New-York tribune., 1906-09-22
DRAMA.
THE AsTOR THEATRE OPENED.
"a Midsummer Nights Dream. 7"

new house and pleased by the pictorial ernbelish-
inent OF the old play. The conspicuous merit Of the
theatre is simplicity OF ornamentation. The auditO-
rum is-as Il should be.-cOmparatively plain; the
effect Of brilllancy being reserved for the stage
Two defects Obtrude themselves which could read
/ iy be removed: the huge cages that depend from
the proscenium arch needless ana ugly. and the
border upon the curtain. showing a medley OF
/ reptiles and british masks. IS hideous A hint
might well have been taken from the song OF the
| fairies at Titania's couch:
You spotted snakes. with double tOnsus
Ihorny hsdgehogs, be not seem
Come fairy Qussn
WsPyi9s r55s S spiders ,H cone me- no; .I,s here ,
Worm 'feS nor mail P's5'n 60 no of St,.nss nssf'
Descriptive commendation Of Shakespeare's ex-
Quisite comedy would be paint on the lily, and that
has been designated by the poet himself as ridicu-
lous excess. The choice OF a play by Shakespeare
10 open theatre that pretends to be true temple
OF the drama shows the right spirit and is much
70 be praised Shakespeare's Dream" indeed. Is
not the most flexible of his plays. in the hands OF
either the stage manager the actor; but It's
anurement is strong. and perhaps the selection OF
II is good any that could have been made.
Made. at any rate. II has been and the result. in
general. Is public pleasure
Readers OF Shakespeare are aware OF the afhuent
and delicate beauty OF this comedy.-its Eymmet-
rcal form; its pure spirit: its abundance OF diversi
fed character; its luxurant fancy its rich. droll
humor: its harmonious verse and fits exceptionally
eloquent strains Of splendid description. There is
excess OF rhymed passages IN II. and its story
OF the lovers bewilGered in the woods becomes
little monotouous; but IN its dulcet texture the
loves Of earthly beings deftly twined with the
chickering's fairy potentates. the benignity and
ingenuity OF guardian sprites. the pranks OF hob
goblins and the comic proceedings OF kindly Doors;
the fourfold story is gracefully told; and sweet
and charming Illusion is skilfuly created and even
ly sustained It was long ago urged that. since
the stage Is picture without perspective. an ideal
subject cannot be suitably presented upon II; in
other words the imagination exacts more than any
spectacle can ever satisfy. To a certain extent
that is true; but the OF the stage
siderable. and surely ideal subject should not
be rejected because OF the difficulties that oppose
complete presentment OF f. No theatrical display
ever did, can. literally and perfectly re-
produce the imagery OF Shakespeare's Dream"
That imagery. however. can be suggested; and
reproduction that even suggests so much beauty Is
a public benefit
The Astor prsssntnent does not equal the Daily
pageant that was displayed here eighteen years
ago.-in which the moonlight effects were superb;
in which there was a wonderful show OF fairies
ana goblins, disclosed through heecy mists that
sparkled with glimmering hrefies; and In which
(as in the Hayes production. made under Jener-
sons guidance, at the old Olympic. IN 1850 the
lovely Grecian landscape was revealed by pano-
rama while the barge OF Thessus sailed down the
silver stream 20 Athens But the Astor present
nent IS replete with light and color; oiversineo
with expressive groups; opulent with Greciah ap-
pareI merry with antics; and ninoIe WIN move
ment; and Il well deserves the attention OF AL
persons sufciently unsophisticated 10 enjoy gentle
loveIiness and innocent mirth The stress has.
mainly been laid the element Of spectacle
The pageantry involved IN the fairy circle the
slurnber OF the fairy queen. the translation OF
Bottom and the enchantment OF Titania- Is In
deed beautiful Most OF the poetry Is concentrated
IN these passages and likewise they harbOr the
meaning OF the play. Everybody remembers Land
seers great picture. Titania loves ass-tust as.
IN an older story. Pygmalion loved a stone
Shakespeare the first author that ever. IN
drama combined the feelings actions Of fairies
with those OF human beings; but his fairies
almost human The same web in which the four
human lovers are entangled also entangles Oberon
and TItania. They quarrel because OF Jealousy,
which is one OF the lowest and worst OF human
motives Even Puck resembles mschievOus boy:
there IS nothing about him OF my delicate Ariel
Still. IN the representation those creatures OF
fancy ought 70 be removed as far as possible from
the literal prosy realm OF common life. The whole
comedy is a whimsical dream. and the actors who
engage In It DO we'll 10 drift into the free and gay
mood OF fancy. The German commentator Clrict
was right when he said. OF this play. that life N
II appears in travesty.
The male characters implicated IN the love story
do not afford much scope for ecting. Demetrius
and Lysander. equally ardent and fierce, and about
equally selfish. are honest. manly youths abound
ing desire. but marked BY any striking1y dis
tin,tive attributes. Lysander Is the poetical
OF those lovers and he speaks the sweeter words.
Their chief business however IS 20 be sincere and
ingenious The female characters more dra-
matte Helena IS a noble afiectiOnate girl but she
Is a little warped from womanlike and dig
nity by the violence OF her infRtuatiOn Hernia is
shrewish. Notwithstanding her sweetness The i'm
perial character OF the play Is Theseus-stately;
self-possessed: magma aimOus: highly intellectual;
born 10 command: and as gentle he is wise.
Nowhere else in all the works OF Shakespeare. un-
less Il be in The Tempest" Is there such de-
lcious portrayal OF and happy love the poet
has accomplished in his picture OF the blissful
co-dance OF Theseus and Hippolyta- The dramatic
interest, nowhere very strong, IS largely concen-
trated on the humorous characters. who surely
divide It with the fairy king and queen Sef-love
was never more pungently sattrized than II Is IN
the character OF Bottom In the interlude OF Pyra-
mus and Thisbe-the fountainhead OF all English
burlesQue. For the perDlexed lovers, the salient
dramatic passage is The quarrel scene. For the
Athenian cIods the rehearsal (fuly intelligent
ana useful the rehearsals OF some contemporary
stage mRnRgersl. and the play some ten words
long" are the effective points: Gs indeed. they
for the audience Tho quarrel scene. last night.
was overdone. carried too far. made too literal
ana therefore prosy and common. Miss Proctor
should abate her catlke energy and virago excess.
This IS a poem, not q shindy. The Atheulan clods
were cloddish enough. Heaven knows. but they
were not in the least funny.
Bottom is incarnate self-conceit but not Of the
perky order. Slow. sapent. ruminant oily. his
humor is absolutely unconscious His dream
speech IN particular. reveals him Man is but an
ass n he go about 10 eXpound this dream Me-
thought I was-there is no can tell what!
Methought 7 was. and methought 7 had-but man
Is but patched fool II he viii OFFER 10 say what
ruethought had The eye OF man hath not heard
the ear OF man hath Seen mans hand IS not
able taste. his tongue 70 conceive. his heart