The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-02
THEATRICAL TREATS
Two Nights Of the ShakeSpearean
Drama in Anaconda.
RICHARD iii. AND ROSALlND
Thomas keene and Effie Eilsler to
Be Seen at Evans Soon
John Mcguire and HE
Lamented Pets.

So It IL a rare privilege that falls to the
lot of Anaconda play-goers when with
in q week such an actor as Thomas
Keene and such an actress as Fife
Ehsler appear in Shakespearean roles on
the local stage. Spectacular shows and
comedies come and go as the froth,
but the drama pure and undefiled still
remains. and tits this that is left In the
productions Of the Bard of Avon. so
seldom seen on the travelling circuit.
Keene Dc the only Richard III. as Miss
Erlsler Is ~to-day the only Rosalind.
These characters belong to them as
truly as Matthias OF the Bells" belongs
to Henry Irving or Cleopatra" to
Bernhardt.
Mr.. Keene appears as Richard on
Saturday night, Jan. 4, supported by an
texcehent company. with novel stage
effects and brilliant costumes, copied
from the oad-time chroniclers.
. Few men on the stage have had the
avaried experince of Mr.. Thomas Keene.
oAs a member of the old Wood Museum
company Of New York. and of the CAL
,sffornia Stock company he played every
athing In progressive order from panto-
mimic dumb action to the comedy and
tragedy OF Shakespeare. As a young
man no one was more favorably known
In the two cities, 20 years ago. The first
Init on his life was a dramatization OF
esZola's Drink" In the chief character
sof drunken maniac he seemed to
electrify his audiences, and II brought
him at once among the front ranks of
1.-The melodramatic actors of America.
well tempered ambition was always
"a prime factor In the actors nature.
Clever judges detected at once in him
the material for a great legitimate star
and 1t took form in bringing him before
the public in the greatest historic play
Richard Ill" His success on the
first night was a triumph. 1t was so
full of character, of dramatic novelty,
of fresh Shakesperian thought and
power. that it was declared an event of
the stage His rendering of the part
was so unlike all predecessors that
many clever and fair pens tried rather
TO pull him down than to sustain him.
The people. however. believed in him,
and crowded his houses whenever
Richard" was on tn bills, and II Is
one OF the proud boasts of his profess
sional career that he has played the
part closely approaching 1000 times.
Many OF those judges of his early
work as a star are now enrolled among
Keenes warmest admirers and friends,
not only in this play. but in others of
khls! classic repertoire. ( Shakespeare's
Richard may not be absolutely a fact
of history. but true or not the great
author has so far impressed his crea-
tion upon the world, that the eyes of
the future win never recognize anoth-
er. Keene's Richard Is that OF Shakes
peare. 1t has been one of the import
ant studies Of his professional life, and
every fact of Richards turbid career,
from historic and biographical sources,
has been carefully studied and as faith |
fully produced.
opera house Monday night and will |
play Rosalind in Shakespeare's "As |
You Like It." |
II the great poet ever saw the role |
of his ideal heroine played to perfec- |
ton history has not recorded the fact |
In truth. II Is only within the last 80 |
years than any considerable number of |
actresses have competed for the honors |
or this wonderful creation and now |
the woods Cor rather. the forest of |
Arden) II full OF them. The fair Rosa
linds OF our day are the cream of the |
dramatic profession. but the fact must |
make US critical, albeit clever women |
have to yield the laurel to women more |
clever and among all this greatness /
the critic seeks to find the greatest.
A Nashville editor writes: Miss l
Ellsler's Rosalind was a revelation.
Only ModJeska Qf she) has surpassed |
the fair Effie's rendition In this city /
Minna Gale and Marie Wainwright, ar
lists as they are. fall far short of Miss
Ellsler's exquisite delineation and the |
peerless Rehan is not her equal At
bound she has reached a place among
linds. Her audience was captured at
z the start and held till the last words
of the perfectly given epilogue fell
from her lips. For the first time since
i sat In the pit. Nashville audience
kept their seats till the curtain fell
and failed to get up and put on their
wraps and witness the last scene from
the aisles. There is no fault to find
with Effie Ellsler's conception of the
role and no more with her interpreta-
ton. Dainty. sweetly dignified and
womanly in the first act and the epi-
1ogue: arch, saucy, piquant, yet withal
womanly in hose and doublet the bard
of Avon himself could not regret this
charming actress advent into Shakes
pearean roles. Her company was very
capable and gave acceptable renditions
of their respective parts. Her hus-
band. Frank Weston, was especially
good as Tombstone"
Katie Putnam will be the attraction
at Evans for Jan. 8, probably for sew
eral nights. Katie has a new play this
year which is highly spoken of by the
critics.
SAD GTRnDLE