The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-11-10

geous and artistic spectacles ever born from the shakespearian drama. And h doing go. nothing of the comedy was
 Tt It ma. may be questioned that in shake- speare's day the role of Puck was made the vehicle Tor Ths TShisplaying the left for the artists of modern days. But in Puck, Miss Russell has brought out and developed the character as few persons have endeavored. In her efSorts, sIs has opened practically new neld, and has given a new mean ing fo the play, The love affairs of Lysandsr ana HsrT,ha hs.s,,. o aele1s ea ta,n ana lyta, produced in all ndelity though they arc. take second place in Mid summer Nights Dream" of today. Puck and the Queen Titania, and the fairies but most of all. Puck, take the lead- ing place in the comedy as produced today, even as Shakespeare made them rule the destinies or the play when ne As Puck Miss Russell fills her role with the greatest art. Mischievous Puck, one moment dancing in elhn glee, the next flying througn the air. aiways | CT. always eerie. always fantastic, she displays tho greatest talent and has developed tie possibilities of the rols as. as. ] psrhsgs' pa' It has never been devel-
 The most effective scene of the play is that Just before the descent of the lcurtain cn tho final act Theseus and lhis court have witnessed the Thespthn sforts af Bottom. Qhince and his crew \ fn the erodu0tlofl o9 PyTamis and This pa, and have retired to the palace. The
 Ess soe m s' e: dSas purps a eaSapp Saappsasa sss Puck. playing his reed. For moment | he sits thus. Then. advancing to the center of the stage he delivers the pre- I tain fails, the last impression of the audience being the picture of Miss Rus sell as the imp of mischief, standing with an eifish; Eissd,ui "a sIfIls upon nsr
 But thouah tho play has been alt cred In triffBa so that Puck shall stand oabt oEt as has sne nsSsr beeR lSst o tSs | that comedy Is the keynote, and the comedy of ths Russell production Is brought out to it's greatest possibili- ' errors and love of Titania for the ass, as well as the rcugher. but more laugh able farce of Bottom and his crowe to the greatest degree.
 | The Shakespeare rule is that the play most have i've acts. "A Midsummer Nights Dream" however, ended natur. when the affairs of the lovers had been Istraighfened out. To complete the lplay. the Avon playwright added an Iother scene. wherein bottem ana ounce r.ss
 
 amis and Thisbe was merely scene
 written to fill up. In the Russell pro
 duction, however, the faEcical present.
 most mirth- producing of the four acts and the fashionable audience in tht
 Montgomery Theatre last night was fol
 twenty minutes convulsed with the com. edy of the scene presented by ths
 hard handed" actors.
 Of the stage effects in the Russel Iproduction only the utmost admiration can be expressed. In gorgeousness oi scenery, artistic development, and tn. work of the stage mechanic, It wai
 by far the most expensive and the mos
 original and unique production seer lhere this season. stage settings of ev'
 cry lscene were in perfect tone and ac.
 cord, and the side nttings were riof
 and luxurious.
 One of the cleverest devices of thu stage mechanic was that of Puck in thu 4tfhird act, where as the will Q the wisy he evadss the loyers lost in the dark Of ykhe forest.
 and from the night is heard the voiee
 of Puck calling to the wanderers lost | in the dark Mockingiy the Voice
 calls, misleading the lost Then one single spot of crimson shines through
 the dark. lighting the face. and only . the face Of Puck. suspender, appar'
 entiy, In air, the face moves from poini
 to point, evading those who follow dis appearing and reappearing, ever mock
 ingly leading them on, and ever van
 iShing into darkness, ghostlike, eerie
 elflsh and mysterious.
 Of the Individual work of the cthel l members of the cast, the word excel
 lent applied to all. Edward Mordan | played Theseus and presented hls rol'
 we'll The lines of Hippolyta, Queen o'
 the Amazons. his bride, were presented iby Anna Roberts. Oswald Yorke ant fl Lionel Adams played the characters o II Lysander and Demetrius respectively and the companion parts, those 0f Her fl mis and Helena. were portrayed Dl
 The work of Miss Proctor was espec
 ially fine, and fin the presentation Of hei l role, she proved herself an actress o
 more than ordinary starring capabil
 Queen Titania, of thA fairies. wal ably presenteh by Ina Brooks, whil'
 that of Oberon, her lord the King oi
 the fairies, was taken Py Edward Long
 man. "A the weaver, ase taken by John Bunny
 was most laughable.In the farce of Py ramis and Thisbe, he kept the audienc'
 convulsed. Thomag Coffln Cooke, for
 mer Montgomery boy, In the character
 of Quinee, the carpenter, was another
 who did his share, or more of it, 1T
 keeping the comedy character of th' production in the foreground.
 "A Midsummer Nights Dream" wal
 played to a capacity house. Every seal
 on the two lower floors was sold be fore the hour of the performance, anC I gallery seats were also sold to white | people. The audience was composed oi the flower and fashion of Montgomery
 A splendid special musical program | was introduced in connection with the ! play, including selections from Men | delssohn, Tchaikawsky and others: ' | avIyia Lynden in "Her Own Way ! wifi be the attraction night and mati- nee at the Montgomery Theatre today