The New York herald., 1921-02-18

Second witch. ......... Miss Nina Lindsey
Third witch. ............ Miss Doris Fellows
! Arthur Hopkins made his second at
tempt as producer OF Shakespeare last
night at the Apollo Theatre. when he
presented Lionel barrymore and Miss
Julia Arthur In Macbeth Mr.. Hop
kins had his invariabie associate, Rob-
ert u. Jones, ct his side TO design ece-
| merry and costumes. Music was written
to accompany. the progress OF the trag-
edy by II. II. Bennett Mr. Hopkinss
version OF the play is In three acts. The
| first ends with the flight of Malcolm and
DonGlbain. The second continues from
that point TO the apparition OF BdnQuo
and the ending OF the banquet scene.
New York has not been without the
opportunity 10 see this specimen OF
the Shakespeare during recent years.
Fritz Leiber acted the hero only n few
weeks ago at the Lexington Theatre
and Robert Manteil offered the play In
hts repertoire on frequent visits 10 the
stock theatres James X. Haekett re-
vived Macbeth" very effectively only
few years ago at the Criterion The
atre aud 1t had not been many years
before that performance that L. H.
Sothern and Miss Julia Marlowe took
the play into their repertoire FOR a few
seasons. But Il may fairly be said that
none of these representations. even the
most ambitious. aroused the interest
which seemed to animate the audience
at the Apollo last night Mr.. Hopkns's
Richard I'LL" had not been forgotten.
But those who sought any OF the
beauty and dignity of that performance
AT the Plymouth Theatre We're sorely
disappointed. Anything more fantastic
and yet commonplace than the repre-
sentation which the audience witnessed.
IL would bo difficult 10 conceive. Can
this famous tragedy be deprived OF fits
thrilling suspense. It's majestic move
ment. it's fateful progress to an inevita-
BILE end? That question was answered
last night when the Hopkins steam
roller passed over IL. Even the imig-
nation and beauty Of the verse had TO
struggle hard for an occasional hear
Ing.
There was plenty Of Imagination else
where. Indeed, so much imagination as
the enjoyment of Mr.. Jones's scenery
demands Is IN the possession Of few
audiences. In all the performances
listed above. the humblest IN a weekly
repertoire theatre possessed more OF the
beauty Of Shgkespeares immortal play
than all the modern Interpretation seen
last night.
In the first place, Il became evident
+ IN the opening scene on the heath that
the play was 70 be given with cur
tains" baleful phrase to all who care
for any other than Chautauqua Shake
sponre. Three mammoth masks hung
az the top OF the drapories. Here was
the first urgent demand for imagination
on the part OF tho spectators Then
the three weird sisters were envoloped
In n ccrise textile of coarse fibre. with
I ty- a s.Is
tircly concealing their faces. They also
chokod their voices, II they had any. for
such faint croakings never before de-
prved their incantations Of oil meaning.
They were wholly insignificant.
The castle % Macbeth as well az the
other Interfere were represented by
screen with three doors done In violently
distorted draftmanship. Again did the
patient spectators summon Imagination
20 help them over their difficulties.
one curtain succeoded another. Lights
we're most dexterously utilized. The
mechanics never were at fault. II there
had beer in the Interpretation OF the
play one-half the Imagination demanded
of the spectators cnnui might not have
intervenod 40 carly In the evening nor
chung so persistently.
" was not until the banquet scene
ended the second act that anything like
the conventional stage decorations were
visible Then the grateful audience
broke into applause at the slght of a
few % blca and caudlesticks. They could
az least give their Imagination "A brief
rest here Nothing could be more literal
than the appearance u BoHguo he
walked slowly I'm and backed slowly
out 10 the guilty eye of Macbeth he
may have looked ghostly. To tho
audience he seemed 10 be negotiating a
sharp turn rather ably. The booming
OF the knocks Of Macdaf In the climax
OF the preceding act which used 90
establlsh such sense of portcnt, passed
without effect probably because The
speech Of The drunken porter was for
some ,aaon restored ad nauseam.
Ind so the tragedy proceeded on rs
novel way. fantastic ore fninuts and
commonplace tile neat OF course. the
mere spoken ,csC OF the drama Is bound
20 have lta effect \ reader vith a cer-
tain skill can give The lines some Of theil /,