The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1907-01-29
.aIERRY WIVES or wlNDsoR.0

If Louis James was surprised tnat
the applause, which greeted his en-
trance in the first act or the merry
Wives of Windsor" at The Kentucky
last night. came chiefly from upstairs,
he will be relieved when he learns
that only about one-half the audi
ence down stairs witnessed his en-
trance. The vision or the others was
absorved in broad sea of human
backs and arms wildly flourishing in
distracting haste to get rid of super
fuous wraps and furs and overcoats
and hats, so that the owners of the
same, who made their entrance CO.
incidentally with Mr.. James, might
see the rest of the snow In comfort.
Those who arrived on time last night
wished Mr.. James some of the Mans
field spirit. If the curtain at the Ken
tucy theater is to go up at S;15
O'Clock, then all those who arrive
late should be compelled to wait in
the rear until after the first act. 9th
erwise, the curtain should not go up
until everybody is in his seat.
Even in his most farcical of come
dies Shakespeare draws his charac-
ters with .exactness, and there is
much that is human to interest an au-
dience in the Merry Wives of Wind
scr" when interpreted by an intelh-
gent, capable company such as Louis
james had with him at The Ken
lucky theater last night. Mr.. James
in developing the character of Fal-
staff has drawn heavily ON the second
part of King Henry Nv and taken
some of the best speeches out Of that
play to supply what he thought
might be lacking in the merry Wives
of Windsor" Then the latter has
been expurgated of some of its char
acteristic Elizabethan humor and
Strengthened out by acts and scenes
to suit modern stage conditions. The
result has been "a strengthening that
makes the "Merry Wives of Windsor
IA most interesting play. Mr.. James
Falstaif is a most human character;
in physical proportions historically
correct; in disposition true to tradi-
tion, in humor not the least lacking.
Mr.. James conception of the rollick-
ing. fat knight is almost ideal. Shar-
ing equal honors with him is Aphie
James as Mrs. Ford The gaiety of
this honest spouse and her companion
Mrs Page. who is ably portrayed by
Miss Charlotte Lambert, make the
play as a story. They are feminine
in their plotting, venturing even onto
the indiscreet in their merry mood
and hunger for revenge The parts
could not have been better assumed.
Norman Hackett in the role of the
Jealous Ford, PLAYS fellow to the
other leading roles and the natural
intensity of his acting furnishes a
foil for the merry villain and the
merry plotters. Paducahans were es-
pecially interested in the work of
Lillian Lancaster, formerly Miss
Flora May Clark, and her husband,
j. Arthur Young. Miss Lancaster has
"a small part, that of Sweet Anne
Page but it gives her opportunity
to display her talent, and her stage
presence and the reading of her lines,
gave the audience last night desire
to see "sweet Anne Page more often
on the stage. Mr. Young in the strut
ting part of pistol" the rather ques-
tionable follower Of Sir John Falstaff,
in voice and manner was the tradi-
tional Pistol of the classic stage.
Mistress Quickly. the roguish part as
sumed by Miss Nellie McHenry, whose
reputation in comedy has long been
established, put the audience in a
jolly humor in her scenes with Sir
John Falstaff.
Hanford's Opportunity.
The production of Julius Caesar
by Chas. B. Hanford Wednesday at
Kentucky. must Inevitably awaken