The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-05-15
AN OVATION FOR
G||:i'R|'|'E|| Il: PLAYERS.
s. As You Like It. and Twelfth telf,ttll
Night'@Botl, Wonderfully
Played.
PRODUCTION A REVELATION 4 ! !:
Mr. Grcct's "Malvolio" lis Un-
surpassed ~ Whole Company
4 Excellent.

IT'S fur cry from the lot OF, Franklin.
Street 10 the Forest OF Arden, and on
that account the more glory is duo Mr
Greet nntl his excellent company \ OF
players, who by sheer play Of art, brought
yesterday the mountain of Mohamet.
tho forest of4Arden. to Franklin Street.
With none Of the so-caled acccsslons of
the modern theatre, but playing III ma
t,lres thentre," under the shade of two
great spreading trees, upon primitive
stage strewn with grass, with only sweet
smelling cedar boughs as background,
with the intervals marked by the singing
Of old English glees, Mr. Greet pre-
scented the great comedy OF "As You Like
1t" as It had never before been played
In Richmond.
10 the lovers OF Shakespeare who had
seen the comedy a score of times, ana
upon, whose ears the lines OF the play
fell in a measure Familiarity the presen-
taton was a revelation, for the words
presented a new meaning and art ana
nature became 50 adrotly mingled that
the forest Arden Swallowed not play
ers, but living men and women. who
tested, jeered and loved as In the good
old daysgof long ago. til
Rare Treat Indeed.
1t would take more than printers INK
to paint picture OF the wondrously
charming comedy of nature--raturaAly
Splayed--for each one of the audience saw
it with the Imagination that was in him,
bounded by the ,limit ations of his mate
fnncV.s he thptE Crent Sma II. 1t5.
That It was a rare treat, none can deny
for the clever band of players with an
art near akin to nature. banished the
bricks and mortar, the noise and hustle
OF the surrounding city and swayed and
played upon the passions Of the audience
rs 1T liked. #i1. Il
a glee. marked the approach OF the
Banished Duke in the second act. for It
was here the comedy was begun, and
then followed the pleasing story: the
caustic cynicismo Of melancholy jacques;
the love song In prose of Orlando and
Rosalnd Of Celia and VI Oliver; the
humorous love of Touchstone and Audrey
and of Phoebe and Sylvius-four- sets ,of
lovers-the wise sayings of the fool, the
pathetic scene with Adam (Which part 1t
Is said Shakespeare once Played, ending
with the happy epiogue spoken by Rosa
lind. and a merry glee that died away
as the players left the stage.
Mr.. Greet objects to praise, and OF
criticism has no fear, but at least a
simple word Of appreciation may be said
OF his excellent 'Touchstone" and Of
the charming Ro3Ssalin,d, ~ Of Miss sybil
Thorndike. 4; syfI ge4qLif d
Mr.. Dallas Anderson, an old favorlte
here, when; he played with Mr.. Mans
field was delightful Orlando and, In
deed, the whole company Of players de-
served naught but praise.
Twelfth Night
! Twelfth Night in the evening, was, II
anything. more attractively played than
was LAS You Like It.
Darkness hit The houses surrounding
the lawn; the night was ecrfect, the stars
enough to rustic the leaves Of the trees
that spread across the open stage.
From Arden the scene shifted to 1llyria,
ground of cedar boughs and the scent Of
honeysuckle was the ga me as n As You
Like 1t. ",,gs
a sencoast. Ollva's house, the. Dukes
under the same great trees with only the
art of the actors to picture the scenes
There Sir Toby Belch; sir Andrew
Agnecheek. hes,sforerunner# OF LOB D
pompously strutted with his yellow legs
and his many smiles. and Viola In doublet
and hose kndled the FIRE Of love In
Olivia's breast and finally won the
! Dukes heart
! It was all so charmingly and perfectly
| acted that praise seems fiat and CONT
mendatIon ,,nprofitab Bile, but certain 1t Is
! that the "Malvolio" Of Mr.. Greet was
/ the perfection of art. a portrait drawn by
| a masters hand.
Miss Sybl Thorndke was quite as
! clever and as comely as Viola as she han
been in Rosalind, and the Sir Toby, or
| Mr.. Sydney Grecnstreet was as raj
| stafian as one could wish.
Splendidly Balanced.
Mr.. Cireet's players are by far the best resi-
balanced company that has ever presented q
Shakespcare'e comedies In Richmond, ana
the promise made by Mr.. Greet mat ne
| will return next year g something "eh
worth waiting n year for fulilllh EN- >. ),
A large audience witnessed .'rwelrl Y
Night" and applauded the performances
Mr.. Greet will play to-day at the Uni
| vcrsty Of Virginia on the lawn pet"ecH
| the chapel and the rotunda. -,
| In Washington this week Mr.. Greet VIII
| have a conference with Mr.. TUCKER, presi"
| dent OF the jamestown Exposition, reghrr t
| ing n scheme To reproduce the od WN-
| liamsburg theatre at the Exposition
grounds and produce the od plays mere.
| IT Is OF Interest to know that the dresses
| worn by RosHllnd In Celia In the last act
OF GAS You Like IT." were once worf, ny
| Miss Mary Anderson, who presented mem
10 Mr., Greet when shn retired from the