Los Angeles herald., 1908-01-14
MAKES PLAY
A SPECTACLE
"ANToNY AND CLEOPATRA" is
STAGED ELABoRATELY
CHARLES 3. HANFoRD RETURNS
TO MASON
Will Repeat Drama Tonight and To-
morrow, Will Present 1.-THE
ShreW" and "The Mer-
chant of Venice"

Antony and Cleopatra, the third of
Shakespeare's Roman historical plays,
was the bill at the Mason last night.
The production is one o. great beauty
and is spectacular to a degree which sur
passes the highest expectations. 1t
shows the luxurious, enervating infu-
ences with which the Queen of the
Nile" surrounded her emperor and with
which she insiduous,y Slapped his mental
strength and physical courage Spark
ling wines, graceful dancers, music, flow
ers and love, with these lures and with
every vile which a clever and beautiful
woman knows, Cleopatra on the stage
last night seemed an ample excuse for
Antonys detection. Her temptations to
the softer, lovlier side of life We're so
enthralling to every one that it were
almost an easy task to forgive Antony
his cowardice when the stress of battle
found him retreating and disgraced.
Charles B. Hanford, who plays the
title role, is we'll known to Los Angeles
theatergoers, for he has been regular
visitor here for several years. His plays,
always classic and generally Shakespear-
can, are presented with great accuracy
and faithful following after the best
traditions AS a player he finds the role
of Antony a conrenial one. 1t is the same
dramtaic Antony who detained over the
dead body of Caesar and who said, Here
lies the noblest Roman of them all, and
he still loves a dramatic situation.
Hanford as Antony
Mr.. Hanford has fine voice and a
clear enunciation. He reads his Shake
speare intelligibly and intelligently. If
he seemed something lacking in ardor
when In company with Cleopatra, that is
presumably the result of the training of
an older school of acting when more
restraint in such matters was the custom
and when the realistic lovemaking with
which the ultra modern plays and players
have famiiarized us was unrecognized
among sticklers for dramatic etiquet.
Miss Alice Wilson, in the part of Cleo
patra, proved herself as well in this
classic drama as she has already been
proved in modern roles. The adaptation
of the play which Mr.. Hanford uses
makes the role of Antony the more I'M
portant one, and Miss Wilson has really
but two scenes. In the third act she is
most regal in her wrath when the mes
senger comes, bringing news of Antony's
marriage to Octavia. and she is effective
in the familiar death scene of the fifth
act.
John NJ Cline attracted much attention
in the role of Enobarbus, for he has
splendid presence and magnificent voice.
is tones possess volume and resonance,
as musical as a singing tone Marc An
tony's fellow triumvirs, Caesar and Lepi-
dus, were played by Alexander MacKen
zie and M. c. Stone.
Miss Sarah d. Biala as Chairman and
Miss Ethel Dunn as Iras, attendants to
Cleopatra, are both beautiful and grace
full young women, whose presence uEs~
the stage is a continual delight to the
eye. Miss Dunn is a dancer of art and
originality, and in the third act con-
tributed a solo dance which was greeted
with applause.
Ballet Is Picturesque
The company includes also a chorus and
ballet of 10th usefulness and beauty, and
the scenes with Cleopatra are all aug
meuted in their effectiveness by the
graceful posing and dancing of these
picturesquely CARRIED women.
The performance last night received
much appreciation and both Mr.. Hanford
and Miss Wilson were given several cur
tain calls in recognition of their artistic
Interpretation of their characters.
"Antony and Cleopatra will be the bill
this evening and the company will con-
clude it's engagement here tomorrow with
matinee performance of 1.-THE Merchant
of Venice and a night presentation of
1.-THE Tanning of the Shrew."