Omaha daily bee., 1920-01-24

First PLAYER .............. lColvii Dunn
Ghost of Hamlets father J. Sayre Crawley
Second Gravedigger -. Leon Cunning ngham
Fortinbras. Prince of Norway ::........
Gertrude oosen Of Denmark Wilism ans mosssr assm'
of Hamlet ,~......... Miss Alma Kruger
ophelis, daughter of Polonius ,.......
.-...,............... Miss Marlowe
Player Cue.p. :. Miss Lenore chippendsle
Miss Florence smythe. Miss Wynee-,
Jones. Miss Margaret Lacey, Miss Jose
phine Wright Miss Lillian Gray. Miss
Anne Beckwlth.
Miss Virginia Wells, Miss Barbara
Bever. Miss Elaine Sims
Lords, soldiers. messengers and other
attendants,
Mr.. Sothern has often played
Hamlet in Omaha, but never so well
t.as last night. This is not because
his foriner efforts lacked either sim
cerity of purpose or earnestness of
effort, but through the very fact that
his steadfast application to the role
has brought him much nearer to
realization Of his ideal of the char
acter. 1t is not mad Hamlet he
gives us, but one who was sore
perp1exed,. whose mind and reason
held firm through the sorrow that
he bore, and who set firmly about
his self-imposeG task, once he was
convinced his course was right.
Through it all he shows quality
of noble tenderness that is most be-
coming. His parting with Ophelia
is marked by poignancy that must
convince any of the wrench his
heart. underwent when he resigned
his love that he might pursue his
Vengeance. Again, in the closet
scene, which he always has made
much of, Mr.. Sothern nicely bal
-ances filial duty, and conjugal love,
and holds evenly balanced his
great devotion to his. father with
an Immense compassion and yearn-
ing love for his mother, whose de-
fault to his father did not destroy
that fond attachment a-man should
cherish for his mother. This is the
most convincing of all his scenes, al
though his little colloquies with
Horatio move with such depth of
feeling as ever serve to emphasize
the dreadful tragedy in which his
life has been engulfed.
In other moments, his conversa-
tiofs with Rosenkrantz and Gull
denstern, with Polonius, his advice
to the players, his chat with the
gravedigger, and his general de-
meanor, the mood and word are
suited to the purpose with more of
exactness than ever before. and
serve well his general desieu. In
every way his Hamlet has I'M
proved as it has advanced in ex-
perience. .-.....
Miss Marlowe. makes demurely
appealing Ophelia> modest, submis-
,sive, and maidenly,, Just such a mate
as might well have been wished for
the prince of Denmark had his life
been set in sunshine and not in
shadow. Her mad scene is finely
conceived and done with no evi-
dence of artificialty. Miss Kruger
plays the queen mother with feeling
and good taste, and Miss Chippen-
dale carries off her one opportunity
as the player queen with good ef-
feet. But Hamlet" is not a wo-
mars play, the feminine roles being
incidental, serving to explain and
adorn rather than to dominate the
action. .
In making his sparing excisions
OF the text, Mr.. Sothcfn has some
what foreshortened the garrulity of
Polonius, dropping entirely the fare
well advice given to Laertes. Mr..
Peters has the part, and in its pre-
sentation loses only such of its COM
edy element as has disappeared with
the words that are left out. Mr..
Blackstone compensates for this by
his dro11 philosophy and indifference
to death in the churchyard scene,
which is given with an elaboration
seldom bestowed on it, but withal
most appropriately. ~y
Mr.. Lewis as Horatio heightened
the good impression he made as
Orslno in the opening bill. His voice
and manner, carriage and delivery.
suggest great possibilities for the
coming years. As Laertes Mr.. Stan
ford is also well cast. For the mat
ter Of that, a word Of praise should.
be spoken for the entire company,
for its. perfection at. all points.
Again does the result Justify Mr..
Sothern's having abandoned the
heavy sets fer the elastic and .scrv-
iceable device he now employs.
Quite effectively is the needed "at-
mosphere" produced and without de
tracing from the more important
feature, the intelligent illumination
OF the play by the actors.
Twelfth Night" will be repeated
this afternoon, with the SAME cast as
on Thursday evening, and this eve
ming The Tanning of the Shrew"
will be given. with Mr.. 'Sothern as
Petruchio and Miss Marlowe as
Katherine.
1.nca1 G<ar> h4k>-