Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-20
CROWD CHARMED
BY STRATFORD
PLAYERS
Merchant Of Venice" Well Pre-
scented at the Atlanta Theater.
Usual Booing in Gallery.
BY CARLETON COLLIER.

In this day or reforms, particularly
where the theater is concerned. there
Is nothing which demands a reform
er's heavy hand so much as the booT-
lslnness OF some Of the numbers Of the
gallery audiences In thesters Of At
lanta
Thursday night, for instance, at the
Atlanta Theater the throngs upstairs
took a great deal from the enjoyment
OF a charming and conscientious per-
Torrance Of THE Merchant of Ven
tee, by the Stratford Memorial Play
ers.
But even with their rudeness and
cianking OF soda water bottles there
was no forgetting the fact that the
play was worthy entertainment, full
Of color, truthful OF details-even to
the smallest-and studiously sympa :
thetic of treatment.
ShyIoek Too SlaintiVe.
There is an intellectual quality
about the work of the Memorial Play
ers. go that you realize their claim TO
eminence as students and as the es-
tablshed administrators Of Shake
speare's heritage is pretty well
founded
Mr.. r. r. Benson leads the COM
rather too plaintive and too tenderly
sympathetic, it seemed. There was
fire enough and vindictiVeness enough
in his lines OF the first two scenes,
and then there seemed to come a
slight waning.
But perhaps the impression came as
much because of a wistful and for
lorn facial eNpression--not at all that
OF the conventional Shylock-as any
thing else. lie must be an admirable
Jacques or a Hamlet.
Miss Green Plays WE'LL
The young leading woman. of the
solid sounding British name of Doro-
thy Green. was a dainty Portia. She
loved with true passion, she played
inRenuously. and she was as stubborn
a legal referee as any lover OF the
law would care 10 meet. Altogether,
she was charming and capable, as
Portia was meant to be-the most
charming woman of them all, per-
hsps. unless 1t is Rosalind.
Murray Darlington was a stalwart
and handsome Bassanio-and, hap
PLY enough vigorous and manly
Bassanlo BY mistaking motive
here and there, 1t would be so very
easy to make Bassanio out another
person altogether. In the same way,
Henry Game made his Launcelot
Gobho a human sort OF fellow.
splendor in Stage Setting.
The company has volatile Gra-
tiano in y, Randie Ayrtsn. and a
dignified martyr of an Antonio In
Rupert l.. Conrick. In fact, one ~
the charms of this English company
is the unfailing satisfactory quality
OF its acting. IN even the smallest
parts While there are no stars, there
are as well no sticks.
A splendor OF setting was attained
by surprisingly simple expedients and
By the romantic vision of the cos
tuner, There was wealth OF rich
color not the least note in which was
the curtain OF royal purple bearing
the poets coat of arms that hid the
stage between scenes. In lieu of the
regular green plush drop that is the
theatef'g.
The Memorial Players will give
THE Merry Wives OF Windsor" Fri
day night, AS You Like IT. Satur
day matinee and Hamlet Saturday
night.
Three Pavlowa Performances.
Because so much interest has been
manifested In the appearance next
month at the Atlanta Theater OF
Anna Paylowa and her company and
orchestra, the management of this
famous danseuse has arranged To
give the city thfee performances IN
stead Of two. Besides the night per-
fOrmances. ON Monday and Tuesday.
March and 10. there will be a spe-
eial matinee on Tuesday For each
performance a different program viii
be presented. and all the numbers
will be new 10 Atlanta. Furthermore,
Atlanta win see the very biggest pro-
auctions of the Pavlowa repertoire.
on Monday nigh. the "Orientale" will
be presented, with scenery and cos
TUNES by the renowned Russian flu
turist, Leon Bakst Tuesday NATL
nee. 1.-THE Magic Flute" and The
Invitation to tho Dance" together
with advertisements. will be present
ed. Tuesday night there viii be an
other futuristiC Offering, The Pre-
ludes." with settings and draperies by
Boris Annisteld, of ST Petersburg.
"Psquita" will be the companion piece
with THE Preludes."