The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-07-07
ADJUSTMENTS

4 -
Acndcmy-.sIoths."
Colonial-Cnmcra phone.
Observation-Disclosures.
CAS- You Like IT., Mt Club.
With the soft skies above. and moon
light silverfng LEAKAGE and grecnsward
a select, intelligent and genuinely en-.
thusiastlc audience assembled last
evening on the lawn at Commonwealth,
Club to enjoy the presentation OF "As
You Like IT," by the Coburn Shakes
pearean players.
The company had a delightful setting
for It's sylvan idyl There was no
stage. only the soft grass and the
shade OF magnolia trees to take one
In fancy back to the forest OF Arden
and the lovers whose rotnanccs were
enacted some hurdreds of years ago,
ment, through the agency Of just
the same people as those who told the
story last night
The arrangement of the lights was
excellent. The players costumes were
most historically correct. and the act
Ing so real that, as already intimated.
It did not seem acting at all. but just
chapter OF ideal forest life unrolled
before the eyes OF onlookers, who were
charmed with the realism OF the pic
ture.
or course the art that produced the
realism was fine art. Mr.. Coburn, as
Orlando, was revelation that salts
fled the most critical requirements
Miss 1yah Wills. as Rosalind. arch,
tender and bewitchins. matched Or
u ,,kl f,.1I o.
by the part OF Celia. as taken by Miss
Sarah whiteford. III short. the entire
company was so good and each did
so well that the impression made was
dependent not alone on individual ef-
fort. but by united and harmonious
working out OF what each contributed
as share In making the whole SO
perfect.
Mr.. j. ]. Kennedy. as the Duke:
Mr., Edwin Hunt. as Jacques; Mr.. Au-
gustus Duncan. as Touchstone. and Mr..
Henry Fearing. as Sylvius. along with
Miss Leona Radnor. as Phoebe, and
Miss Helen Harrington. as Audrey. de-
serve. however, special meed OF
praise.
The singing of the different songs.
beginning with Under the Greenwood
Tree" was one OF the most effective
features OF the play. the voices blend
ing in sweet. clear notes.
The seats were all filled, and the
audience rendered the most compli-
mentary and favorable verdict at the
close OF the evening. Throughout its
course, frequent outbursts OF applause
testified to the pleasure aroused by
the actors in their several impersona-
lions.
Certainly. II the coburn players are
as fortunate elsewhere as in Rich
mond. their Southern tour will prove
a brilliant success from beginning to
end, and the friends they won here
by their last evenings performance
good wishes.
Mr.. Coburn'. Fine Work.
Mr.. Charles Donville Coburn. indeed,
is one OF the few actor-managers In
this country. Born in Savannah. Ga,
thirty years ago he attended the pub
OF eighteen became manager OF the
principal Savannah theatre. For three
years he held that position. during
which period he was studying the act.
and preparing himself for the artistic
career In which he has achieved sue
cess.
In the Savannah days, Mr.. coburn
pleasure and satisfaction than an event
which occurred during Sir Henry
Irvlng's first visit. There are many
details. but the main point is that Sir
Henry. was so impressed by the ex.:
he went out to the box-office and con-
graduated the young man. at the same
time expressing his surprise at Mr..
Coburn's extreme youth. for such q
this friendship that continued up to tho
time OF Sir Henry's death, that Mr..
Coburn received so much encourage
ment to become an actor and later his
own manager.
This season the repertory Of the Co
It, Twelfth Night" and The Com
will begin about the first Of May. in
order that several clubs and societies
opportunity OF seeing those delightful
open-air plays, The summer lasts
hardly long enough to play all the
dates that could be booked, and IL the
demand keeps growing 1t viii necessi-
The plays for next season, In addi-
Ito ntoa those mentioned above. will
be "a Midsummer Nights Dream"
for. which. a ballet OF children and a
e eanF mnse IN
ius Caesar" and Browning's I'm a Bal
cony" will have their first production
out Of doors early next June, and there
VIII De one II or Two h performances OF
Much Ado About Nothing." It is also
interesting at this time to hear that
it has been suggested that Mr. Coburn
give THE Tempest" on jamestown
Island during the annual pilgrimage
of the Virginia Antiquarian Society
next May. This play will be especially
for that occasion through
the fact that Shakespeare received his
for It's writing from the
wreck OF the fleet bearing aid to the
colonists on the Bermuda Islands bear
ing on early Virginia history and the
Jamestown settlement
Tonight the company will play at
the Roanoke Country Club, and will
then play. through the Southern cities.
Knoxville. Nashville, Aus
gusta, Savannah, Montgomery, Bly,
and Memphis.
.sNloths"n Clever Production.
Moths, an emotional drama which
lays a grip OF iron upon the4heart, the
and the intellect and holds
this audience until 1.-THE final curtain
ia was produced for the first time
by the Giffen Company last night with
CURES