New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-01
LONDON PLAYS
Shakespeare |nexhaustib|e "A
Davies Revival.
London, April 10.

opened at Stratford. where all but thres
Of his plays have been produced, ons
year or another. 1t the Memorial Thea
tire: and in honor of the event flags pre-.
sented by fifty-tbree nations have been
unfurIcd and the Chinese Ambassadors
has declared that the dramatist's name
is house word I'm Asia as we'll as in
Europe. and his works are read by mill
ions Of Orientals That Is satisfactory
evidence that Shakespeare belongs to thu
world and that the establishment OF 4
memorial theatre in London with an
adequate endowment is the greatest oe
literary undertakings. Even more con-
vincng is the proof that the creates.
theatre i'm London can have uninter-
ruptcd performances Of Shakespeare fyr
eleven months and do most profitable
business. Henry VIII started or at
His Majesty's by the opening OF Sep
TENDER and the festival will virtually
be prolonged from Easter until the end
OF July. Sir Herbert Tree is an astuts
manager who undo islands the require
ments of public taste. He has convinced
himself that there cannot be too much
Shakespeare.
| "A Midsummer Nights Dream" IL ora
OF the most familiar plays. and yet its
production at that well managed theatre
this week has been hailed as a unique
stage event. on the first night the GAL
leres fairly rocked with laughter over
the Pyramus and Thisbe scenes and ths
stalls were i'm continuous raptures over
the beauty Of fairyland. often as vet
eran playgoers had seen this fantasy,
with it's humorous byplay. it seemed ~
have been transformed into a novelty b.
| the enrichment Of the scenic setting am
by the development of latent resources
OF humor. With fairies dancing in moon-
light, leaping into silvery pools. peepins
among vines a the lovers and froliclSing
among rabbits and flowers in a shower
Of golden leaves, the drama became a
beautiful nature poem with a sportiye.
| lyrical movement With the six rustic
clowns disporting themselves in the car
penter's house the enchanted wood and
the palace Of Theseus. the burlesque
play. with its drollery and fooing, vas
TRANSPORTED into whimsical satire on tho
theatre itself, the art Of acting and the
! futile processes Of stage illusion.
Thoughtful spectators and gray headed
critics discovered much in the play which
they had neither seen nor felt before.
Their amazement was a fine tribute 10
| the resourcefu art of stage manage
ment: and yet the greatest marvel Of all
was that there could be any latent and
undeveloped possibilities in So old and
| trite drama
With Mendelssohn's music. with lyrics
by Miss Evelyn d Alroy and Miss Mar
gerie Maude. with fairy dances arranged
by Miss Loie Fuller and Miss Elise Clerc.
with two OF tho loveliest Woodland
scenes ever staged i'm London and with
stately exteriors and interiors Of The
seus's palace, nothing was lacking tn
make this an ideal production Of ~
| Midsummer Nights Dream" II was
pre-eminently a fairy play. with comic
interludes and dreamlike illustrations or
the illusions Of love in the infatuation
of Titania and in the irrational impulses
of the lovers; and the fairies were left
in possession of the marble halls after
the mummers had finished their antics.
Possibly stage invention overreached it.
self in turning the magic flower into an
electric light, in festooninS the Armenian
palace with red lamps and IN sending
out of a blue sky a gitterlng shower ot
golden leaves. one ought not To bs
hypercritical when fairyland is made -
real and so beautiful. Certainly there
will not be a better Puck for many u
day than agile Master Burford Hamp-
den playing tricks with dull mortals;
nor will four handsomer lovers lie easily
discovered than those on His Majesty
boards. nor a more impressive anu
sonorous Theseus than Mr.. Gerald Law
renee. AS for Mr.. Arthur Bourcher ana
his fellow mummers they converted what
Il ordinarily noisy and senseless farce
into subtle irony and whimsical satire,
and carried out perfectly Shakespearea
playful intention.
What a pleasure il is 10 see Mr. Cyru
Maude once more in genuine COMEDY
after all his farcical adventures. He has
revived Mr.. Davies's Cousin Kate at
the PLAYHOUSE. with Miss Ellis Jefreys
and. with two minor exceptions, the
original Haymarket cast, and he has
found himself once more in the portrayal
of the whimsical lovabe Irish artist.
Even il he had hopelessly lost himself
Miss Ellis Jeffreys would have brought
him back to his own place. for she is as
irresistible as she was eight years ago.
trimming over with merrnent and kind
ness and fascinating the dullest specta-
tor with her yivacity and distinction az
STYLE. II is a privilege to see these two
accomplished players i'm the prolonged
love scene. which helps even graybeards
to renew their youth Compared with
"a Butterfly on the Wheel" at the
Globe. with its realistic transcription or
a trial In divorce court. Cousin Kate
is old-fashioned indeed: but IL is ~
entertaining as il is wholesome. and u
offers refined and resourceful exhibition
of the good old art of acting.
The curtain raiser at the Playhouse -
"Our Nervous system" by Miss Gertrude
Jennings, daughter Of the oldtims
favorite of ,Wallack's Theatre. Madeline
Henriques: and while IL is less original
than her Between Soup and Savory."
h. IN