actor. There seems to be a deluslon
that anybody who plays Shakespeare IS
either a genius or joke. nat IL no'
true. Shakespeare may be played pretty
well. New York should have seen
enough of Sir Herbert Tree 70 know
that Mantell is better. He 10 a well
trained actor. with one OF the really
fine voices of our stage, and good blank
verse is spirited and admirable when
he reads it. To our mind, he falls
short Of the supreme requirements oniy
in a lack of grace and tendency 10
depart from the advice OF Hamlet NM
self when he said: DO not saw the arr
too much with your hand lie 49, or
course. a somewhat sturdy and mature
Prince of Denmark. The actor was AZ
his best last ight in the play-wltnln-
a-play scene, which he carried or with
much spirit. All in all, it was a salts
factory performance.
No one but the star distinguished
! himself last night, but II you have a
! good Hamlet not much else Is required.
! Ophel!a is not important and Polonius
/ is too good part TO suffer damage IN
any hands. They did some devlllsh
queer things with the lights last night;
( but. no matter, the show was exciting.
! II is. we might say, almost as thrilling
| as "The Knife" Unfortunately, we
were compelled to leave a little before
the end Of the performance on account
Of the lateness of the hour. We hope
nothing amss happened 10 Hamlet, for
he seemed likeable and well spoken
young man His madness was only
sham, we are sure.