The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-09-05
FIRST PLAY IN hEgERlCA STAGED
 167 YEARS AGO
Show Was Presented Tn Williamsburg, Capitol of
 Virginia.
MERCHANT OF VENICE INTERESTS AUDIENCE
ShylOck Characterization Was Feature of Entire
 Performance.

] The first play performed Tn Amer ies, bv a company of comedians, was at WiHiamS1urE. then the capital of Virginia, on Sept Q, 1752 The piece
 was the 'NTerchant of Venice The IaFts~ricco was "Lethc." written by the celebrated David Gar~ick. Shake |suearc had tho first place as the duamatfar Of the Western Hemisphere. Tndouhtolly. the Merchant of Ven ice" the immortal story of Shylock's sorrows. of tno historic avarico, and Inc parental love. a picture of Ven ctiau life at its meridian. and of wo- manhood at the apex of her power as stratcgfst. rcrouciIor and devoted love ---in the character Of Portia---was drawn from an ancient ballad which is reprinted in Percy's "ReHques." Eut---iuto the antique mould Shake s0caro poured the fire of his genius. The old Greek argument stands good herc---not what you get, but what win you do wijh it
 Every actor of renown has aimed to interpret Shyloek tho Jew, not only ac- cordinE to tho tezt---as he sees it--- but acco~1i0- to the pidless records Of history. a-verv actor of rCnOwn has considered Shylock the rock of difficulty iu his career. Shall he in teruVCt ShviCck as the implaCable. the wrougcd. tho majestic Semitic of th.
 Arab tang of dignity? The writer considers that Irving CSsr Henry IT, NirEI came nearest to perfect inter Tretation of Shylocll the representa- tive in person of the great Semitic race. of the uatchless Arab dignity.
 of t,e historic wrouCs heapel upon the head of the Jew, and of the ev- plosive force of the ancient Ea-ace-. Irvin-'s entrance (ShyloCE) iumedi- atply enlisted sympathy, not 10 say admiration, in the gentle dignity Of SnvIoclJs bearing which covered a suppressed furnace of wrOu-s and the aEe-oi- parental love in the Sem itic race, and Ihe sudden flashes of inprrious @coru- Biblical in their rage.
 Never to be forgotten were two bits of by-Dlay, called ''1uslness" by the profession, which Irving introduced
 One occurred in Act IT. where shy lock informs his dauEstcr Jessica that he is Ibid forth to -~rper with Bas- sanio," and he tells her to Hook to the house." ''to lock the dOors"---au'5 he fnres forth Ir is the night on which Jos~iza had determined to C1opo- 10 leave her fathers house and with bis inostimah1v prized jewels of family memories In tho moonlight Of Venice, ns Snvlock closes the door of his house anl comes forth into tho street. holding a lantern in his hand
 Eo turned and hc1d his lantern high high, its Bsht sweeping the windows thC -oo-s. tIo porch It's light flicker upon the windows Tho action 5s as of ono who suspects that something is wrong for WEieh he can in no way account. I7e retraccs his steps, after he has gone down tho street. and av0in plays the lantern upon the si- lent dwelling X slow Jrcl5ling gains upon his hand He stands i-rospIutc; thirlluE- thinking. The suspense holds tle house for more than one minute. Ono feels IEko 1cluiuE I'D ro rlr stage. and imuIJ-i1g Slylock Go return quickly to the house. Al las. he exits but his head bont upon tho ground. but his step is firm as did it say. -'I can trust my child" An, shy lock!
 The se-ou'z wonderful bit Of "bus- ine~s' that Irving introduced, a heart CrackinE -hi--. was in Act ". the Court Room scene ShvIoCk has been informed of the terrible summing up the court Not only are all his goods COnfisaatp1, and Eiyeu to the estate of Venice. but ShyIocll must become a ChrLsJisn- The broken Jew just mauaEcs to get out the words of the text 'I pray you leave 10 go from hence, l am not weIL~ when a stag gerinE emotion threatens 10 suffocate
 him Irving save the old bowed usuerer as choking for breath, but with his hand pressing upon his heart, where the great pain was As Shy lock reaches the door of tho court room he stands with one hand upon that door. Will he plead with the 1u1ge? The supreme moraent is here