Life, 1899-05-18 · page 12 of 20
Life — May 18, 1899 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 421 This page reviews Charles Frohman's theatrical production of Shakespeare's *Romeo and Juliet*, starring (apparently) Miss Maude Adams as Juliet. The illustration captioned "WHO NOSE?" depicts characters in period costume, likely mocking some aspect of the production. The text criticizes the staging choices—particularly Mr. Frohman's decision to set scenes in a garden rather than use traditional carpenter's scenery, and his omission of the Capulet garden display. The reviewer notes these choices gave the play an unexpectedly realistic quality. The review praises Adams's emotional performance but critiques her appearance as insufficiently "warm and precocious" for the role of Shakespeare's passionate heroine.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Mr. Charles Frohman Presents Mr. William Shakespeare. R. CHARLES FROHMAN’S first venture into the fleld of Shakespearian produc- tlon wae very far from being a disered- itable performance, His large command of theatrical resources was used under and the play was presented wi nt judgment and taste. He gave Romeo and Juliet” the best setting it has probably ever had in the way of scenery and costuming. It could easily have been mado more spectacular and magnificent, good advi h excel FlAicraroge = *LIPE and Mr, Frohman’s abstention from mere vulgur display was as offective as it was unexpected. Tho scoalo effects. were concentrated on the sarden scone, with the result that this episode of the play was given a semblance of reality lacking in pi vious arrangements, Tbe ingen- fous use of tho barred gato to the Capulet garden, instead of tho usual “carpenter scene,” gave tho whole of Momeo's romantic and sudden winning of his lady a new and plausible atmosphere, Tho setting of the piece might have been more scholarly in de- tail, and it might also have been more tawdry in gen- “WHO NOSE?" eral effect. Tho absence of the latter is amplo compensation for any lack of effort in the former di- rection, Thoonly noticeable blem- ish in the scenery is tho very wooden and joiner-like flight of stairs that leads into tho marble tomb of the Capulets, The main interest in the acting naturally centred in Miss Maudo Adams's Juliet, It was remote from being the conventional Juliet, It was far better in a realization of the girlishness and emotionality of Shakespeare's heroine than in a perfect rendering of his lines, Any- one who looked for an interprota- tion of the beautiful speeches the author puts into Juliet’s mouth would be disappointed; another, . who sought only the {mpressions of a very young and emotional girl carried through a tragic romance, would flod in Miss Adams's por- trayal a most moving and con- vincing picture, In appearance sho fs not at all the warm and pro- cocious beauty of aSouthernclime,