The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-03-14
SHAKE SP EARE AS
INTERPRETED BY
FORTNIGHTLY
Fine Production of "Midsum
mer Nights Dream Saturday
BY CAST OF YOUNG LADIES
Large Audience Thoroughly Enjoyed
Home Talent Entertainment of
Rare Degree Of Merit

Whatever the Fortnightly under
takes it does so well as not only to dis
arm criticism, but always to provoke
applause Its presentation of Shake
speare's Midsummer Nights Dream
at the Second Congregational chapel
was no exception to the rule In
fact it has added materially to the
reputation of Benningtons leading
woman's organization.
The chapel was crowded and visi-
tors were even turned away unable
to get inside the doors. Not since
the time the Fortnightly gave Loves
Labor Lost at Library hall two
years ago has any of its offerings at
tracted so large an audience.
The participants in the production
were all well known Bennington
young ladies and Bennington people
do not have to be told that these
young women are not excelled in
wit. beauty or ability anywhere in the
wide world. In attempting to give
share of praise to all the Banner
chiefly regrets its inability to do full
justice to an entertainment so ex-
cellent in all Of its individual feat
ures Of merit and charm.
Each one was adapted TO her part
and the costumes added much to the
effectiveness of the scenes.
Miss Mary Walbridge as Lysander
and Miss Maud Galusha as Demetri-
us were especially good in their roles
orbfch u-ara avtrar,alv dfFylottIt phnf,-
love making was beyond reproach and
Hernia and Helena could not have
wished for mere ardent lovers. 1t
q dovbtfll If even those days when
Knighthood was In flower could have
produced more gallant gentlemen.
Miss Caroline Wilcox as Hernia in
love with Lysander and Miss Fannie
Fillmore as Helena in love with Dem
etrius, showed a charm and grace in
their portrayal of these two love
lorn maidens that is seldom seen in
amateurs.
The hard handed men of Athens
consisting of Ounce, Snug, Bottom,
Flute, Snout and Starvelng added
much to the humor Of the play and
their costumes and makeup afforded
many laughs for the audience Their
burlesque of the tragedy Pyramus
and Thisbe" YVES well done and the
Characters were exceedingly funny
Miss Maud Beden as Ounce dis.
played much talent and as stage
manager for the burlesque was es-
pecially good in what was a difficult
role.
Miss Olive Pope az Snug, joiner,
did remarkably we'll and was ex-
tremely realistic in the difficult role
of the king of beasts in "Pyramus
and Thisbe' with a roar that
lacked nothing in ferceness.
Miss jeanette Perkins, as Bottum,
was indeed translated and kept
the audience laughing from her first
appearance. She shove exceptional
talent as Coincidence and was one
of the stars OF the cast AS Pyramus
she was exceedingly good and the
tragic ending of Pyramus and This
be was the big laugh event of the
comedy.
AS Flute, Miss Emice Lyons added
greatly TO the humor of the burlesque
by her impersonation of Thisbe
and deserved much credit for the
way in which she portrayed her diff
ficut part
As Snout, the tinker, Miss Wini-
fred Nose was more than merely
good and her representation Of
Wall in Pyramus and Thisbe" was
little short of marvellous.
The character OF Starveling was
taken by Mrs l.. II Ross in very
humorous manner. In the difficult
role of Man in the Moon in "Pyra.
mus and Thisbc' she carried out the
part well and kept the audience in a
continual roar OF laughter
AS Oberon, King Of the Fairies.
Mrs. Amyel Baker was very pleasing
and she added to the effectiveness of
her part by her well rendered vocal
selections.
Mrs. Clarence Holden as Titania.
Queen of the Fairies, was charmingly
fitted to the part. Her graceful and
sylph like manner added much to the
scene and her love making with Bot
tum was especially effective.
Titania and the fairies made a
beautiful picture and Margaret Battles
Dorothy Patchen, Alice Mills and
Edith Sbley as fairies were exceed
ingly graceful and fairylike in their
dainty guaze costumes.
Miss Janet Shurtleff as the mis-
chievous Puck was one of the bright
est features of the cast. A canvass
of all the girls in Bennington could
not have discovered a more charm
ingly petite and pretty Robin Good.
fellow Her every motion was a
prank and as the innocent cause of
all the trouble she was a star of the
first magnitude in an all star produc-
ton.
According to the custom of Shake
speare's time two attractive pages in
costume announced with one voice as