"ROMEO AND JULIET."

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 419, 30 January 1909, Page 6

"ROMEO AND JULIET."

~WttE[AMSpN JDRAMATicJ. COMPANY. ■' V^K-py -i.-Wm...Shakespeare., /Cast:4-:'- ; -•' ~ :r~-.'t-","".^ r v I jormau: M'Keo.im..' .In ■;writing about , . "Romeo., and .Juliet" 2£™£ S :P pP k .teen' spread, over miles of ,paper,mt|hrashing 'the. barest.thread ttie innermost ■ meaning ; .ofi every .phrase, simple or,subtle, un -the; great- Wepic J Shakespeare: andit is would be pla'titudiribus' to.go.into..tHe merits of .what has long, long ago been accepted as a classic in serioris'liteW ature, to go: mto beautiful quaUtiee of : this.t wonderfully: worded tragedy. .speare cannot be pteyed. in 1 perfection 'by any: .company 'andAto run such;a play■ as" "Romeo -and ■ Juhet"' wto-the vrepertoire of a com-■pany-w-which- . not' 1 ;>been I '-:carefully: Be[ficted:_ for... the.- purpose- is-'-"' to ' "take-::nsks..-which;.. may not • while. '' The mtjell Company } gave ■ a fair perform--:anc«,of"theHra'gedy;- but only'.fair.'. There!' was a.lack offinish-in several particulars that -should ;ia, a"cbmp.any> which" has::done really .commendable>work;'duringfthe season', jlo. be' Specific;"there/was' the weakest' attempt _in?tho'-' world -to ,, 'represent' the- M6n-tague-Capulet: brawl 'at" the opening' of ■ the :Wv convey; the seriousness ". :ot '.: ™ e •blood-feud, between' ,:the: two houses ;■?» whl ?Kmatter Replay/bangs.: The.swordplay was lndiffereiif tlrtoaghbutj and sonje' of ]the characters ,-gabbledi -'their' lines γ-withouf: evidence .that.,,tl*ey..understood ■them.'-'.The .frequency jof:.curtain;;w"aits.vbetween : 'scenes is; .alm'osf".unavoidable ' in"•\SKakespeaVe,' bjit ; " .some ■attempt:'might' :;b'efinaile:te : prevent;thmgs falhqg.-afout.behind'whilst , an progress. .The/gaybtte'-danced■ in-'-Capulet's' 3?^ a^;- t .l I e , *afin';so''eta'tely:' : ame9'sure;. y,;Well.d.one,,\sh9uW : 'have';:'-and-',it. wpuld'-: be' -;M-cbetto:'to^.outiou't'''-the.!'- i g^en4wa'll'^ines 1: .tnan■to l see.theVstbu■t^iy^o^vjl'' ! erection'tot-; weight.':- : j !. ylt: is ■ much-.,moreVple'asant'to'-turn 1 tb' the' P»npipals,, j j ban ■:,'te ..analyse: ■Miss Bnine;is.;a;yery-.;much'iffiprpved ; Juliet: , mastide tthe; sixteen'of. ; the : original);, • which; : was jn ,*favour:bf- : th'e'''actresSj who; exercised , cbnsidera'Jßle 1 art' in 1 ' simulating , the r .pretty a./giir-ati.that-deligh'tfully: sUly. age'.' Other Julietslhave/made more fun. put of the/scene with .the.vriurse/btrb' her acfc-- ■ ing in the. balcony scene "was ; sw'eot: arid sincere,, and she got every point,that projects in' the. familiar-lires:,.•-Some; ofi'the .glamour-of ■this scene -was", tost owing to the'stage being over-well -lighted.'. "Miss Brurie displayed- an' admirable-. /ervpur.:in.:.her;Vscerie's', with' the; Driar; arid her reading,of the poison- scene .was'quite/aOTeptable,-but her ; last: scene (in the ;tomb)- was hardly so .satisfactory. . .She failed to'give.th'at :thrill :whiph .'follows the' discovery, of the;dead; body, of -her; lover,'- and' -wt T " ■ wasl a ' ra t ner ' tariie':'. affair.' ■Mγ. : Thos.. Kingston was'a presentable Roirieo of the robustj order.; He-' declaimed ' his lines forcefully, 'with a full- ap'jireciation of their significance, only erring a : little.occasionally' through a superabundant .:■ .'fervour that suegested.an unnatural.straining. , Still—a : very gOod_.Rpnieo—and; an .honest;. , Mr. Lofirig lerme, \as. MercAitio,' was .well placed,, and his delivery.of the 'fQueeriMab" speech was ; an applauded feature, as-it shoukf :be when so.well done.; Mr. Stavely made a notably good Oapulet, and -.Mr;. Geo.- Bryant' an impressive "Friar' Lawrence- ■Mγ , . I;':W."Lloyd was the fiery-Tybalt,' Mr. -Harry Sweeney. a handsome Benvolio, Mr.-Willey: an easy-go-ing. Paris, /arid Mr.; Fred : Cambourrie■ a moderately v good ..Peteri- -Miss -.Edith !-Lewisfailed;,tp.cojnprehend.the.roguish hohpur : of the• nursej' 'and much: of! the point'-'■ of th'e pretty, scene with Juliet was pissed ; on' that' account..; A.;gopd-little,;bit of work: was done by, Mr.. Gregan.M'Mahpn, a'sAthe.Apotliecary.' -The season. will, .close" .this evening.' .when "Romeo- and.; Juliet"-wil l; be J played-, again'. The/management announces■thatbwihg to the: length of the tragedy.the;curtain;will ascend at 7.40 p.m... ,'■,. ~' -' .: v .::•/'.:■•: , ... :..'..-■> ,