The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1906-09-30

Question with: 81 can scarcely hope
40" dramatically critical turf
gambler put it: Can you dope IL out
thar bony Annie-no. didn't say DON
ME Annie-Lan you dope 1t out that I
bony Annie can strip for PUCK anu
win? I'm marking her for q loser
II Is the custom of centuries to as
sign childishly small and smooth Wo-
men to embody the fairy boy. Annie |
Russell has not taken on an ounce or
flesh, although she has grown two
Incnes taller since quarter OF cen
fury ago, when she had to lengthen
her off-stagc skirts to appear as Es'
meralda. Meanw lille she has had two
MISUNDERSTANDING Eugene PresbreS
and renarrying with Oswald Yorke;
she has seen her brother Tommy grow
into a dim recollection OF his infantile
lille Lord Fauntleroy; she has kept
sweet SO long that her girlish sugar
has proved It's il.aD.lltv to generate
matronly acid: she fas developco
striking sac'al resemblance TO SANITY
Mrs Gilbert. her public ana prNa.c
co,unanion; and now this gentle Annie
Of many demure roles, steps forth as
Puck, that Cupid turned devilish! 10
| N any wonder that the professor was
unable to imagine her exposed as tne
| impish urchin. or that the gambler
couldn't dope 1t outT
| we'll Miss Russell tricked and fooled |
the audience neatly as TO her appear
lance, and nicely as to her perform
ance. She did not attempt to make her
puck look like a habyish boy. scant
of both care and clothes. but like a
youthful court Jester ample OF RAJ
ment. and somewhat satanic In his
lrogueries. She hasn't the natural
equipment for great actress, ana ner
weak voice has acquired no eioculon-
arv skill; so she can be liked aHec~
ltionately as Puck. but not praised con-
lscientiousfy, for her speech not only
loses many meanings, but leaves whole
iseptences inaudIble. she is all the
thine charming sight. though
Isprightly, graceful and pantomimicaily
graphic.
This Puck is wired for both light
and power. He makes his entrance
from afoft, alights on the branch OF
tree. flies across the scene to a moss
hank which the tips of his toes barely
dent. and settles down on the GROUND
as though exempt from the law OF
0ravitation When Oberon SENDS MIN
lon an errand. he speeds away through
the air in a way that makes the Slro-
ling Of the earth in forty minutes seem
an easy flight for him. We nave nao
aerial ballets, and Maude Adamss Pc
ter Pan rides Invisible oroomstlchs' Du.
here the mechanical and acrobatic Ieat
has the aspect of fantastic Illusion. Al
the touch of his wand flowers glow
with their colors in the night, anu
when she waves 1t nrenies twinkle IN
1.-The verdure He leases an owl ana
lie aves shine weirdly In the episode
of LVsander and Demetrfus's encounter
In the enchanted forest-When they
Rrope In the darkness to hnd ana hght
each other in rivalry for Hormla' anu
are led hither and thither ny the , o
Icentfve voice Of Pucl<@nis impish race
shines family into sight when all else
lis black. with pnosphorescence OF
spooky deviltry.
Aueustin Daily used TO embellish "A
Midsummer Nights Dream" elaborate
liy, and Nat Goodwin spectacuiarlzed IL
Iextravagantly three years ago; but TOT
lartfrl recourse to the electrical de-
vices of stagecraft this work by Wag-
lenhaIs and Kemper surpasses Belasco
! land equals Irving.
| In Shakespeare's own productions OF
. his plays the low comedy passages, i
, have no doubt. were actei at the 'front.'
edge of the stage. while the nam
; Ispace was being prepared for ensuing
. scenes; and as no curtain WA USED
AZ is easy, to imagine tins audience d.
yiding it's attention betweel. the com
edians and the workmen behind them
besides divertinE themseiv Ths > Wrh
shakespeare's stop-gap clowns were
permitted to fool and drivei COMO
ouially AS an unhappy consequences.
and lacking the bravery TO disregard
/ the boresome Grumios. Peters Plsto's
ana Bottoms of Shakesp are, as EiIz-
, abethan audiences probably dlu' We
ladjectly grin and bear HON. That IS
, my single opinion, undefs-r TAI end
, YOU don't have to agree WIFI me-
An actor as experien, I'd as Nat
Goodwin fancied that ne could make
a star character Of Bottom in "A N!d-
, summer Nights Drma." On thu tr'rd
night. coming Off the s'e2e OF Hct-
: tomss transformation into an ass. lie
, flung aside the beasts head with a
violence that threatened 10 Smash lts
inner toggery.
/ amy actor who enjoys working
iackass head has one of his own" he
exclaimed. 81 don't-rm done-and
Won can hire some boy for a dollar
night to pull the strings in that damn
ed smotherinR old prop. I'd rattle:
double up with a rival star to work
an entire donkey-and I'd give him
the front legs at that"
OF course Goodwins chagrin came
of finding out that no actor-especial-
llv not he, with his modern manner Of
burlesque-could force Bottom into
dominance. In the present company
there Is a John Bunny to play the
mart with an obsolete sort of dro .lary
, that is accepted as truly Shakespear-
can. and is much applauded. II the
makers OF stage props for Elizabethan
theatres had been as ingenious "a
those we have now the ass head that
Bottom wore would have held the
peoples attention from the setting Of
scene. and even from the cakes and
ale Bunny's donkey ways his ears,
winks his eyes. has mouth that grins
and a whole face that grimaces, And