The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-15
JtiF0fs riF ~ VrtitAIs -
LlEBA REAL FOREST OF ARDEN
"AS YOU,LIKE IT" on COLUMBIA'S
CAMPUS A GREAT SUCCESS.
The Wind Rustled the Real Foliage. ana
Real Doswood and Newly Cut Grass
Banked the Stase-Society There 70
See and Found Open AIR Drama Coed.


Part Of South Field, Columbia University
athletic ground. became yesterday after
noon temporary Forest OF Arden for the
production of the forest scenes OF As You
Like It." The play was given for the bene-
ct If the University Settlement kinder
gartens by a company made up largely OF
the actors and actresses who during the
last season have appeared in "Everyman. v
Mrs James Speyer had arranged for the
performance The players appeared by
courtesy of Charles Frohman.
The performance was the first Of such q
kind ever given in the open air in this city,
and 1t was an artistic as well as a pecuniary
success The western part of the field
was chosen for the open-air theatre. Sur
rounded by canvas walls il presentedaD q,
terror suggesting a circus But not SO the
Enclosure.
The stage. backed by trees through which
audience got Just a glimpse Of sky, could not
have been improved for the purpose Around
the rear and the sides of the platform, which
was banked in front with dogwood in flower
and spread with newly cut grass, was a
solid background of foliage and tree trunks,
lending themselves to the illusion much
more satisfactorily than any painted seem
cry, flies and backdrop ever did, The
wind rustled the foliage to add to the real
ism, and, for once. an audience saw AS
You Like 1t" performed in real set ting.
The seats were arranged in a semi-circle
on the sloping lawn with boxes at the front
and sides There were enough for nearly
5000 persons, and there were standees also.
Nearly every seat was filed and all the
boxes were occupied. All told, the au-
denoe consisted Of many more than the
5000 persons expected.
The list, of boxholders suggested an
opera or horse show list Among the
Mrs. William B. Leeds, Mrs. Vanderbilt,
Mrs. James Stillman, William C. Whitney.
James Speyer. Frederick Cromwell, Mrs.
rredsricK F. Thonpseni Mrs George J.
Archer NJ. Huntington, Mrs. 4. b. JUL
lard, Victor Morawetz, G. G. Haven. c. B.
Alexander, T. Jefferson Coolidge and Clar-
ence B. Mackay.
Most eof these ,boxholders attended the
were bishop and Mrs Potter. Mrs. Alf h1sd
Vanderbilt, Mrs. James A. Burden, Mrs.
Elliot F. Shepard. Mrs. Gouverneur Kort-
wright and Mrs Edwin Gould In Mrs.
Speyer's box was Baron Won Rheinbaben, the
Prussian Minister of Finance.
Members of the Columbia track athletic
team also saw the show, but they didn't
hear any of it because their view was OBJ
tanned from sort of deadhead hill. the
windows'of their quarters in South Hall,
they GOULD see all they desired from
the dome Of the library. but they were
disappointed, for they found the entrance
to that pint Of vantage closed.
The silefess OF the performance in a
little by the fact that, as in most open air
performances, the actors could be heard
but poorly BY those who occupied seats
back of the twelfth row. But this lack of
good acoustic properties was the OPEN
air theatres only drawback
Miss Edith Wyhne Matthison, whose
performance of the leading role in Every
man was SO acceptable, was the Rosaind.
To her EFFORTS, more than to those of any
OF her supporting company, was the sue
thisons work was excellent. In doublet
and hose she was charming. She spoke
her lines clearly and her acting was with
out effort.
In the earlier acts she lacked perhaps, a
touch OF the sparkling humor Of Rosalind.
but that came later in the play. Her scene
with Orlando at their mock marriage was
extretnely we'll done both by Miss Mat
thisoh and by Robert Lorraine, who played
the lover, and her delivery of the epilogue
won for her two curtain calls, if they can
be 50 called.
The remainder Of the company did it's
work acceptably. In the part Of Jaques
was Ben Greet the originator of these
out-of door performances in England, who
had charge of the production Yesterday.
Robert s, Pi9gott did we'll in minor part,
and Percy Waram as the supplemented
country pumpkin was laughed at heartily
for his eccentrcties.
There was only one thing in the perform
ance that didn't please the Columbia stu
dents present. Orlando did not carve his
Rosdlind's name on the tree Instead he
carried small bough and did his jackknife
work on that. The students had hoped to
have lasting souvenir Of this performance
IN their Uroi,pda