Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-02-08
HAMPDEN'S SHYLOCK
WINS ADMIRATION
stresses Racial and Religious
Motives in characteriz alton.
Hamlet" Tonight

walnut--walter Hampden. supported
oy a company on the whole well ball
snced In Its excellence and in some
ol JUS members of most admirable
sngagement here In "rhe Merchant OF
SSenice' This initial revelation OF his
S1yiock also represented the first regu-
s psu and ull.length engagement In
with good deal Of Orllllance and glory,
on the Shakespearean horizon , Phila-
SeIphia saw. appauded and supported
ms ms special matinees OF Hamlet the
speech. which Mr. Hnmpden made In
response to insistent demands OF the
opening nights audience, he expressed
ms appreciation OF that approval, told
OF the announcement which such ac-
cumulative support gave to him in his
oeslre to build UP Shakespea an
fepertory, and in well-phrased sem
tsnee ,see or two uttered the credo Of his
ioeals for Shakespearean drama
MT. Hampden's Jew Is Immediately
notable. II originates in individuality
yet does not err TO the extreme OF
excessive or eccentric personality. Mr.,
mannerisms. May he never He is
not scornlng or Ignoring the tradi.
tons but he Is not hidebound by them.
Rather Ia he plastic and graphic In his
characterIzations. a fact that glvt~ him
capacity to portray the usurer OF the
Rtalto with a fiuency a fextbility and
an ease that add quite q modern touch
70 a tragic figure OF the old world and
OF medieval days
Thus he takes a Shakespearcan play
out of the .artihcialities which have
moss-grown the Elizaoethan drama and
gives II to contemporary audience
with sufrusion OF the current mode
sufficient to make the audience In.
terested in the play as a play. just as
II interested the F:lIzabethans, and not
as classic" the purpose OF which
IS improving and all OF that Just as
he did in Hamlet" so Mr.. Hampden
both as producer and actor. does In
The Merchant: ne makes the drama
enjoyable as well as cultural This
IS n somewhat rare achievement In
Shakespearean direction and acting. and
yet very proper one for the plays
were written as entertainments and not
as specimens" OF literature. Hence It
cannot be Justly charged that Mr.. Hamp-
den is beil,tling or sopnisticating
Shakespeare. He and his company are
doing precisely ut the Walnut what
was done three hundred years ago at
the Globe
Mr.. Hampden stresses the racial and
religious motives in the Shylockian
character. His revenge-ridden. Jew is
veritaoly fanatic in his hatreds. Yet
even In the momentS Of apparent ad.
vantage. he is at heart the oppressed
and suppressed member OF a subject race.
involuntarily servie and ready TO crook
the hinges OF the knee TO superior force,
TO bow in humility and 70 make the
best OF a bad bargain
Mary Hall scored n most decisive hit
~ the Porta. She was arch without
simperinE. strong Of mind yet sweet OF
spirit. az Shakespeare conceived her.
The Antonio OF william Sauter was a
fine impersonation, especially rich In
silent acting IN the Courtroom scene
There was something OF the hriskness
and gallantry of young romance in the
Bassanio OF J. Harry Irvine. and Allen
Thomas as the Duke. Ernest Rowan az
the Prince OF Morocco, Elsie Kearns
as a delightful Nerssa were fully In
accord with the design Of the entire
performance. A bit too much OF clown
ing and OF playing directly across the
footliEhts. in the hope that there were
groundlInss there nIarred the comedy OF
lie Rol Operti az Launcelot while Mona
Morgan seemed a little too intense at
times as Jessica she gave an interest.
ing exotic tinge to the character Of
ShvlocS's -o"~ 80 'lughtcr, but missed
come Of It's softness.
Hamlet" " !! given tonight. The
Merchant" wiN b. repeated al tomor-
rows matinee. and tomorrow evening
the company will give its first Phila-
delphta performance Of The Tanning Of
the Shrew."