The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1914-04-29
GREET PLAYERS
HANDICAPPED
RAIN DRIVES THE TROUPE FROM
WOODS INTO THEATRE-GOoD
PRODUCTION ANYWAY.

After seeing the production of "a
Midsummer Nights Dream" by the
Ben Greet Players at the Auditorium |
last evening, it is easy to appreciate
the reason this troupe prefers to play
out of doors. When the bard of Avon
dreamed this general conglomeration
of fairy beauty and absurd horse play,
his vision was one of vastness and
splendor; no fairy dream could be 9th
erwise; and no fairy dream can be con-
veyed to a perspiring audience from
an overly small stage, no matter how
capable the actors.
A fairy dancer may be ever so grace
full, but some of the effect is bound to
be lost when, in her woodland jubila-
ton, she stumbles over an impro-
vised bench at the side of the stage;
and woodland scene may be ever so
accurately portrayed, but it grows
tiresome to the eyes when unchanged
during an entire evening. Natures
, woodland scene is the only exception.
So it was that the Ben Greet Play.
ers were badly handicapped last night
but they made the best of the sitMa'
ton. They at least showed that II
given the proper setting, they can
offer a Shakespearian production sec
ond to few, for the individual actors
without exception, worked artisically
In "a Midsummer Nights Dream
Shakespeare has written two or three
comedies in one and each part of the
= whole play appeals to a different par
!. of the audience. If one is not pleased
. with the beauties of fairyland, he may
= find enjoyment in the low comedy
, work of the six artisans whose at
tempted production of a play within |
play constitutes the farsical part o
the drama. And the most sentimental
element will be delighted with thu
ardent love-makings which are in
). dulged in more or less indiscriminate
ly by those characters who are of tn
:, love-making age.
Ben Breet makes the best of hi
part at Bottom, the weaver, perhap
the most unsatisfactory comedy rol
Shakespeare wrote. Despite tn
stupidity of his lines, Greet got a goo
many laughs from his audience by hi
grotesque actions Perhaps the mos
W effective actor in the cast is Georg
c. Somner as Lysander, who Is mos
ardent in his love-makings and equa
~ as cruel in his enforced fickleneB
Albert Carroll as Puck, was equal
~ as effective.
~ Viola Knott, as Hernia and Elsi
at Herndon Kearne as Helena are nj
~ only exceptionally pretty but al
u equally as pleasing actresses. Wesle
10 Edwards makes splendid duke, b,
Nv Bertha Cozens is badly cast as tn
GU Queen of the Amazons. The work I
MS Douglas Ross, in the comparative
I'LL minor part Of Starveling, the tailo
was as finished as that of any oth'
e' member of the cast. The other cha
ho tiers were in competent hands.
ne An attractive feature of the pc
ne Torrance was the dancing OF six lit
sf Hattiesburg fairies-Francis Robin
III Jessie Marie Naylor, Emily Masse
Ill gale, Hazel Bolton, Willie Graves al
ILL., Mary Green. They did their par
ms with remarkable smoothness, althoui
nei they had had practically no reheai
ing with the company
iss This is the second time MI
'ia Eva May Norton, of the English
'sK partment of the Hattiesburg Hi
IN school, has brought outdoor Shall
ooi spearean troupes to Hattiesburg, a
re on both occasions inclement wealth
no has driven the performance indoo
les It is hoped that the splendid audien
ma of last evening will encourage Nj
'od- Norton to repeat her attempt ne
year and that. it will be possible
af- give in the open air whatever pl
Dor, may be selected,