The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-05-13
Well-Balanced Cast Gives
Notable Production of
Shakespeare Comedy.
INDIVIDUAL HITS
BY MANY PLAYERS
Distinguished Audience Includes
the President and Mrs. Taft.
Sister Beatrice" Tonight.
By ]. R. HILDEBRAND.

By ]. R HILDEBRAND.
Twelfth Night one Of the first Of
ShakespeaTe's plays required 70 be read
IN college courses and one least likely
70 be seen acted in recent years. was the
selection for the New Theater Com
pany's initial production in washington
The Belasco's choice was wise a
faEorite a decade or more ago, and a
vehicle that served Ada Rehan and
Viola Allen in good stead. the drama
has gradually drifted into the class
that IS read more than played. For
this there are at least two reasons
" bile the stellar part offers no marked
opportunity for spectacular acting the
various roles demand a uniformly good
cast. Then again the scenic arrange
ment IS so incompatible with the re-
aUirements OF The modern stage that TO
De given within a reasonable time
ehslCnS and transpositiOns must be
MADE tHat materially affect the telling
The first difficulty earned the play an
instant right 10 presentation by the
New IheateT organization Formed up-
on an antl-steilaT or an all-Star plat
form, which ever way one chooses to
Pot Il, the directors found in Twelfth
NIGHT an opportunity 20 exploit a com
pany Of unusual balance BY re-
arrangement Of the scenes in whole or
IN part the second objection became al
most tmmateriai-
Production UNIQUE
Under the present starring svstern.
frowned on by directors Of the New
Theater Company. it would he almost
impossible 10 present the cofnedv. as i.
vas given last night on a commercial
basis II would be foOInardy. In the
cast were enough leading men and
women 10 send half a dozen COMPANIES
on the road and enough comedians to
launch soodly output Of comic operas
OF farCes
Miss Annie Russell assumed the near
est stellar role Of Viola, and Charles
BalSar was made up 10 a satisfa cto-y
resemblance Of her as Sebastian A T.
Arson was OTsluo, Miss Leah Bateman-
hunter played Olivia, and Miss Jessie
BuSley acted Maria Equally well
known names were aligned opposite
the comedy roles. Louis Calvert eSsayed
WAS Sir Andrew
From a deCIamatory viewpoint Miss
RusselIs reading was excellent She
read meanings and not measures into
blank verse that has baff7ed great &C
tTeSseS, and her enuGciauiOn must have
been a delight to those who sat IN rear
seats Her acting was nos so good
There was a mOnOIo1T about her move
men1s and gestures that was wholly
lacking In her speech she played the
i've acts in the same key Her triumph
Sir Toby has been a snare and pit
fall for actors of rIper years than n
Calvert That alcoholic nOblemsu ap-
pears but once in his sober senses, and
al varieties Of hOCGIum and clown lTT-
Calvert gained more laughs by drawing
q line between buffOOnery and vulgariJy-
Minor Roles Well Acted.
Under the able presentation OF this
company new vistas opened In every d.
rection and unheralded possibilities for
genuine characterization were UHearthed
IN minor roles that had hitherto been
left 10 the cub members Of the pro
fsssiOn- One Of these was found IN
Maria, as acted by Miss Jessie BuSley-
That maiden's delicious raillery Of Ma
vOiio was portrayed by Miss BuSleE
with charm and naIvette that over
looked no opportunities even 70 rolling
on the floor IN EitCeuiSn Elee-
Oswald NOTSe made = consistent PIC
ture Of the difficult NalvOliO- The ego
Iism OF the man was not stretched De-
yOnd natural limits.
A z Arson made a commanding figure
Of Orsino- A deep and melcdiOus voice
distinguished Lee Baker as Antonio
Ferdinand GOttSChaIk succeeded 50
well as Sir Andrew AEueCheek- because
ne subOrdinated the part TO that OF sir
Toby, something that an actor Of less
diECeTnmCuL might have been less Will
Miss Leah Rateman-Hunte as Olivia
0ELeu wen INTO me iacltLLl stage pic
lures. but did little more at times than
speak her lines
Marked Achievement.
After all. the greatest achievement CT
last night was that OF the organization.
rather than that Of any individual player
Better ViOIas and more fUrCefUI OIivias
NAV have appeared. but Il is doubtful
whether a better Twelfth Night has
been given. The impression with which
one leaves the theater is 2 mind picture
Of the most delicious comedy IN the
English language and not OF any par
ticular actor OF actress
For the hskesDesTean student the in
PRODUCTION Of the songs set 10 music OF
the great bard s time was highly inter
estlng- The incidental music was ar
ranged from Eliza be1hau tunes and two
Of the airs are those supposed to have
been chosen by Shakespeare.
The President and Mrs Taft sat in q
box A dozen OF more men recognized
as Shakespearean authorities sat IN the
audience The patronage again dis
proved the idea that classic plays have
gone out OF vogue In honor Of the
President L St0ddar5 Taylor arranged
q handsome souvenir program contain
ing synOpses Of the plays presented in
the New Theater Company and pictures
OF the leading players
Tonight sister Beatrice and Don
viii be presented and tomorrow after
noon The Winters Tale is announced
in a production as nearly like that OF
Shakespeare time as 2 modern stage
permits. That beloved classic The
school for Scandal win bring the en-
Eagement here TO a close tomorrow