The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-11-12
Football, Motoring, General Sporting News
Great Performance
of "Othello' Seen
at the Academy


An all-star cast, headed by r. d.
MacLean. c. b. Hanford. Odette Tyler
and Marie Drofnah, gave a great per-
Torrance of "Othelio" at the Academy
last night. The chief attractions to-
night are a revival of robin Hood
at the Academy, and THE Girl in the
Taxi at the Bijou The Robin Hood
cast is the most pretentious ever seen
In comic opera. 1t includes several
grand opera stars, including Bessie
Abott, Florence Wickham. Herbert
Waterous, and Carl Gantvoort. Edwin
Stevens, George rockingham, Pauline
also to be seen. robin Hood" re-
mains for a matinee and night per-
formance tomorrow.
Five Stars in 'otheiIc."
The Academy program ,Gst night
announced the engagement of four
stars in Shakespeare ''Otheilo.'
There should have been FIVE. r. ID.
MacI1ean, Charles b. Hanford, Odette
Tyler and Marie Drofnah may have
been before the ~nblic long enough to
warrant their being featured In a
splendid production of the great play,
but the name of w. L. Thorne. also
should be raised to the dignity of
! large black type, merely on merit.
Cassie is a fine part, noble part,
but II takes more than the average
actor TO get out the best there is in
1t, and Mr.. Thorne was equal TO the
occasion. He played II naturally with
just the proper touch: was soldier
courtier. good comrade, In fact Mich
aei Cassie 10 the life. as depicted ny
the master craftsman.
l1Sto h.
the four-sta company did his work
we'll Shakespeare's play Is given IN
a straightforward. connected style.
that tells the story simply, and yet
gives each part all that belongs TO II.
Iago is presented In all his Implicitly,
but he does not dwarf the part OF
Othello. The same may be said of the
part Of the Moor and of Cassie and
Roderigo. Desdemona and Emiila
have scenes that give them an oppor-
tunity TO shine in all their glory-and
the scenery of the production is quite
up to the play. Altogether "Otheilo
as presented by the MacLean- Hanford
combination is altogether most wor-
thy, even praiseworthy-
To be sure, il did seem at times as
IL the Moorish general Of Mr.. Mac
can was Il trife theatrical, more the
atrieal than real He was not as mar
/ tial az. he might have been. He lack
ed force and sincerity and the sfruS-
ling strid. of Mr.. MacIean was any
thing but imposing. Then. too, he
/ had a catch in his voice which seemed
trif.e old-fashioned and altogether
recalled the good o!d-timer school OF
Shakespeare.
But nothing could be more modern
than tho Iago of Mr.. Hanford. There
wasn't a soul In the audience that
did not understand the cunning viii
lainy of that immortal scaundrel, 50
beautifully aid MIR. Hanford unfold II
under his bluff. honest-seeming exile
rior There have been more compel
ing lagos In the past, but Booth nor
Barrett never made that arrant knave
Honest Iago. appear " real as MI
Hanford de him last night. 1t was
vivid performance. The cassie o.
Mr.. Thorne already has been referred
TO and the Roderigo of Hardie NJ eakln
was Mandy pamby enough to please
II was Cassie and Iago, however. to
whom the honors of the evening De-
tonged. although Marie Drofnah maize
the most of her stirring scene in the
last act.
odette Tyler was troubled with her
breath Her aspiration was faulty
although an audible intaking of the
breath at the end of every sentence
has been considered as genuine acthe
In certain schools. II went out o.
fashion with the measured stride some
time before Irving died, -accord.n g "a
an eminent authority. Irving. new
ever could not help his hating steps.
Mr.. MacLean Is not handicapped by
nature and Odette Tyler has most
musical, insinuating voice. 1T Is a pity
their natural gifts are not given full
play. 1t Is also a pity that the lower
part Of the Academy was not wen h'ed
last night. The performance was
worthy OF playing TO the fullest ca
pacity.
THE Girl IN the Taxi"
1.-The Girl in the Taxi is AZ the
Bijou this week. and the welcome
given this rather lively play last night
Indicates that 1t Is a warm fayorite
in Richmond. A packed house rcared
and ruffawed over the adventures OF
the impossible people of the comedy
and applauded with a vehemence that
left no doubt about its appreciation
and appreciation.
The Girl in the Taxi was never
Intended for serious discussion by the
leading wiiebrow societies. 1t Is not
the kind OF comedy that instructs, and
George Bernard Shaw would never bs
accused of having written it. All the
same, 1t is amusing. and. as Manager
Harry McNeyin says, what mere dc
you want in popular priced theater
Nothing. to be sure. The Girl in
the Taxi Is far above the average
popular priced entertainment. 1t has
an exceptionally clever cast. notably
May Gerald. the lady with the lisp
and Betty Roberts, the ex-chorus lady
of the play. The cast Is headed by
Anita Allen and Rita Hewlett. while
Sam Il. Wilson. Joseph Weber and
Roy Summer handle the greatest share
of the burden that falls upon the men
in the comedy
The scenery OF The Girl in the
Taxi" Ii bang mp. and the entire. pro-
duction is one Of which A. II. Woods
has reason to be proud.
At tho Empire.
Not since the days when the Fadette
4 astr a.. fa ola h.,