New-York tribune., 1919-12-21

%Eggsw HE WAYFARER" marks a
80 6E distinct development Of
N the big spectacle in this
country, in the opinion OF
Walter Hampden, who takes the title
role of the production staged in Madi-
son Square Garden. He believes the
time is ripe for something Of the kind;
that it viii become 4 medium Tor the
championing Of great causes. and that
the spectacle merely for the sake Of
It's pageantry is thing OF the past.
bringing this intimate force into
the life of the community, making
people share in it, is in line with the
big Developments Of the drama" he
declared u hope the time may come
when spectacles VIII be put on every
year during the festival season. Sing
ers, choral societies and other public
standard might be kept 50 high that
it would be reckoned an honor TO be
allowed to have share in them
Il believe The Wayfarer' would be
better ii it we're Passion play. The
restrictions against allowing the hg
ure OF Christ 10 appear seem riGicu-
lous. Personally. | should Ike 10 see
a series Of big religion spectacies
in which the great figures who have
done 50 much for humanity should
be sym oolzed While the Christian
world has peculiar interest IN the
figure Of Jesus, we must recognize the
other religious founders worshiped
~. millions II people. 1t seems 10 rae
The Wayfarer' has dem monstrated the
practica-ty OF the religious spectacle
IN TINS country
This is not the first time that
Walter Hampden has appeared in d
more or less religious role. II The
Light of ASIA which had an ex-
iensive run in the West, he took the
part of Buddha. Until the last few
weeks he was out on the road playing
Hamlet. and to quote himself, he hopes
70 go on playing Hamlet as long as
he can stand on Two legs
Il believe the American public was
never more disposed TO accept Shake
speerc than it is now he said.
Shakespeare is 50 important that you
can't XII him. Only the ridiculous
assumption that he IS highbrow and
uninteresting stands between the
greatest Of dramatists and the greatest
Of theatergoing publics. Interpreting
+ MN across the footlghts is taking am
out OF the nusty book and academi &c
classroom and making him vital and
alive have a theory that the war
Nas done much to eradicate the pre- l.
dice that existed People want to be
simulated Two roads are open 10
hem: 90 They can accept the excess
Of sensational. epEemeral plays with
which New York is now swamped
~ They can insist on having Shake
speare, whose work has, TO the .s-n
degree, the life and vitality they crave
have found that soldiers who were
bored with a popular musical comedy
hit enjoyed every minute of Hamlet,
because universal truth appeals to mer
who have suffered and endured
Hamlet is the play par excellence
for to-day. 1t has . very definite
bearing on The times. People who ar
war weary and up against big anC
unaccustomed problems find them
selves very much In the vein Of Ham
let The world mas harbored the spin
Of revenge and felt this sense OF b oos
and horror which is part of the fabr
Of the Danes story. But beauty ant
tineness, like the lily emerging fren
the mud, survived.
aside from Hamiet's appeal to tn
actor as great role to play, thin
the lines the finest ever put ON pape,