New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-06-25
THE SMITH COLLEGE PLAY
CONTINUANCE OF THE SHAKESPEARE
SERIES.
8 DENTS OF THE SENIOR CLASS II THE WIN
-ERs TALE"-THE QUESTION OF NENT
YEARS PLAY.

There are whispers Of doubt and apprehension
I'd a. Smith College, in Northampton Common
wealth OF Massachusetts, as 10 which OF the
stag. pieces written by William Shakespeare
al Be found suitable for presentation by the
senior class Of that seat Of learning on the
evening Of Saturday, June IL, 1900 The poet
.rconsideratey neglected in the writing Of some
q his plays 10 make them suitable for this pur-
nose some Of them are too largely military in
,be!r .haracter some are too severely tragic and
some are too this. that and the other. Worst Of
al The supply Of plays 10 which there Is no
possible objection has already been considerably
drawn upon by previous classes.
= mus; not be understood that the objections
~ various PLAYS are 10 any great extent on the
r.-t Il the student actors. These are young
women q unbounded ambition, and within the
limits II raidenly modesty, Of unbounded self
c5rodeuce They are talking little Of Ham
LET" Just now, il much the same way that the
dramatic club Of a college for boys would talk
u BOX and Cox" They admit with only a
moments hesitation, that they are not likely
10 try any on, Of the plays in which Falstaf
s.pears and the next minute they strike their
bearer dumb by suggesting that they might act
Twelfth Night and leave out Sir Toby Belch.
Leave out SIT Toby! Twelfth Night" without
Sir Toby
Of course they are not serious about that. but
the very suggestion makes judicous friends
feel that il is Just as we'll that the president Of
TIE college holds a veto power over the selec-
ton u the play and holds it, too, with no I'M
certain grasp. There IS talk also Of repeating
some play which a previous class has acted
This TOO. seems unnecessary to the outside OBJ
server and there is no instantly obvious reason
Why The supply should not last for half dozen
years more al least. There is yet other talk or
gong outside The Shakespeare list for pla..
This too. would be unfortunate because il
would deprive the affair Of one of It's best IuI-
poses. mat If causing the actors TO devote long
and Jealous study 20 some of the finest poetry
hat literature contains. Not with any work Of
any other writer in any language could this re-
suit be attained in SO full a measure
II was Vel attained this year The class OF
- chose To act The Winters Tale and there
is poetry in that which will be loved till the
human mind is SO changed that there IS no
place for poetry in it, The play was given on
Friday and Saturday evenings June 10 ana H.
a. they already know who read these columns
thoroughly. These same persons, If they have
been IN the habit Of reading these columns long
enough. also know, in general way Wha'
rlay Al Smith is like and how it differs from a
De SAID on these points II must always be re-
I-a,ed however for the benefit Of any VINO
ar not Impressed with the fact, that these per
forlrances do not pretend 10 vie with those Oh
professional actors. and that the only persons
who suppose that they do so are some misguided
enthusiasts who know more Of their TRENDS III
the cast than they do Of stage affairs ana VINO
belong 70 the class II closest students OF snake
fIeare who never Will be made 10 realize that
Shakespeare was a professional actor VINO
wrote his plays IN the full knowledge OF ms
business as such and intended them loI the
Use u professional actors. 1t is those VINO per-
sfst ID so misunderstanding the performances
VINO are cruel to the student actors. 10y setting
them i hopeless standard. and also for theIh
false one. instead Of recognizing the real aims
and judging the real results by those aims. Inc
purposes o. he students being what they are
Shakespeare should be- their first and abiding
friend II their purposes were What their ms
taken admirers mink that they are, the plays
Of Shakespeare would be the last things that
they should dare 10 touch.
Yet il is not surprising II the average audi
tor goes astray in his estimate After all. when
the play gets on the stage. il must be viewed "a
the play The audience. not having had the
weeks Of training that the actors have had,
cannot 50 easily perceive the labor and the
study that have gone TO make the presentation.
The spectators can look AT the play only "a
they would look at any other play. This IS not
fair. but for most - them. it is inevitable.
The Winters Tale" looked gloomy as its
name for little while. The play does not be
gin pleasantly at best, and Leontes is not a
person 10 brighten w any sort Of proceedings