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 rARLEroN COLLIER.

BY TARLEToN COLLIER.
In this day Of reforms. particularly
where the theater Is concerned. there
is nothing which demands a reform
er's heavy hand so much as the boo:-
ishness of some Of the numbers OF the
gallery audiences in theaters OF At
lanta,
Thursday night, for instance, at the
Atlanta Theater the throngs upstairs
took great deal from the enjoyment
of charming and conscientious per-
Torrance of "The Merchant of Ven
ice" by the Stratford Memorial Play
ers.
But even with their rudeness and
clanking Of soda water bottles there
was no forgetting the fact that the
play was a worthy entertainment, fun
OF color. truthful OF details-even 10
the smallest-and studiously sympa
ihetic OF treatment.
Shylock Too Fisintive.
There Is an intellectual quality
about the work Of the Memorial Play
ers. 50 that you realize their claim to
eminence as students and as the es-
fablished administrators of Shake
speare's heritage ls pretty wei
founded
Mr. r. r. Benson leads the com
pany. His studious Shylock was
rather too plaintive and toe tenderly
sympathetic It seemed There was
IRE enough and yindictiVeness enough
in his lines OF the first two scenes
and then there seemed 10 come
slight waning.
But perhaps the impression came as
much because of wistfm and for
lorn facial expression not at all that
of the conventional Shyloca-as any
thing else. He must be an admirable
Jacques or Hamlet
Miss Green Plays Well.
The young leading woman, u the
solid sounding British name of Doro-
Thy Green. was a dainty Portia. She
loved with true passion. she played
ingenuously. and she was as stubborn
a legal referee as any lover of the
law would care to meet. Altogether,
she was charming and capable, as
Portia was meant TO be-the most
charming woman of them all, per-
haps, unless II is Rosalind
Murray Darlington was stalwart
and handsome Bassanio--and, hap
PLY enough vigorous and manly
Bassanio. BY MISLEADING a motive
here and thete. Il 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 f. Randle Ayrton. and
dignified martyr OF an Antonio in
Rupert L. Conrick. In fact, one .of
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 a 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
theater's.
The Memorial Players win give
"The Merry Wives OF Windsor Frl-S
day night AS You Like IT, Satur-
day matinee and Hamlet" Saturday
night
Three Psvlowa Performances.
Because 30 much interest has been
manifested in the appearance next
month at the Atlanta Theater of
Anna Pavlowa and her company and
orchestra. the management of this
famous danseuse has arranged TO
give the city three performances in
stead OF two. Besides the night per-
formances. on Monday and Tuesday,
March and 10. there will he spe-
cial matinee on Tuesday. For each
performance different program viii
be presented, and all the numbers
will be new 10 Atlanta. Furthermore,
Atlanta viii see the very biggest pro-
auctions of The PaVlowR repertoire.
on Monday night the "Orientale" viii
be presented. with scenery and cos
tunes by the renowned Russian flu
turist. Leon Bakst. Tuesday matt
nee'~"The Magic Flute" and The
Invitation sto the Dance" together
with advertisements. will be present.
ed. Tuesday night there will be an
other futurlstic offering. The Pre-
ludcs" with settings and draperies by
Boris Annisteld of St Petersburg.
"paquita" viii be the companion piece
with The Preiudes"
Forsyth's Big Crowds.
The Forsyth is having one OF the
most successful weeks In its history.
Though the theater is always crowd
ed. a new. record has been estab-
lished, standing room being sold for
every performance, aud on several
occasions the very limit OF standing
room being taken The bin is the
nange Qf Fpltrga tFaaIAR Ia, fg1u y, 81 a