The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-25
ALL CITY BOWS TO
AYON'S GREAT BARD
Week Of Shakespeare's Ter.
centenary Opens With Civic
and Other Exercises.
MANY PLAYS ARE GIVEN

New York city win have a crowded
week Of official shakespeare tercen-
tenary celebrations. After weeks OF
preparation the participants In the vari-
Bard of Avon are all letter perfect In
their parts.
The city's official celebration. held
under the auspices Of the Bureau OF Re-
creation, Department Of Parks Manhat.
tan and Richmond, the allied club OF the
park Fairgrounds and gymnasia and the
Mayors committee. began last night
with q Shakespeare festival playlet and
dance in the gymnasium. 342 East Fifty.
fourth street.
The programme included an address OF
welcome by Park Commissioner Ward, q
prologue by William J. Lee, a hover
dance. the presentation OF a scene from
The Merchant of Venice" in which the
parts were taken by Harry Benz. Henry
Struminger and Abraham Naboivek:
fairy revels from "A Midsummer Nights
Dream" a number Of folk dances and
dance s~pecialties.
This afternoon at 3:30 o'clock there
will be outdoor celebrations IN all the
park Fairgrounds, which will consist OF
readings. dances and games. A similar
programme IL planned for 3 80 Thursday
afternoon In all the park Fairgrounds.
On Wednesday evening at . o'clock
there will be a Shakespeare festival.
playlet and dance In the gymnasium ut
407 West Twenty-eiehth street. and m
other in the gymnasium at s Rutgers
place at the same o on Friday eve.
ming.
The Department OF Parks celebration
will end Saturday evening with q Shake-
speare musicale, festival and reading II
the Mall. Central Park. at 8 o'clock.
The Professional Woman's League
held a Shakespeare festival. followed BY
a costume ball, last evening in the Hotel
Biltmore. In the Washington Irving
High school Prof. Christian Gauss lee.
tured on shakespeare; Life the Great
Adventure" Miss Pauline Jennings. az.
sisted by s%oloists. talked on Shakespeare
In Music" at Public Scholl SO. Hes
ter, Essex and Norfolk streets. Dr..
Thomas G.. Potterton lectured on ENG
land and Shakespeare at Public School
90. Bryant and Vyse emu
The Drama Society began its produce
ton last night at the Century Theatre
OF THE Tempest" and a band Of negro
players put m for the week 'Othelio'
at the Lafayette. 132d street and Sew
enth avenue. The Chelsea players are
irving king Lear In churches and set
Elements In the Chelsea district. Last
night the performance was at the Hud-
son Guild. On Sunday evening the
Gamut Gu will present a number Of
scenes from Shakespeare at the club.
rooms. 60 West Forty-sixth street.
WE1MAR. Germany. via London. April
23.0Germany Is observing the tercen.
tenary Of Shakespeare's death to-day AZ
though the poet were the greatest OF her
immortals instead OF the proudest
name In the literary annals of her most
hated enemy, England.
Last week the Deutches Theater In
Berlin gave a memorable Shakespeare
cycle n this week the Royal Schau.
spielhaus In the same city will do like.
wise. hut the most important observ.
ahce ID here in Weimar. Germany's STRAIT.
o,a,on-Avon sacred to the memory Of
schilier, Goethe and other great Ger.
mans. ~
For ffty-two years this organization
of Germany's famous Shakespeare schoi.
ars has existed and IL a. not seem
too much TO say that IL has made the
English poets works better known here
than they are in England or America.
II is a refreshing significance that the
society has made public nothing suggest.
ing the hatreds of war and has made no
move toward dropping from its honor.
AIRY rolls the names of such men as King
George and Theodore Roosevelt.
In his opening address President AIois
Brandl. Trivy Councillor and professor Of
English in the University of Berlin.
sounded "A keynote OF lofty spirit.
W here" he said. ''can serve our
glorious Fatherland no better thar by
preserving our quiet and our dignity. No
word shall he spoken here OF which our
descendants must be ashamed In "A hun.
drcd years, when the situation on the
political c~hcssboard shall have changed.
Nor do We need to hound our people
into battle with wild fables Of crucified
prisoners and mutilated children. They
call us barbarians. but we shall strive
in tho future. as in the past, to worshiu
the beautiful and noble In a manner
that shall save our people from the
most terrible OF all ev~lls-spiritual cor.
ruption II spiritual desolation."