River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1898-09-01
The Waldorf Co. in Twelfth Mont.

a houseful Of people greeted Miss
Waldorf and her support in their pre-
sentation Of Twelfth Night" at
Opera Han last Thursday evening.
The crowd came together expecting
great things Of the company, and it
went away thoroughly satisfied. The
play was presented with capital skill
and energy: its action was facile and
strong, and the individual acting, to-
gether with good costumes, effective
grouping and agreeable music, gave
the entertainment distinction and
charm rarely known outside the
centers Of Metropolitan opera.
Twelfth Night" as one OF the
company aptly observed, is distinctly
playing play in contrast to the
more numerous reading plays that
60 to make up the greater mum Der Of
Shakespeare bright GALAXY, It's
watchword throughout is action"
not the extrayagant and mechanical
clashing Of the modern melodrama,
but the clever and captivating action
that goes with human wit, the hazard
Of passing events and the drollery Of
inebriates and court-fools. 1t was
this action that made the play so fas-
cinating, and at the same time SO
difficult OF presentation. And it was
Just here that the marked difference
between the amateurs-eYen the best
of them-and the professionals was
most clearly seen. Several Of the
amateurs did such exceptionally good
work that they could easily have
measured with performers of less
artistic attainments than of Mr.. Nc
Way, Mr.. Dunn or Mr.. Hernandez and
suffered nothing from the compari-
sion. But beside these gentlemen
and their principals they fell far
short. This much needs to lie said in
order to justify the double standard of
merit that such a comment as this
must necessarily entertain,
For Miss Anna Dodge did 50 re.
markedly well as Maria that her act.
ing was constant delight TO witness
1t was full Of grace and simplicity
and was so delightfully."- vivacious that
when one applauded he wasn't Away,
quite sure whether it was Sir Toby
Sir Andrew or the maid that pleased
him most. Charles Puryes as Sebas
tian was another of the amateur,
| who carried out his part With eXcep
tional ease and finish, and made {
| good counterpart to Viola. w. f
| Morgan looked well as the Duke and
had a good memory for his lines, and
PercyAp Roberts as Antonio gave hi.
speeches with a great deal Of zeal and
appreciation. Clarence S. Dodge
who is as versatile as the winds, took
the lines Of Fabian with characteristic,
cleverness. though, Of course, like
little Billee, he was, in this instance
the lesser one of three" Mis-:
Matte Howe, II w. Radcliffe anC
Frank White all performed theil
parts to the satisfaction of those
concerned.
And now for the real actors and un
doubted artists Mr.. Dunn, as Sil
Andrew, surprised even his heartiest
admirers. His acting was immensely
effective and left nothing to be de
sired; in the duel scene in particular
he had the audience all his own way
He and Sir Toby made up a team oil
jewellers that could keep things lively
| by the half-hour. For it is in the
part of Sir Toby that Mr.. McVay fits
to a dot. He is precisely like the
picture; he is the real thing in the
real age-a lively portrait Of the past
Mr.. Hernandez did the same capital
work as the clown in this play, that
brought him so much favor after he
had played Tombstone at the grove.
In the role of Olivia Miss Boyer
found even a better chance to display
her talents than in the character of
Celia. In either one or the other,
however, the person that the audience
saw and enjoyed was not Miss Boyer
but the character of the book. And
in this size showed the excellence Of
her art. Her Olivia was both lofty
and gentle-a thing Of comfort and
command. 1t was invariably de-
light. Mr.. McGregor had a very dis
tinct conception Of the part of NAL
yolio and carried it through without
flaw. The part was not, Of course
SO winsome as Orlando, and mary who
had seen the contagious ardor OF the
forest lover found little to charm
them in the eXtrayagaut self-esteem
of the hOdse steward, though they saw
a great deal to admire in its consistent
presentation. The part was given
with faultess elegance and skill.
Miss Waldorf, as Viola, was superla-
lively charming Everything that
she touches on the stage thrills with
the shock of genius. The look that
came over her face as she recognized
Sebastian in the last act gave one
shiver that will not be forgotten in
this season or The next She is so
sensitive, SO robust and so gay that
she appeals to all the faculties at once
and lifts her audience, with the ease
Of laughter, into the intricate beaut-
les Of her part.