The New York herald., 1921-04-24

ice" Then he moved through the play
with greater dignity and more unrufiled
pride than some of his predecessors.
But there was no lack of venom and
racial hatred In his denunciations. Yet
he did not emphasize these character
istics as go overwhelmingly decisive OF
the usurer's action. He was a highly
aristocratic descendant OF the house OF
David.
It happened that he and Joseph
SchildlSraut both played Shyiock within
a few months at the Irving Place The
. atre. A greater contrast In style could
not well have been imagined Schild-
sraut plays the role TO this day in Yid-
dish, although he acted it at the Irving
Place Theatre. as he did under Max
Reinhardt in Berlin. in German A
greater contrast than the two perform
ances could scarcely have been inn
agined.
Schildkraut acts the Jew OF the De-
lancey street fish market. lie is the vul-
gar huckster. almost comic In the agony
he feels over the loss of his money He is
n grotesque buffoon, without poetry or
beauty In any phase Of his impersona-
tion but he is nevertheless stlrringly
vital and human. Doubtless this concep-
tion or the role would be much more In
accordance with the standards Of the
day than the exalted and majestic por-
trayal OF Possart
At the end OF long engagement NJ
the Irving Place--or was Il the old
Thalia Theatre?--Possart played num-
Der of characters In the plays that had
been most popular during his engage
ment. In accordance with an occasional
German custom, the programme Of THE
Mercha Mt OF Venice" read "Shyock, an
old Jew" There were four or five acts
from different plays, including Nathan
der Weise" Die Tochter dies F'abri-
cius." "LAmi Fritz" and '"rhe Mar
quis Keith" A witty critic or that
day--they are not new but have always
existed--put after the name OF every
character tile words IAN old Jew" 70
show that Possart was the same in all
OF them in other words. always Shyiook
The arraiEnment was humorous. but
not just. He was not so similar in all
his roles. He could differentiate them
all. He had personal mannerisrns such
| as every man actor or not, possesses.
| He had peculiarities, just as Booth and
| Irving. and they were inseparably con-
nected with the man. But he was an
actor Of complete polish with finished
method based on the best theories Of the
| classic school So much is written about
| this school OF late by those who know
nothing of u that II might be we'll TO re-
mark emphaticelly that ~ bears no rela-
ton TO the ranting, cantillatinF, posing
mediocrities that are occasionally resur-
rected. Ernest Won Possart was an actor
OF the classic school In the best and
truest sense OF tho word.
Theatres Loss In Mr.. Chambers.
The English stage has suffered real
loss In the death Of G. Haddon Cham
/ bers. lie was not only the property OF
| the British drama but he belonged az
well to the United states, where his
work always found high critical and
often widespread popular appreciation.
lie was the most sSilfui writer Of com-
edy that the English stage produced in
years.
He was. Of course, more shallow In
| feeling than J W Barrie. and he lacked
the biting satircal wit OF q. u. Shaw.
But his skill as dramatist was from
the technical point Of view greater than
shaw's. Perhaps he was most closely
allied TO the Plnero Of 'grhe Gay Lord