New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-27
Drama Society to Carry
Out Bard'S Ideas i'll the
April Production.
TO ACT AS PRELUDE
TO MACKAYE MASQUE
Leagues Contribution to Tercen.
tenary Called "Shakespeare's
One American Play"

AS us contribution 20 the American
commemoration Of the Shakespeare ter
centenary, the Drama Society an
nounces that it will produce "The
Tempest" in April.
The production will be made under
the joint management OF Louis Calvert
and John Corbin. Known here FOR his
performances as Andrew Undershaft
the cannon maker. in Bernard Shaw
Major Barbara" and as Jannion. the
newspaper king. in Fagan's The
Earth" Mr.. Calvert has long been
identified with artistic production OF
classical plays in London. lie was as.
sociated with Sir Herbert Bcerbohm
Tree. both as actor and producer, in
several Of his most successful ventures
As head Of the Art Theatre, in Man
chester. he made numerous productions
Of Shakespeare, Goethe and lbsen.
BY newly discovered means OF ar
ranging the elaborate scenery neees-
sary 70 creating the illusions Of The
Tempest" the Drama Society expects 70
nut on the play for the first time in It's
entirety. just as Shakespeare intended
IL should be produced.
"The Tempest" Virtually Unknown.
The reasons why the society selected
this play for the celebration are given
in the following statement:
Though universally admired as
Shakespeare's masterpiece in poetic
phantasy, The Tempest has been very
seldom produced. In the last forty
seven years it has had only one re-
vival. of eighteen performances-tha'
Of Augustin Daily. In the present gen.
Grafton it is virtually unknown on the
stage. The reason for this, 1t Is be-
lieyed, lies in certain practical diihcuI'
ties. notably the magic evanishment oil
Prospero's Masque Of Spirits and the
representation of the ship scene, with
the wrecking of the ship.
ITO make way for the pictorial IL
lustration OF those episodes it has
hitherto been necessary TO cut the text
severely and alter the order of the
narrative, with the result that it has
not been possible to present the play IN
its full vigor and integrity. The airies'
ard most elusive dream Of the poets
Imagination has suffered severely the
crushing weight of modern scenic pro
duction.
Recent discoveries, placed at the
disposal of the Drama Society, reyea
the simple but thoroughly adequate
means by which Shakespeare presented
these scenes. The production will show
the most complete reconstruction of his
stage yet effected. AS a result, 1t Is
now possible for the first time since his
death 10 give the entire play IN rapid
continuity and in the order Shake
speare intended.
VIII Rely on Narrative.
"The production will, however, rely,
as he relied, on the spell Of the nara
tive and Of the verse, rather than on
the art of the carpenter and scene
painter, 10 convince the hearers imagi-
nation. Thus produced, it is hoped that
The Tempest which with lovers Of
literature takes rank among the most
beautiful of the worlds masterpieces,
may be found practicable and enjoyable
in the larger world Of the theatre.
an itself The Tempest has pecu-
liar fitness in our celebration of the
tercentenary. II was mainly inspired by
Shakespeare interest in America. The
story Of the shipwrecked company and
of the world of spirits and monsters
into which they were cast up by the
sea, was colored in his Imagination by
the narratives Of Elzabethan advent
ures in Virginia and in the Carib-
beans. Prospero's 'uninhabited island
was suggested by The Isle Of Divylls'
in the still-vexed Bermoothes.' The
name Of Caliban is a perversion OF
Caribbean and Cannibal, and the name
Of his dams god, Setebos,' ~ that OF
the create devyl' OF Patagonian
tribe whom Magellan encountered in
his voyage round the world. The TEN
pest mas been styled Shakespeare S
one American play
Called Bard's YaledictOry.
at Is probably the last play Shake
speare wrote before he went back 10
Stratford 70 spend the brief evening OF
his life; and II has been very plausibly
suggested that he meant IL as a sort
OF valedictory 20 his art as dramatist,
His sway over the world Of our imagi-
nation was as vigorous as Prospero' s
sway over the world OF spirits and
monsters. From the vastly deep Of his
genius he had called forth legions OF
creatures. noble and base. malestically
human and airily grotesque, whom he
had made 20 DO his bidding for the en-
joyment and ediicaron Of mankind.
But. as was the case with Prospero, the
time had come FOR Shakespeare 10 re-
nounce his art and bury the secret Of
X deeper than did ever plummet
sound The play thus strikes an ints-
mately personal note in our commemo-
ration Of the fulflment Of the work of
his life.
Community Masque,' which Percy
Mackaye is to present in May, repre-
sonts an incident in the life OF Pros
pero's Island before the shipwreck
centring in the characters OF Prospero
Miranda, Ariel. Calibsn and Setebos
The Drama Society production will thus
serve as prelude 20 the Community
Masaue.' atfording 20 the thousands
who will act IN IL or see it lively i'm
preston of the materials with which
Mr.. Mackaye - working.
On the executive committee OF the
Drama Society are Mrs. L. K. Hewitt
president; Thomas ". Lamont, treas
urer; John Corbin, secretary, and Mrs
Willard Straight, Mrs. August Belmont
Mrs. G. C. Haven, IT,, Mrs. ". X. Van
derbilt, Mrs. Philip Lydig, Mrs. Eyer
ton /. Winthrop, jr.. Mrs. Frederic b