New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-21
PLAYS @ PLAYERS
Granville Bankers Latest Production
''Marie-Odile"-O Notes.
Bv HECTOR TURNBULL.

features OF
Vile Bankers production Nights Dream its distress
ing effect upon shell Shaepearian student BY hard shell we
mean the playwright who insists that Shakespeare
plays presented fashion that maintains and eXhudes an at
mosphere they glby "the Shakesperian spirit
Crousy enough these chOed with accounts
Of famous productions down the to Robertson be-
se that this sakesparan spirit methods such
MIR Barker uses only awakened by master player They cite
instances including many Saepran actors Of the
pastt to their theory.
1t useless to point rab students the obvious fact that
however great player if he played formal conventional stage
settings such the Eabethan spirit could
never be fully expressed If his surroundings consisted Of real trees
castle houses he miles from reproducing the element
embodied in the first productions Of the poets plays
Shakespeare know had and the Ezabethan
theatre was vastly affair from the playhouse of to-day The
appeal play and the production depended then entirely upon the
imagination Of the audience Such skill ana talents as e
had were applied wholly creating number Of complete iu-
sion and holding the minds eye of the audience
What make this appeal to the lmagl
nation Of his audience only hundreds Of conventional
productions necessary different kind of muan for
aded moderns than necessary in the Eaoeh@n period
wit a play "A Midsummer Nights Dream must
have no easy the text there are dozen in
ongru that be swallowed whole by an audience before e u
and fancy adequately Observation-Disclosures mngng
with essentially British workmenpayes and fairies mgng WIN oot
besides the Earring note OF some very BAD verse oen %
few obstacles by presenting his characters and
scenes enp the play for us with the same
atmosphere Of charm and interest that 1t must have had Tor us h
audiences.
The fairies so often on the stage kept distinct
type by consistently difference in dress and manner Their
covering gilt unear fashion of walking and stand
ing en which quite separates them
the boisterousy human players
The scenes too despite the of their conception
that they indefinite background
which the imagination intentionally directing its fancy
Compared with hard scenery this subdued sympathetic
the lines and the action besides tahat
ing an easy. uninterrupted performance.
shells least the few have talked to
production the result Of desperate attempt
to achieve great Shaeparan Stunt but highly successful repro
duon Of that element he Shskepearian spirit
Mr. Barers staging his plays at Waaks with the
stage apron platform ooghs brings mind
the somewhat Of Beao his production
NarieOde" Despite Baos reputation for realism, this
called modern requirement for him. Several tm
before his producer he has used the new method of light
ng with good effect.
In his present play particularly vital TO the attainment OF m
TING atmosphere however action of the y takes
% and that gloomy lit from the back
nv bappv lighting and the perspective provided by the
rn and frame 10 proscen this takes dozen different
ooods during of the play which vital to the
shirt Of the story which the would om
indeed.
More interesting than staging "MareOdle is the finished
~ - Frances Starr in To present sophis
d audience Of pavgoe study Of girl brought up from
~ infancy absolutely Of life as lived outside the convent
innocent whole thoughts filed with her simple house
hold and devotional feat that requires more than ordinary
telgence and skill 1T. =
er nlavg throughout held admirably key with the spirit OF
audiences mind is put to the most severe
~ Her scene with soldiers the most eXactng and her
Inc peeb 70 the sister explaining her miracle hardly less du
- To impress audience after audience with her Characterization
b face NJ such barriers sophisticated mind nsncyy throws
t t de studies Of kind is real triumph for Miss Starr