The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-01-25
IT WON ALL HEARTS.
Midwinter Nights Dream = q
Beatific Vision.
A THEATER FULL OF BEAUTY.
The Seattle Athlete Clubs Travesfy
Preves . brilliant Success In
Every Respect.

men In full evening toilets gathered -
witness the frst nights production Of
..Msxfwinter Nights Dream by the tai
entei members of the Seattle Athletsc
club. Every seat in the house was taken
with several hundred left standing in the
aisles. ard the charm Of the catchy mu-
sic. wrszten by Professor Charles E. Bray
TO Mr.. F. Otto Ceilings libretto OF the
travesty on Shakespeare's Midsummer
Nights Dream together with we'll
trained and blended voices of the soloists
and choruses made up such a sunefnl
and happy whole that 1t caught the au-
dience from the outset and proved COM
piete success TO the end. Not a hatch,
hal; or break marred the excellence of the
three interesting acts, the singers were
in good voice. the costumes were rich and
picturesque. the dancing of the ballet
girls. charming and the curtain went
down on the last act on one OF the hes,
all round amateur lyric performances
ever given in this city. ard for the matter
of that ON the coast. The audience never
tired OF appiauians the earnest efforts of
the performers. and the songs. duos, trios.
and concerted pieces had al 10 be re-
peafed before the enthusiastic audience
would be satisfied. The performances
was triumphant success, rejecting the
greatest credit on the skill and patience
OF Mr.. A. Cookingham and Mss Beaupre.
who trained the ballet: Mr.. Ceilings. who
conducted the stage. and the care exer-
cised by Professor Bray IN directing the
music.
The Seattle Athletic club has the faeul-
ty OF doing everything just about right
and about as perfectly as human skill
and ingenuity can make Ii. The club
from its inception has taken a vigorous
lead in athletic sports and social gath
ering, elevating the former to a standard
to make them interesting and popular
with the better element of the citizens
The many social club gatherings have
been among the most noted features of
Ssattle's events. while the annual benefit
performances have been eagerly anti
cipated from the originality OF every
years production and the general excel
lence that has characterized every such
performance. The brain. muscle and
skill Of the club has been trained to take
part in these affairs and every year has
seen the evolution OF something far SUI
perior to that OF the previous twelve
months. This year was no exception to
the rule. except in that the results we're
so far superior TO anything yet given that
it seems incredible that the club viii be
able fe improve on 1t another year.
The audience last evening was a typi-
cal first night crowd, embracing all
the social element of the city. as well as
many people from Tacoma and Everett,
and fun dress In the strictestssense of the
word was the order OF the evening, the
IL of ha
delicate perfumes and the scent Of hot
house roses. The performers being all
we'll represented in the audience by
friends and relatives. placed the players
and audience en- rapport. so that the peo-
pie on the stage were not stinted in their
full share OF applause, in which the
ladies' often led Each lady on entering
was presented with a souvenir pro-
gramine. being handsomely bound hook
of some fifty pages, with photographs of
the various leaders and performers of
the evenings entertainment, scores OF
some of the airs or the travesty as well
as many OF the verses of the lihretto
The work. Is a gem of the printers ard
Photographers art. and. being the pro-
duction OF a Seattle firm. has an added
value placed on Ii as the result.
AT the close of the first act loud calls
were made for Mr.. Ceilings. the author of
the libretto. On his coming out hand
some floral scroll with the initials s. A.
e. In red and white roses. the whole
standing three feet in height. was passed
over the footlights to the blushing young
man. He made neat little speech thank
ing the audience on behalf OF the club
for the kindness with which 1t had re-
eefyed the first act and its liberal patron
age. The speaker was happy in his
delivery and his remarks were we'll re-
ceived and loudly appiauded
The general excellence OF the travesty
and Its production makes IL difficult TO
point out any one person In the cast who
excelled over the other. There was a
spirit of unanisnity perceptible in one and
all TO which much OF the suc-
cess OF the advertisement is atfribu-
table. All strove to do their best and
all succeeded 10 the full anticipation of
that vast audience. The play abountiea
IN musical selections whose catchy tunes
VIII make them popular. The dancing OF
the young men was feature as pleasing
as 1t was remarkable. especially the
moonlight dancing of the eight fairies I'm
the third act with changing calcium light
effects. which was SO realistic and per-
feet In execution as 10 cause many In the
audience 10 doubt that they were Soung
men. believing that the club had smuggied
eight handsome young ladies as sub
ssitute.
The comedy element OF the piece was
IN the hands OF Nr. III. v. v. Bean and
Mr.. George Noble as Bottom and Puck
respectively. and the characteristic dry
hnuor OF each kept the audience In good
temper. Mr.. Bean had good conception
OF the avaricfcus Bottom ami introduced
a number Of catchy songs. his best effort
being 3 topical song on current events
that caaght the house and secured for Il
several encores. AFR SosSe as Puck was
robust and hfs ease and excellent voczii-
xasion added fc-ce 20 the part. SIR =.
W. Clayton has a good figure and srIen-
fia baritone voice that waS heard 20 good
efect 80 Theseus. the Duke Of AtheysS.
sfr. William 4 Collins as pyramus ard
Nr. Frank r. rngerson, the tso levers
o. their various parts ami secured hear
~ reeognision sor sheEr ssrg-
Ing Ths female PORTION OF the cast,
howeser, secured the Creates aetsnsIon
ard created the rsSst rsc~rfm@nt, All
were made up with p0wfer ard wigs 20
an ssxte<sx sEsas made eaea actually F~.stg
MIR Gilbert r. Smith "a Thisbe. ard Mr.
Harry Fresser!rk as Hernia fully SHARED
the h0rors IN this respect az welg as for
the excesl@ace q fresr singing ard act
sEs-. Easess had agnsasexi the ways.og wgs-
rvszr4tss ~ rsvFs~+sss., though eessz~s tsvsnu