The Washington herald., 1910-05-08

The Extraordinarily Friday, SAT-
urday, the New Theater Company.
Naturally the advent Of the New
Theater Company on Thursday evening
next is awaited with extraordinary in
terest. The visit Of this company Is I'M
doubtedly the principal event Of the sea-
son so far as Washington is concerned.
II furnishes the piece de resistance Of
theatrical year that has had its ups and
downs, but which, taken as a whole,
must be pronounced as satisfactory from
an artistic standpoint.
1t was to be regretted that the COM
pany could not ind il possible TO do
The School for Scandal" but when one
runs over the repertoire, It is hard in
deed TO select any play that could be
omitted without a pang. A whole week
would have been gratifying 10 Washing
tons delight in things really worth while.
but the tour is limited and there are
other cities clamoring for this artistic
treat We shall have TO content our
selves with five plays, the cream OF the
repertoire.
The casts which have been already an
nounced assure the fnests possible in
depreciation Of these \plays What a
pleasure Is in store for the lovers OF
Shakespearean plays. when II is con-
templated that every role down 20 the
smallest will be played by an artist Of
experience, especially engaged. Too fire.
quently Shakespeare is presented by a
great star with the minor roles all but
neglected This tendency is decreasing,
20 be sure, because the benefits Of special
izing are apparent to the theatrical pro-
fession.
In presenting Twelfth Night" and "A
Winters Tale" side by side, the New
Theater Company will offer something
interesting by way OF contrasts.
Twelfth Night" is TO be produced with
all the splendid trappings and wealth of
detail that the modern drama theater az
fords, while "a Winters Tale" is TO be
played on the Elizabethan stage or al
cove" thus indicating in two per-
formances both the Henry Irving and the
Ben Greet schools of stage management
Concerning the scenes and costumes OF
Twelfth Night" Edward Hamilton Bell.
the theater's art director. says:
In designing the scenery and costumes
for Twelfth Night one is confronted by
the difficulty that Shakespeare has so in
termingled the England of his own day
with the nlyria of fantasy that no con-
ceivable setting could reconcile the two.
But as this did not greatly trouble the
bard, it is obvious that we must ap-
proach the problem, 50 far as possible in
the same spirit. Therefore. the New
Theater has decided 10 follow reverentIy
in the masters footsteps and let histori-
cal and archaeological considerations take
care Of themselves. The Ilyria Of the
play was in Shakespeare's day a Vene-
tian dependency Consequently il has
been assumed that the architecture and
civilization were those Of the Venetian.
The dukes palace is in the style of the
lombard Of which perhaps the most
beautiful existing example IS the Church
OF Miracoh in Venice. Olivia's house re-
calls more the villas OF the Venetian
noblesse on the Brenta. They are both
placed on the smiling hills overlooking a
city built on one of the landlocked BAYS
with which the eastern coast of the Ad-
riatic abounds. IN the garden scene num-
berlcss anomalies exist and the ensemble
will be found characteristic of an art
which found its highest expression in the
Italy of the Renaissance. To the serv-
ants hall it has been thought wise 10
give merely suggestion Of Italy, since
the scenes enacted therein are Of the
broadest type Of Elizabethan comedy.
The street scene shows piece Of Roman
Wi line ,s.t,
matian coast is strewn
The same treatment applies IN the
costuming. The Duke Orsino has touch
OF the same Albanian fashion as Viola 8 ;
so have his pages and sea captains. BY
this treatment the spirit Of Shakespeare
delightful mingling Of romance and real
ity has. it is hoped, been kept"
The amalgamation Of Oscar Hammer
STEMS operate interests with the Metro
Bolitan Opera House has been a recent
topic Of interest. 1t means. Of course.
that not for the present al least will New
York Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia
revel in such an orgy of grand opera
as they did this past winter. And IL
means too that with competition re-
moved, the salaries Of artists may not
be so high Grand opera in America
should be cheaper. even with the best
singers. than il has been in the past.
Mr.. Hammersteln will be missed from
the ranks OF impresarios. His flight
into the realms of art was meteoric. and
he succeeded in establishing a standard
by which grand opera must be measured
in the future. No such carefully elabor-
ate productions had been seen here be-
fore he took hold OF the productions
He scorned adequate" scenery and
properties. with non-committaI costumes
and settings that would serve Aida
on Monday and Carmen" on Tuesday
Everybody will recall his gorgeous pro-
auctions Of That's lie Jongleur" and
Hoffman" with admiration and erati+u5s
Inc perennial announcement of a new
theater TO be built in Washington made
its appearance this week II Mr.. Chase
takes hold of the venture on the Riggs
House site, we shah be assured AZ leas,
Of conservative and high-class manage
ment.
As was predicted in this column two
weeks ago, TITLES Nightmare" as ex-
perienced by Marie Dressler. has scored
an instant hit in New York and will
settle down for a long summer run. Be
yond the personal magnetism Of Miss
Dressler. and her clean. honest. anC
original comedy methods, there is in thi.
success vindicauon for that brand OF
musical comedy which does not descend
below the level Of decency for its appeal
1t Is Of the Lew Fields brand and "Thc