The Washington times., 1906-12-18

Annie RusseII's Puck is a surprise and
a delight.
The Wagenhals & Kempe- produc'
Uiou Of "A Midsummer Nights Dream"
which is az the National this week, Is
a lovely spectacle, set to the accom-
paniment of beautiful music, and played
with considerable vjvacIty and rollick-
ing humor. II has everything 10 recon-
mend it-splendid stage pictures, poetic
allurement. the witchery Of fairy charm
and fun. but IT lacks, somehow, some
where-illusion, CONTINGENCIES, sponta-
neiJy-a something compounded Of all
Of these which makes the peculiar
dream quality Of the play. The comedy
is a whimsical dream, the production
fails IN that Il is not exactly such stun
as dreams are made of. But perhaps
that is more than one has any right
70 expect, and If 1t fails there II sue
ceeds in other aspects
Probably because Of the eluslveness
Of this dream quality producers have
been prone 10 emphasize the spectacula'
element OF a Midsummer Night s
Dream" the paEeantry involved in the
fairy circle-aud the present production
does about all that can be done with
that. and does il beautifully. Colored
lights glow in the flowers under Puck $
kisses. an owl boots and blinks his
ewes, troops of well-trained elves and
fairies play leapfrog and dance and dis
port themselves enchantingly- 10 a curl
Gus soft. low grooming which is very ef-
feCtive
But all this is merely a setting for
Robin GoodfelloV. the frolicsome, kind
ly imp, full Of frank grace and sly IN
ventIon, and roguish humor perhaps
best Illustrated by his own declaration
And those things best do please me
That befall pTeposteTously-
And Annie Russell is Robin Goodfel-
low. the freakish imp full Of amiable
malice. teasing the bats and .-s owls
with impish delight. bTimming over with
whimsical comedy. creature - the
air, light of movement as thistledOwn-
PUCks long face fairly shines with
merrimeut In moment Of perpleNlty
he rubS an ankle with the point OF his
great toe. Again he rolls on the ground
in an abandon Of impish glee and wrig
giles one foot In ecstasy. He walks on
his heels with jaunty abTuptness. He
dances on his toes with the lighest. most
iuconsequeut EFaces. He is indeed the
meTTie WandeTeT of the night, now soar
ing 10 the tree tops like the very spirit
OF Joy. now Whtrllng at their roots with
the abandon Of the eddying winds. II
IS a compelling impeTsOna'IOn imbued
with the very spirit of poetry-and mis-
chief.
John Bunnys Bottom is perhaps a
triGe too broadly burlesQued, and Yet
it is so funny that one hates to find
fault But Mr. Bunny rather OverdOes
the fatuOus colossal self-sufficienCy OF
the weaver's part. He comes perilOus-
ly close 10 ClOwning in spots. and over
Celebrates the business And yet he
is a bully good Bottom, most absurd
lOut magnifcently dense, an ass on a
colossal scale who "Toars IL that viii 10
a mans heart good 10 hear
So do some Of the others. It's pity
that they don't read their lines better.
They read them intclligently, but there
is too much mouthing and spoutiDg.
atkins Lawrence as Agnes. VOciferates
when he IS supposed 10 be pleading.
Tho quarrel scene is too tumultUOUS and
noisy. Hermia'S speeches end IN
shriekS- She is too sheWishly siren
nous, too much the virago. Thomas
Coffin Cookies Ounce is legitlmately
funny and Miss Ina Brooks does tt
Il unexpectedly well.
But Il is the spectacle rather than the
supporting company that makes this
production delight-the spectacle the
Puck. and in 2 lesser degree the Bot
tom, make il distinctly worth while. The
sylvan charm Of the woodland scenes is
a thing to remember. the groups Of
trees. the shimmeTlnR splendOr of the
twilight land of faeTie: the distant
blowing Of the horns of clfland. and
rim ging through u all the weird. un-
earthly peals of Puck's ecstatic impish
glee-all these make q performance s0
thoroughly ENJOYABLE that II seems the
baSest fngTatitude to pick flaws in it,