Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-03-25
MARY HALLS LADY MACBET'H WINS
Place of Honor in the Gallery of Stars

The outstanding features of Mr.. Wal
ter Hampden's presentation of Snake
speares Macbeth" at the Murat last
night, were the masterful portrayal Of
Lady Macbeth by Mary Hall, and the
pictorial beauty of the settings given this
intense tragedy. To Miss Hall falls the
distinction and credit of giving, in our
opinion, one Of the best Lady Macbeths
visible on the stage today. In the first
part of this grim tragedy of murder,
Miss Halls Lady Macbeth was as the
bard intended-a woman unsexed by the
fires of ambition. Murder to her is but
a step IN placing her master on the
throne, and in urging the step she in
sists that the murder of Duncan, King
Of Scotland, be well done
With a dramatic intensity so seldom
/ seen on the stage today, Miss Hall as
Lady Macbeth plants the germ of muir
der in the ambitious heart of her hus-
band, gives him the necessary strength
to strike the blow which sent Duncan
to heaven or hell in the middle Of the
night. So unsexed is her Lady Mac
beth that she grabs the bloody dagger
from the trembling hands of her mas
ter, carries 1t back into the chamber
of the dead king, covers the garments
of the sleeping attendants with blood
of the murdered king and on returning
to Macbeth takes his hand and leads him
to the stiffness of their bed chamber.
It is when Lady Macbeth suffers the
pangs of conscience and calls out for
peace and quiet in the night during the
famous sleep walking scene that Miss
Hall probably does her most effective
work It is here where she SHOWS the
inroads that a troubled mind has made
upon her very soul. She cries out in
her weakness for the water which will
wash the blood of Duncan from her
white hands. Miss Hall places on the
lips of Lady Macbeth the groans and
sobs of the lady who. allowed ambition
to unsex her and to make a murderer of
her husband. Sweeping and powerful IS
this sleep walking scene in the hands
of Miss Hall. She has given the stage
a Lady Macbeth which viii live in the
memory Of those who have seen her in
this Justly famous role. BY her mas
terful work, Miss Hall has placed her
self in the gallery of stars who have
created powerful characterizations Her
triumph is complete and satisfying in
every detail.
Mr.. Hampden's- Macbeth gathers force
and determination as the tragedy pro-
eeeds on its reckless path of murder. In
the early scenes of the play Mr.. Hamp-
den carefully permits his Macbeth to be
swayed both by his honest conscience,
as well as the ambitions OF Lady Mac
beth. He yields to the dictates of his
own good conscience and then tumbles
into the murderous plans of his wife.
His Macbeth is a wea5ling when good
and a brute when under the spell of Lady
Macbeth. His Macbeth heeds the warn
Ing Of the witches, but persuades himself
to interpret these warnings to his own
advantage. The banquet scene was him
dered somewhat with a slight hesitancy
Of Mr.. Hampden last night to shift from
one raving to another. OF course, this
will be corrected as Mr.. Hampden plays
the role more often. He has only re-
Gently, if 1 have been correctly informed,
added this role to his list Of the plays Of
Shakespeare Even as the characterize
ton nov stands it is satisfying.
Some Of the other players showed the
need of more rehearsals, as several were
not letter proof. The Macduff Of J.
Harry Irvine was splendidly done in
every scene, especially in the scene be-
tween Macduff and Malcolm in England,
when Macdun is informed Of the slaugh
ter of his wife and children.
The production and lighting effects