The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-06-04
"THE TEMPEST"
shakespearean Comedy By Far Best
Effort of Greet Players.

EnOET OF UEGcf EAAFEEBs
Following the custom inaugurated dur
ing the first week of the engagement. the
Ben Greet Players gave a splendid per-
Torrance Of "The Tempest" yesterday
afternoon before a large audience. The
Friday natinees are TO be abandoned
henceforth, unfortunately for those to
whom shakespeare Is always a treat, but
the company has been working at high
pressure. and classical plays are here
after to be put on the regular routine
calendar.
THE Tempest" as performed yester-
day afternoon, IS the best thing the Greet
Players have yet done. The whole thing
wss so smooth and so comprehensive
that 1t seems a pity that the evening
audiences are not to have the privilege
Of seeing It. One evening OF this next
week would be welcomed with genuine
delight. II is certain.
This rarely done comedy seemed to Of
fer extraordinary opportunities for Mr..
Greet and his associates to shine from
J, Sayer Crawley, who played Prospero,
down to the sprites and devils who ap-
peared TO torment the wicked mortals of
the fantastic tale
Partahng of something Of the flavor
of "A Midsummer Nights Dream" in
thst the scene is peOpled both By mortals
and by spirits. and the resemblance be-
tween Ariel and Puck being strongly evil
dent, THE Tempest" has also some Of
the characteristics Of the better known
Shakespearean comedies Of intrigue. II
was we'll worth while the trouble In pro-
ducing yesterday afternoon to observe
the great pleasure which II gave
Mr.. Greet essayed the role of Caliban,
the monster
Poisonous slave. got by the devil himself.
and gave a sufficiently repulsive picture.
In spite of the mysterious nature of the
role, however, Mr.. Greet's conception was
such as 10 lend it plauslbiIty Indeed,
he knows how TO read blank verse and
10 impress upon his subordinates also
the necessity for initiating, so far as pos
sible. a conversational method, thus max
ing each line perfectly understandable.
The declamatory style In Shakespearean
drama has gone out happily. for all time
Mr.. Crawley was majestic and terrible,
and at the same time sympathetic as
Prospero. He could fash vengeance from
his eyes at one minute and be oil melt
ing tenderness with mis- daughter Miranda
ton. Miss Violet Vivian was a sweet MI
randa. and Miss Ruth Vivian most en-
gaging Ariel. though she makes il a much
more dainty and ethereal spirit than the
accepted idea Of the character. Perhaps
# is better so, since Ariel Is a delightful
vision played this way, fluttering and
dancing about the stage like the Winged
Victory. always poised for flight.
The rest OF the cast was all that could
be desired especially Mr.. Anderson as
Ferdinand. who read his lines with great
beauty of expression and complete IN
Outstanding; Mr.. Seymour as Trinculo, a
most amusinsly unhappy and bedraggled
court jester, with a cold in his head: Mr..
George Vivian as Stephano the drunken
butler. and Mr. Charles Hopkins as An
tonic, the latter a strong and forceful i'm.
personation. Others in the cast who did
very we'll were Miss Mills, Miss Tolmie,
Mr.. Darlington, and Mr. Grayle.
The entire production is worthy OF more
praise than is possible in this limited
space. It shows the capabilities and the
resources Of Mr.. Greet and mis- company
at the best and is easily measured BY the
standard set by the performance of a
Midsummer Nights Dream" which the
company gave here couple Of years ago.
". o.