The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-09-02
NEVER EQUaLLED HERE
ssThe Tempest. Far Beyond
"Midsummer Nights Dream
In Spectacular Effeets-AlI Elk.
tremely Beautiful.
Large Audience Sees the Performance
Opera House Should Be Crowd
ed Tonight and Friday.

The audience which comfortably fill
ed the Grand Opera House last night to
WITNESS The frs performance of Shakes
pedre's Tempest" saw an amateur
spectacular production which probably
surpassed anything of the kind ever at
tempted in Topeka before
The coStuming of the piece was in it
self elaborate, and the light effects were
aduira oily handled The work eff the
$50 children in their varied dancing and
fairy chCruseS was excellent, and called
forth the heartiest applause from the
audience
1t is not often that a spectacular pro-
duction in which as large a number as
one hundred and fifty children partici-
pate can be carried through in a har
moniouS manner, but this is what Miss
Brown accomplished in the Tempest
last night All of the children in the
Production worked together in the
canoes and choruseS in almost perfect
harmony, and this, probably above any
thing else, made the audience an appre-
cIatIYe one.
With the plot of the Tempest every
one is familiar. and in it ample oppor-
tunity is given for the spectacular ef-
fecus which were introduced last night
In the first act a number of pretty fairy
groupings are effected, and the second
and third acts are repIete with spectac-
ular features
The entry of the spirit .'AEieT' in the
first act last night was the signal for
the first enthusiastic applause of the
evening simultaneously with the COM
nand of Prospero, the audience saw a
little form in flesh colored tights and a
corsage of spangIes, bearing a tiny pair
of wings on his shoulders float out from
the top of PTospero'S cave in wreath
of light and descend to the stage floor.
This was Master Melville Wood of Law
renee, who is a reularka BILE child actor.
Although but six years of age he goes
through the lines of the fairy god with
out faIter or break, and the different
expressions on his dimpIed face as he
talks with Prospero are in themselves
a study At the end of the second act
he fOatsd over the heads of the dane
ing fairies from one side of the stage to
the other, and at the close of the third
act he swung over the center of the
stage seated in a star
The work of the "A girls in the Anna
zon'' march in the second act was OF a
class hardly to be expected of children
With perfect time and in accord with
one another they executed the difficult
maneuvers of the march, and at inter-
walls suddenly formed battle tabIeaUx
on which were thrown varied tints of
calcium light. The entire effect of the
march was pretty. and the girls left the
stage to the sound of prolonged ap-
plauding-
In the second act the Dance of the
Demons" was also produced, and like
the other spectacular features was adj
mirabIy handled. At the call of a de-
mon who suddenly appears in the midst
of viands spread before the King of
Naples and his followers, two huge dra-
CONS with monster heads CT awl from the
scenic rocks at the sides of the sta ge.
Slowly they advance until their writh-
ing bodies are in full view of the audi
auce, and then, Instantly, the bodies
break into twelve demons, leap upon
the stage and commence a wild dance.
Above their heads ire-fiies move to and
fro in company with their movements
This closes the second act.
In the third act PrOspero exhibits his
power over the spirit inha bitants of the
island, and here the heavy spectacular
work OF the piece occurs At his call
Iris suddenly appears in a shell har-
messed to dolphins, and from either side
at her command appear Ceres and Juno,
the former in a car harnessed to pea
cocks, and the latter in a car drawn
by fairies. Follow ing tn cir entrance the
Dance of the Seasons commences.
This is one of the prettiest features of
the production Each season is repre-
scented by six girls, Spring in green with
apple blossoms, Summer in white with
pink roses, Autumn in black and gold
with yellow chryS anthenunnS, and Win
ter in white frosted dresses carrying
muffs. The entire dance is beautifully
executed, and formed one of the most
pleasing as well as one of the prettiest
features of the production
In the last act the Jester dance" by
Catharine Ellison and Mabel Breftenau,
and the Electric dance by Carol Ba-
lxer and GfoIdie Duncan are also intro
duced- In the latter dance small in
candescent lights arranged on the cos
tunes or the Two girls become luminous
at intervals
The play of the Tempest" is well ia
ken care of by the east which Miss
Brown secured AS Miranda Miss
Eva Brown of Lawrence easily secured
the honors, appearing to excellent adj
vantage in that part
The boxes were pretti1y decorated in
the Festival eolors, and here the F'es-
tival Queen and the members of her
court witnessed the production
The Tempest will be repeated to-
night and tomorrow night, and the en-
tire proceeds less expenses will go to
the Floral fund
The following is the cast of the"Temp-
est as put on last night:
King .---...---- II A E1Sner
PrOSpero ----------.-.-.-'.-- T. J. w mite
Sebastian ---..--..-....Adr1an sherman
GonzalO -.--.---...---.--E- w Dennis
Ferdinand --.---.-------5 =. L. COVER
ANTONIO - dGk newman
Tr1nculo JULIUS wedding
SCepnanO Ed EppS
CaIiban ..........-......J. E. Morgan
Miranda Miss Eva Brown
Juno Miss Pearl Prescott
Ceres Observation-Disclosures Miss Vera Low
Iris ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Miss Edith Niles
Ar1e1 BdDy WOOD
The following are the children who
appear in the production:
H NJ 1T1NT1 T