Evening star., 1933-10-30

Ophelia of his Hamlet in 1900. Other
plays of the period were The Song
and the Sword" The Sunken Bell and
Drifting Apart"
Enters Realm of Shakespeare.
A new chapter in Mr.. Sothern's story
opened in 1904, when Miss Julia Mar
lowe sent her manager, Charles Dilling-
ham, to suggest that he join with her in
a series of Shakespearean offerings. The
idea was submitted to his attention at
exactly the right moment. He had tired
Of lighter roles and was impatient TO
attempt something more substantial.
The resultant partnership became a
legend OF the American theater.
either Mr.. Sothern or Miss Marlowe to
complete preoccupation with the Bard
of Avon, and in response to popular
was in Flower" IF Were King" The
Fool Hath Said in His Heart" Don
Quixote," and his fathers old play
Our American Cousin
A tour in Great Britain in which they
presented Shakespeare in lavish dress
cost them $4,000. but was conceded a
great artistic success. In the United
States they became a fashion. Their
coast to- coast tours were notable occa-
sionS for lovers of the drama. They
visited practically every important city
and town in the country, and enthusi-
aStic audiences greeted them.
Devised New Technique.
With genius all their own they de-
veloped completely new technique of
Shakespeare production. The plays
we're mounted as truly, as accurately as
possible, and a special train of II cars
was needed to carry their scenic equip
ment costumes and other properties.
In 1911 they gave Macbeth in the Greek
Theater of the University of California
with 800 persons on stage. 1t was in
that year that Mr.. Sothern and Miss
Marlowe were married.
The first break in their cycle of tri-
umph came in 1916. when because Of
the illness of his wife, Mr.. Sothern
decided to retire. At a farewell dinner
in New York they were given tribute
of respect and affection in the form of
a large album of signatures. beginning
with the autograph of President Wilson,
followed by those of Theodore Roosevelt
and William Howard Taft.
Tries Tour Alone.
But the next season Mr.. Sothern at
tempted a tour alone in If I Were
King" His health, however, was not
equal to the task, and he came back
to Washington to rest. He tried Shake
speare again in 1928 and made lec-
ture tour in 1923, but he was discour-
aged with conditions as he found them
in the changing theater and again re-
tired. The kind of thing I did, he
said, has passed away. I belong to a
generation which acted under different
circumstances" He was SO, and had
been an actor half century.
Since 1880 Mr.. and Mrs. Sothern had
resided abroad, making only brief trips
back to the United States. They had
a home in Switzerland and were quietly
Mr.. Sothern wrote his recollections,
The Melancholy Tale of Me-" in 1916.
He also composed few poems, but de-
clined to have them published.
Mr. Sothern during the past several
years had been much interested in the
Folger-ShakeSpeare Library, In q letter
to Mrs Henry Clay Folger he said:
This gift of yours and Mr. Folger's
Shakespearean students and source of
pride and qualification to people like
ourselves who have devoted our lives to
the Interpretation of the Shakespeare
plays. We both beg to express our ad-
miration and our gratitude for this mag
nificent tribute to the great dramatist."
DIR. Moore Comments.
DR.. Charles Moore of the Commission
of Fine Arts sent the following mes
sage to The Star: Mr.. and Mrs
Sothern were fond of Washington and
had many strong personal friends here,
among them the late Charles w. Rich
ardson and Mrs Richardson, a friend
ship that grow out of professional re-
lationS and became social as we'll
When they were about to retire from
the stage and contemplated building a
home they spent morning at the Pan
American Annex, going all over it with
the idea of duplicating what seemed to
them an ideal residence"
DR.. E. v. Wilcox, president, Wash
ington Shakespeare Society, asid this
morning:
MIR. Sothern upheld the highest ira
ditions of the stage. He never did
things halfway. He never was con-
tent with any result short Of his best
There may have been more brilliant
actors, of more easily achieved theat-
rical quality, but few men have ex-
hibited more uniformly and consistently
excellent work.
Every theatergoer will genuinely re-
gret that he will respond to no more
encOreS."