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 TARLEroN COLLIER.

In this day Of reforms. particularly
where the thester is concerned. there
is nothing which demands reform
er's heavy hand so much as the boo-
ishness of some Of the numbers of the
gallery audiences in theaters of Al
lanta
Thursday night, for instance, at the
Atlanta Theater the throngs upstairs
took a great deal from the enjoyment
of a charming and considerations per
Torrance OF The Merchant Of Ven
ice" by the Stratford Memorial Play
ers.
But oven with their r,ideness and
clanking of soda water bottles there
was no forgetting the fact that the
play was a worthy entertainment. full
Of color. truthful OF details--even to
the smallest--and studiously sympa
thetic of treatment.
Shylook Too Primitive.
There Is an intellectual quality
about he work OF the Memorial Play
ers, so that you realize their claim TO
eminence as students and as the es-
iablished administrators OF Shake
speare's heritage Is pretty well
founded.
Mr.. +. r.. Benson leads the com
pany His studious Shylock was
rather too plsintive and too tenderly
sympathetic, It seemed. There was
FIRE enough and vindlctiveness enough
in his lines OF the flrst two scenes,
and then there seemed 10 come
slight waning.
But perhaps the impression came al
much because Of wistful and for
lorn facial eXpression-not at all that
OF the conventional Shylock-as any
thing else He must be an admirable
jacques or a Hamlet
Miss Green Plays Well.
The young leading woman, of the
Solid-sounding British name OF Doro-
thy Green. was dainty Portla. She
loved with true passion, she played
lngenuously. and she was as stubborn
e 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 It is Rosalind.
Murray Darlington was a stalwart
and handsome Bassanio-and hap
PLY enough, vigorous and manly
Bassanio BY mistaking motive
here and there, II would be so very
easy to make Bassanio out another
person altogether. In the same way,
Henry Caine made his Launcelot
Gobbo a human sort OF fellow.
Splendor in Etase Setting.
The company has volative Ora
tiano In r. Randle Ayrton, and
dignified martyr of an Antonio in
Rupert L. Conrick In fact, one Of
the charms of this English company
IL 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
Il. 1.
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" Fri
day night, "As You Line II" 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 ot
Anna Pavlowa and her company and
orchestra. the management of this
famous danseuse has arranged 10
give the city three performances in
formances. on Monday and Tuesday,
March and 10, there viii be spe-
cial matinee on Tuesday. For each
performance different program viii
be presented, and all the numbers
viii he new 10 Atlanta. Furthermore,
Atlanta viii see the very biggest pro-
auctions of the Pavlowa repertoire.
ON Monday night the "Orientale" will
be presented, with scenery and cos
tunes by the renowned Russian fu-
turist, Leon Bakst Tuesday matt
nee. THE Magic Flute" and "The
Invitation to the Dance" together
with advertisements win be present
ed. Tuesday night there win be an
other futuristic offering, The Pre-
ludcs" with settings and draperies by
Boris Annisfeld, Of St Petersburg
"Paquita" will be the companion piece
with The Preludes,'
Forsyth's Big Crowds.
The Forsyth is having one Of the
most successful weeks in its history.
Though the theater is always crowd
ed, new record has been estab-
lished. standing room being sold for
every performance, and on several
prra siOnS the very limit az stand inc