The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-05-13
! As YOU LIKE IT,
TW[|:..L|..f NIGHT
The Ben Greet Players Will Pro-
duce Comedies III Open
Air. u
A RARE B THEATRICAL !. ] e ; TREAT
Lawn OH Fra1klit, Between
shafcr and Harrison Will
Be Used.
A RARE THEATRICAL TREAT

! Ar Important event OF the week viii be
tho appearance OF the Ben Greet Players
| II open air plays Tomorrow. under, tho
auspices Of Miss 15llett's School. CAS-
You Like IT, Will be given at $3.50. ana
twelfth Night" at S:16, in natural
theatre at Franklin and shufer Streets.
| The company Is a large and reprcsenta-
tiv. one, and has long held u distinguish
ed position In England. The plays Will DO
given in natural setting appropriate to
i this atmosphere. III event of bad weather
! tile Masonic Temple Will be used
Ben Greet the English actor-managcr,
who will be seen In both open air plays
to. morrow, is especially notable for two
1 tl.ings--his devotion to Shakespeare and
i his antngonisln to the starring system. Ills
(san.bltion Is and always has been TO pro
1 Tee all thirty-slx Of Shnkespeare's plays,
i ana to date he has presented twenty OF
I them Ills pride In his company Is that
NJ one is starred Or featured" 'and
Everybody playing all sorts of parts Is
the text Of his work as stage director.
! He applies the rule to himself, and no
i man ut the head Of his own company
/ nlays such IL wide range of characters
i IN the way from Bottom TO Hamlet. And
| there was one occasion last season When
Mr.. Greet was actually detected as lowly
super but not CARRYING the proVero.al
| spear, for In this case II VAS 'la q ''iOt
b. airing a candle.
"Ben Greet Players"
II al, of tho advertisements it will be
| ncird / hat ."The Ben Greet Players ana
rot 0..Ren Cree t and his company Is the
announcement Mr. Greet not only de-
olli.es to star. himself, but to tell what
mart nj, or any other member OF hisScoin-
pdnyS plays Being under ms o"hnlu 1 s.,
ment. he can insist on this modesty iol
/ himself and his company. even III .i ii
land OF advertisers. i.
+. '01h,s Is Mr., Greet's fourth year In
Amo,.lca / and he likes 1t sa well is going
"a stay another. His connection win tl'e
i American stage. however, really star.ea
twenty years ago, 4 for when M' .,,.,
i palmer was touring England In MY
atra.theart.,, Mr.. Greet was the chief
/ comedian OF the conr&ny, playing u
I fouplsh part which he later resigned 70
favor Of Lawrence r. Orsay IN order
i IA ion Mary Anderson's company at the
i 1,yceun, Theatre, London. Our Mary
i was about to present Romeo and ) ul'et'
but found much fault with her Engl'sll
! company She had tried twelve stage
4 managers and eleven apothecaries, and
4 riyen them ali permission to Withdraw
! Mr., Greet was finally engaged for the
! Anothecary. and made a success OF i.
1,ater he was in Lawrence l3arretts
London supporting company. shorty,
afterward he started his no" n Il la nous 5s
open-airt Shakesperial1 performan ces' ana
1 thew brought the young act or-Hanagar
I immediate fame lgand nfprtupe:i 7i sum
me r. IA storal tour BECAME In the winter.
4! = regular Shaltesperean tour, and the
! Rem Greet Player soon had won a dis
l tinctive place in the English dramatic
world, 4 feature OF their tours were per-
! formances at the larger colleges. uni
i yersltics and schools, and IN this country
/ Mr.. Greet has given great NUMBER u
/ similar performances.
Man Of Many Parts.
1 Ben Greet Is man Of many parts. The
| finest school of acting In England Is the
Rem Greet "a caflamy, and from 1t have
| rrnduu ted many of the finest English
/ nlayers of the period. Many Of Eng
| lands foremost players gained their ar
tistic education under the direction OF
| Mr. Greet Whosis considered the greatest
J developer OF latent stage talent ana
genius In England. Sir Henry lryings
most gifted son, H. B. Irving, who comes
| "a America next year, and his wife,
| Dorothea Baird, who created the role
OF Trilby In England, Mrs. Patrick Camp
/ bell. Wynne Matthson, Robert Lorraine
| and even Katie Barry have much TO
| thank Mr.. Greet for.
Ben Greet combines sincere love OF
| the classic drama, with a very goou
| business head, and he has large interests
| in England. and at various times has
| made notable London productions, among
| them being 'The Lady Of Quality"
| Few have ever met Mr. Greet without
| falling under the spell of his wonderful
personality. There is not the slightest
trace of theatrical In his appearances.
Tall, we'll bui1, distinguished. with iron
grey hair and calm, unruffled counten-
ance, he is very reserved IN manner and
MODESTO an extreme His advance
agents hardest task Is to obtain photo
graphs OF him by legitimate methods. His
comments on correct theatrical affairs
form a dramatic education In themselves,
! and his taste Is far more catholic than
one would imagine from glance at his
repertoire. For instance, he Is very
ardent admirer OF both George Conan and
| Fay Templeton.