Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-04-20
'AMUSEME rs
Hampden AZ "Hamlct,"

| BY far the most interesting ele-
| ment Of present day shakespearean
performance 10 the audience. There
is a new interest In the tragedies, an
interest born perhaps Of the world
experiences Of the past few years.
| An evening Of poetry Is no LONGER
a bore. Human passions and In
trigues. which to previous genera.
tion were unreal. reflections only OF
experiences endured In other times
! but not necessarily to be repeated,
I now come home as matters of acute
and intimate concern. The times have
ed to heroic thought with rapidity
| which enables some Of the oldtimers
OF tho theatef, who were content
to trudge from town to town for a
| pittance, to wake up and find them
| selves among arts newly rich.
| 1t needed only q few matinees mere
| and there to establish Walter Hamp-
| den as one Of the most sat sfactory
| opponents Of Hamlet seen In many
years. perhaps the most satisfactory
Forbes Robertson seemed to make the
| role distinctively his own. as Booth
| had done before HIM. There are two
| sets of extremists, with reference to
believes the play actor proof. owing
to the beauty OF it's lines. They con-
tend that there Is seldom such a
thing as really bad Hamlet.
The other extremists. overwhelmed
by . sense Of reverence for tho poet.
sert that there can be no such thing
as . really good Hamlet. Yet there
10 one test which must set aside these
pedantic measurements-the test OF
human response. When you ind an
audience following with tense inter-
every scene of the lengthy play. un-
watchful Of the time. even as 1t creeps
very close to midnight. transporting
itself by means Of that strange foot
light hypnotism. which implies his
trionic greatness, to castles and
courts that time long since has wrap
ped in misty tradition; when you and
an audience thrilled with emotions as
the player himself is thrilled. there is
no need for analysis. It IL q big and
memorable denomination of the play
er's art. 1t was such an audience that
Mr.. Hampden faced at the Shubert-
Garrick Theater last night. and those
ted him, in their regard. to compsn-
ionship with the greatest who have
essayed the role.
Mr. Hampden's Hamlet Is an appeal
to the imagination and not an enort
to coerce the critical sense either by
-
Of erudition in the tricks Of stage
business which may, II desired. be
so abundantly introduced. In the solil-
oquy he apostrophizes no dagger. but
rests content to let the spectator pic
ture the bare bodkin" in his own
look on the two portraits he uses
only the portraits drawn by his i'm
passioned eloquence. 1t is self
reliant Interpretation and the achieve
ment Is the greater because of the
Straightforward simplicity with which
1t is attained. Mr.; Hampden has a
personality that reflects the role both
to the eye AID to the ear. apart from
the temperament and mental force
with which he makes it live. It is
less subtle in restraint and more dra-
matte in expression than other Ham
lets which have been accounted ex-
cellent. Perhaps it is the more human
and appealing on this account.
Ono of the most delightful incidents
OF the performance was the Polonius
Of Mr.. Allen Thomas. His imperson-
alton Of the grave digger. II the role
were longer. would be scarcely less
enjoyable than his Polonius for its
display Of comedy sense. which knows
how to rescue a smile from the dis
astrous plunge into sheer buffoonery
Ernest Rowan played the role Of
Laertes on lines of a rather rugged
heroism. and. in the fencing scene.
gave Mr.. Hampden exceptional and
most agreeable pictorial response.
Miss Beatrice Maude's Ophelia was all
that the role can become-a girlish,
pitiful, sweet revelation Of over
whelming despair. There was good
reading and well considered acting in
the Interpretation Of the queen by
Mary Hall. And. indeed. the lengthy
cast was remarkable for the sense Of
fitness and proportion 1t succeeded
in preserving, even in details ordi-
narily accounted as subordinate. Mr..
Hampden's portraiture Of Hamlet Is
calculated to invite the liveliest in
ulsd for several performances during
the week. PHILANDER JOHNSON.