Hal Stephens

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The act was twenty-four minutes long. Hal Stephens does impersonations of Shylock, Mr. Pickwick, Rip Van Winkle, and Judas Iscariot. He gets into character makeup at a table on center stage and then emerges from behind a curtain into a picture frame-like set up. He performs each character from within the frame. The setting within the frame changes with each character. “The Merchant of Venice” was the backdrop for Shylock.
"The Fifth Avenue audience expressed unbounded approval approval."
The Judas character was rather melodramatic and overdone, but Stephens is a good impersonator. His reading of Shylock proved him to be a dignified actor. He should finish with Shylock and eliminate Judas.
Source:
Variety 28:13 (29/11/1912)