The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-04-18

High School Production of
Twelfth Night at the
Academy-Forbes- Robert
CONVERSATIONAL Play for
Bijou

night John Marshall High School pu-
pills In Twelfth Night" Saturday.
matinee and night, ForbesRobertson
in The Passing of the Third Floor
Back
Bijou-Thruston, the Magician.
Empire Vaudeville.
Colonial-~Vaudeville ana moving mic.
lures.
Lubfn-Naudeville and moving pic
lures.
Herbert Curtis says the John Mar.
shall High School pupils are going to
give their friends a pleasant surprise
by their admirable playi~- In Twelfth
Night. The first presentation of the
Shakespearean comedy by these young
amateurs will be in the Academy to-
night. The High School players are
ambitious, which is commendabe
trait despite the fate OF Caesar.
Percy Burton, manager of the
Forbes Robertson tour Is a man or
letters, as well as experienced in d.
recting the tours of man of letters.
as well as business man in the the
atrical world, He has had wide expe-
rience with the greatest of English
actors from the day of Henry Irving.
lie speaks with authority on Beerbohm
Tree, Sir Charles Wyndham. the Ken.
dals and others equally great, but he
positively grows eloquent in his quiet
British fashion over Forbes Robertson.
The following is from his pen:
Local play goers and Forbes Robert
son need no Introduction, for this not :
ed English actor has given America
most OF his great parts on the stage.
His engagement at the Academy Sat.
urday is being eagerly looked forward
To-, and he~ is sarer of a splendid recer;7
ton.
slight idea OF the trend of the
play will be OF interest. The scene is
That of an ordinary boarding house,
where the dodgers are at odds with
each other. and where the worst traits
OF each Individual and his pet mean
nesses bring unhappiness to himself
and his fellows. Into this house comes
an influence embodied in a superman,
and when his sojourn Is at an end the
household has. become an Ideal hong.
and each iodger is doing his best to
make his fellow lodger happy. II Is
narrative intended to show how the
awakening of the better self ! may
bring true happiness, and the whole
theme is concerned with the develop
ment Of this better self in sordid
group of people living under the same
roof. The suggestion is that they
stranger symbolizes a higher power,
and In his presence there is the in
ciination To forget all pettiness and
to live for others and not for self
alone. Yet the surroundings are not
at all gloomy, and there is hunor in
abundance underlying all the serious
IMPORT Of the tale.
Forbes Robertson in the leading
part is an impressive figure. his sonor-
Gus voice, musical in its cadences and
full OF sincerity. giving further impress
to the significance of the portrayal.
Dignity and sweetness of under
standing and sympathy mark the pres
entation. He has a personal magnet
ism which is overpowering, and his
art is essentially spiritual.
1.-THE Penalty" which comes to the
Rijou next week. must be a sure
enough thriller. Chicago sees In 1t an
other Madame X" One writer de-
clares that Chicago audiences went
hysterical over it. Now, far be It from
Richmond to sneer at Chicago, but
did ever the Windy-Weepy City see
Kate Claxton In THE Two Orphans"
or Clara Morris in---le'ssee--wasn't it
Article Az? THE Penalty" un-
doubtedly is electrical, but Richmond
is getting almost biase since seeing
Mrs. Pat. Anna Held and Mary Gar
den,