The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-11-08
MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR"
sHAkESPEARE'S COMEDY GIVEN
ATT BE NEw THEATRE.
the Be8inninx sf the Regular season
Full strength ef Theatre CoSapan,
4 Spectacular Reproduction me
scenery and Costumes Are Accurate.

sceaery and Costumes Are Accurate.
he New Theatres second season be-
gan formally last night when The Merry
Wives OF Windsor was performed Tor
the first time in several years IN this city
IL appears that the production OF Naeter-
linck's nllegory. which did so muc Tor
the repute OF the pretent,ous playhouse
was onl preliminary 70 the serious
work Of the year. which began with
shakespc rc last night The piece was
acted in accordance with an official "S'
lanation In the manner of fare" which
seems about the only possible spirit in
which the work could prove acceptable ~
audiences OF the day
Louis Calvert appeared last night IA
Sir John. Edith Wynnc Math'son and
Rose Coghlan were Missrsss Ford and
His'rsss Pa0s. and Leah Baternen- Hunter
vas Anne Page. Then there wer" Frank
Gilmore. appearing for the first time IN
the New Theatres forces. ns F"nfon.
Ben johnson M Shdlloe. Ferdinand
Gottschalk ~ Slender. Albert Bruning
~ Sir Hugh Erans with John sutherland
Steward Baird and John Tansey IN other
roles The appearance Of Mrs Sol
Smith a. ame Quickly added an addi-
tional note Of historic interest TO IN" cast =.
Tn" Gle tlemen Dwelling at Windsor
were Leo Baker "a George Page ard A =
An.on "a John Ford. Tn. arrangement
Of tn. play used Lac, night consisted u
two acts and eleven scenes
II mas been twelve yeas sine thus com
edy Of Shakespeare has had any amb'-
tio,ls performance IN New York George
~ Il. n.A L., Har,N-
and Mrs Gilbe-t acted af Daly's Theat -
in isas in a revival OF the piece thai wa7
quite powe-less to a-ouse any deg'es ~
public interest in the deraying fortunes
81 the playhouse in which II was given
II might be added that the representation
would have reflected little gio.'y on the
institution at any time. -Four yeas la'"
the induS;rious ren-y v. Donne'ly gaze
the play a week q hearing al the Mu sy
Hill Thea; The last preceding reviv al
Of any import ance before Augustin DAILY .
effort was made by ". Il crane at he
Sta Theatre. when cu'!ouSly enough
Hamilton Bell. who was responsible
Tor the visual beauties @! the rep-es"n-
tation last night. also designed the dresses
Of the players.
So the New Theatre took the comedy
al the psychological moment II ~ TO
be- assumed OF course that sGch long
absence from the stag may ~het N"
public appetite for the WORK Yet II
would seem that possibly even longer
abstinence might me- necessary to max -
this generation hunger for the hurnor
Of ST. John FdITcF. I'D playgoars can
still! recount with enthusiasm thd delight
they took in the hunor Of James
Eackest He must verilv have been a
genius to e., real fun out Of the fat night
That was the thought that impressed
itself on the audience las, night with
such an accom- Dlished actor in this role
as LOUIS Calvert His acting was &C
ceptabie but the degree OF amusement
ne provided for the audience may be
judged from the fact that not ripple OF
InuS nter was hea rd until ne was crow ded
linen
When has there been a genuinely comic
FdladE in our time The present writer
confesses to having been moved to laugn-
ter py only one. hat was Victor Name
IN the opera by Verdi which tine Tbrs' let
so respectfully perverted from shake
,pearr'- original In the hands Of the
French barytohe the Obesity and the
bra gadocio. the in-briety and the vanity
III ruisd were the inspiration tn eN-
uuI-lts. fun. The actor wa bulky enough
in person To create the illusion Of MS fat.
but hl- method of indicating the huninr
OF the part was eAuui-iie'v delicate.
William Crane IN order 10 Impar' a sense
Of weigh had to fill II and thus burrtened
himself literally with 50 much padding
that ih. audience seemed much de-
pressed A. he did George tlark"- rather
nard. dry personality had Of course moth
ing IN common with the character of
E'ais,1 although he acted With -SIll.
.y.Vy ma. MAJ n ll
second visit to this country. ne reveiied
nj Cour-. IN the opportunities To- buiid
up physique and compose mask
s,Ilted to this historic stage character.
10 hls makeup was triumph and hi.
performance poss.s-t'i IN. sam" rich
COMEDY that irradiatc- from the giant
IN tho pantomime. To the credit Of
Henry Donneily. who had 10y nature
much ~ the humor and JUNCTION and even
some share Of the avoirdupoIs Of the
character. II must be said that his pcr-
Torrance possessed NOR" ot the spirit
OF the character than any other en-
hodiment save that Of Victor Maure!
There were causes beyond his control
which prevented Mr.. Calvert from realiz-
ing all that the character may Offer Mrs
'!ol smith NJ Dame nsJckiy has not the
physical force to- MAKE that sturdy old
woman more than faint silhouette
Her intentions were evidently good. hut
the scene between her and Sir Jonn before
Mr. Calvert suffered from TN. tempo Of
the performance. which was slow enough
70 h., fatal TO the roIgh gayety indi--
pensable to its enjoyment. Where he
started out in pride 20 strut to his appoint
ment with Mrs Ford he was hidden from
the view u the audience 10y the vine
covered railing about the inn. similar
error Of stage mana cement ob-cured from
view the delight of the two scherning
wives as they watched from Mrs Page
house the visit Of Dame Quickly to the
assembling knight.
The failure to build up climax tn this
episode had it's effect in depriving IN.
scene in Ford's house 81 Its necessary
activity and hustle. That went very
lamely The first exhibition of amuse-
ment came with the attempt Ia hide
Sir John The entrance 81 FOrd's friends
and their search Of the house crea ted no
effect. Perhaps tho brilliancy of This
scene in the opernsic veralon ~ the play
was in a measure responsible. for this
impression Yet the audience IA n who'll.
eyinced little interest in a.
What hisfrionic honors tho evening
brought went 10 Rose Goghlan for her
an, hori,atiye and buovani acting a.
Mrs Page II was n delight 80 listen to
81. b.a,,sf ful ynirssa and IiCf ion Of 81.