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Modjeska in "The Merchant Of Venice."

Modjeska in "The Merchant Of Venice." image
Parent Issue
Day
18
Month
October
Year
1893
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The earlier liistory of "TJie Merrliant of Venice," which fttodjeaka produces at lie (rand Opera H.mst rt. 21st, showB tliai t met witli favor t'rom the me of its origina] presentatii by Shakespeare himself, althongh tbe first intirely satisfactory preaentation of 'Shvlock" was probawy that oí Mankin in 17-11. Masklin "was thfi tliir.l ictor whn enayed this rolo, the iirst ►eing Burbage, who plyed it before ramea I, and Doggett, who played the tart during the reign f neen Ann. hikt great eccentric, and ilil genius of the English stage, Edmund Koene, ruóse .nvKKK 101 iii i'iuiv ij.im lehut on February 28, 1 si4. and even nou, seventy-nine years later, the story )f thal occasion is a th rilling une. Keenc was then 26 years oíd, small oí Btature, and had SUtfered all the hardships of a "stroller" before he secared a Lendon chance. He was urged to open in lüehard III, but " Shylock or nothing" was his reply. The openiny house held 600, altllOUgh 1-:;.(IIH) would do( have crowded it. Eeene wore a black wig wbich shocked the oíd theatregoers, but while the ellitain rose upOO their predictiona oí faijure, it fell n a ti'iuinuh, uneaualed since thal of riek as ■ Richard III " at the tittle playhouse in Goodman's Fields, Oct. 19, 1741. Keene'a a ml i e ure Boon seatedthe capacity of Drury Lane, which ia dow the National Theatre of Great Britain, and liis " Slivl.uk " Buccess was the opening of one of most interesting episodes in dramatic history. During all this time, it aprobable that do inore beautiful "Portia" has fvr l'-tn Been than iliat presented by Modjeska. Ber rendering of the fair widow of Selmont is one of the nii'st delightful characterizationa that lias ever been placed to her credit. If Portia has one t im , more prominent than another among Shakespeare's wromen, it is the union in her nature of high intellectual .nw ers and decisión of will. wkh a bearl rail of ardor and of sneceptibility of romantic feelings. Her noble use of wealth and ioyouBlife, surrounded wiih flowers andfountainsandinarblestatues and iiiusic stands oul in contrast over and against the hard, sad, and COntiactcd 1 i ff of Sliylock. In sclectingher company, Modjeska lias been actuated onlv by a desire to obtain the best presentation possible of thia inmortal comedy, and the namea of tuis Skinner, Howard Kvle, R. P. Carter, Lindsa . l!on. Kokers, Mis. I!. S. S W'adsworlh Harris. .Miss PrOCtOÏ and Miss Durbin are among the very best.