The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-04-03
Attic l1SS

lEalG Eauv
Never before has Topeka had such a
unique Offering of drama and music as
the united "A Midsummer Nights
Dream" presented by the Ben Greet
players and the Mendelssohn score of
music which so enhances the drama
rendered by a complete Russian Sym
phony orchestra conducted by Modest
Altschuler.
An adequate conception of the magni-
tude and grandeur of such a production
is not formed upon first thought I'm
fortunately only one performance was
secured and that Friday matinee.
Yet the house was filed with lovers of
art as expressed in the composition of
Mendelssohn and the poetry of Shakes
peare-many of them from out of town
and the balcony especially, contrary
to custom, was weighted with those who
know art and the classic-those often
lcalled "Highbrows." A happy fore
thought on the part of the management
in announcing the beginning of the per-
Torrance for 2:30 with o'clock as the
intended hour precluded the agony of
the "aisle strutter'' with the result that
when the great Mendelssohn overture
Elm Sommernachtstraum suddenly
pulsed the waiting audience there was
no annoying arrivals to disturb the ap-
probation.
traordinary as to create tremor OF
awe throughout the country? 1t is be-
cause of the individualism of their chief
in his idea of the presentation OF the
Shakespearean drama. Ben Greet first
came to America from England seven
years ago Introducing the morality play,
'Everyman," with the famous actress,
Edith Wynne Mathison. as Everyman.
A secondary company presented the
play in Topeka several years ago. Since
h infrndnPtiOn ",
Ben Greet has spent most of his time
carrying out his idea of the Eliza
bethan stage in Shakespearian drama
This staging consists of two main ideas
the summer out of doors production
, which has chiefly made the Greet play
ers renowned and the bare stage, ex-
cept for the hangings of draperies, when
housed Unusual plays such as TWO
Gentlemen of Verona and the Merry
Wives of Windsor have been successes
of the Greet players and Ben Greet is
recognized as conducting a revival or
ShakeSpearean comedy.
For the present season Greet has con-
solidated with his company of English
players a complete, though not full.
Symphony orchestra to present the COM
edy, "a Midsummer Nights Dream
with the wonderful Mendelssohn COM
positions in honor of the Mendelssohn
centenary.
The overture" Elm Sommernachtstraum
inspired by the drama contains the
entire programme of the whole play
and introduces every action from the
signing of the loves and the dancing
of the fairies to the braying Of the ass.
score of years later the great COM
poser had been induced to compose the
remainder of the score. each compost
ton drawing its theme from the great
comprehensive overture. Now the
imaginative, fairy Shakespeare comedy
with the enhancement of some of the
foe mn
the artistic sensation of choice stages.
AS the low tones of the wood-wind
instruments struck up their hoi!oW,
plaintive, signing representing the low
ers, Lysander and Hernia fleeing into
the woods, the audience felt the thrill
of a mighty force and every ear was
strained to catch the story of the tones.
Then followed the entrance and play
of the fairies depicted by the stringed
instruments, the violins sustaining the
fairy, f1uttering melody, strings alone
being capable of those tiny intervals In
music to portray the dancing daintlness
of the fairy band. Measures We're devo-
ted to the ScherZo theme, the low class
or clown motive; a pair of bassoons fur
nished an appreciate imitation of an
ass braying; the "Nocturne, We'd
ding March" and all have their themes
! in that overture and each became
meaningIy interpretated by the orches-
ira. And there is a difference between
| leading and conducting an orchestra.
Modest AHschuler conducts his Russian
orchestra.
AS to the play itself without the mus
| ic, its reception is a matter of conjec-
! ture Critics have claimed it to be
| scarcely adaptable for presentation.
Surely the fantasy and fairies are an
excuse for the music. 1t is true the play
is one of Shakesepare's earlier works
| and flight of a youthful imagination
filed with fanciful poetry and an over
abundance of rhyme which style was
later abandoned-stin the rhyme is
nothing if not fairy-like and the excel
| lent reading and clear enunciation OF
the company saved any boredom on that
score A noticeable feature OF the COM
edy is the poets humorous treatment of
his own art.
| Ben Greet plays the role of Bottom,
| a weaver. one Of the "Mechanicals,"
who prepare a play to be presented
before Theseus, Duke of Athens at the
| celebration of his marriage to Hip
| plolyta, conquered queen of the Anna
IONS. The Characterization of the
rough leader among his kind was very
acceptable. A number of scenes being
omitted throughout the play, this
scene fell in by way of exposition ac-
| companied by the Scherzo or low
| clown music theme The March of
| the Fairies and the "Song of the
Fairies" claimed the greatest appre-
| citation from the audience because of
the many Temperatures of the motive
| throughout the score; the esthetic
| beauty of the fair haired, fairy queen,
| Titania Miss Ruth Vivian. And it
would seem that three of the very best
| of the cast are of the Vivian family
Ruth. as mentioned, Violet as Helena,
and George az Puck.
full woman ever on the local stage. 1t