The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-09-13
Thousands Witness
 Dress Rehearsal of Shakespeare Masque

Interest in Dr. Louis Smirnow's "Masque of Shakespeare" is growing every hour, and fully a thousand per- sons watched the dress rehearsal with lights full on as the various scenes tried over and over again upon the green sward of the most beautiful part of Beardsley park. Beside the persons on the recently constructed grand stand, hundreds of motorists watched the rehearsal. The voices of the actors carry well beyond the nearby road, and people in the farth- ermost automobile on the road could hear distinctly what was said.
 | By far the greatest interest is cen- tered upon the two supernatural<b be- ings, Imp and Ariel, who, all critics admit, are peers in their. line. It must be remembered that these two won- derful characters must take up the gauntlet not alone of the amateurs in the cast, but also of the professionals of whom there are not few in this production. The first is Alexander Leftwich, the director of the Masque, who is the leading man, and second to him is Gerlad Firing, an actor well known on Broadway, who plays Prince Henry. Then there Is Miss Wylda Millison of the Madame Fisk Co.,, playing Queen Elizabeth in the Prologue as the actor, and Obscenity in the second act. Beside her there is Mrs. Gerlad Firing, the wife of MT. with her a numbe 1f other actors and professional >dra Watic critics have come to witness thsFrehearsal and will stay to the first performance. They have pronounced themselves in no un- certain terms that Thomas F. Will more as Imp and Miss Florence Dav- .idson as Ariel are superb and perfect in their roles.
 Following is list of the patrons and patronesses of the Masque who have thus far subscribed to boxes or who have otherwise contributed to de- fray the expense of this production:
 Mrs. DeVer H. Warner, Mrs. L. T. Warner Mrs. I. DeVer Warner, Mrs. E. P. Bullard, Jr., Mrs. John T. King, Mrs J. H. Van Tassel. Mrs. John c. Curtis, Mrs. E. W. Harral, Mrs. F. L.. Bradbury, Mrs. Samuel Hunter, Mrs. E. H. H. Smith, Dr. and Mrs. J. w. Wright, pr. M. s. Rosen, Mrs. Charles H. Shapiro, Mrs. A. H. Bullard, Mrs F.. T. Buckingham, Mrs. A. H. Terry. Mrs. J. F. Bartram. Mrs. w. A. Grip pin, Mrs. Jonathan Godfrey, Mrs. M. H. Ford, Mrs. M. J. Colloms of West Haven, MT. and Mrs. George M. Flames, Mir and Mrs. c. Barnum See ley, Judge Morris s. Beardsley, Mrs. Nathaniel w. Bishop, MT. Louis Kutcher, MT. and Mrs. Richard Howell, Mrs. c. H. Armstrong, Mrs. John w. Field, Mrs. Dudley Morris, Mrs. c. Woods. Dr. Edward Cherkoss, MT. Henry Greenstein, Mrs. w. F.. Severn, Mrs. JohnC. Stanley, MT. John R. Rigley, Dr. Philip w. Bill, MT. G. S. Troxell, the Misses Fitch, MT. Silliman, Dr. J. w. Schwartz. Mir. and Mrs. Frank s. Cohen, The Canfield Rubber Co.,, Dr. and Mrs. Louis Simon- son of Middletown, Mrs. Thomas Hood Macdonald, Mrs. J. Windsor Farist, Col. Harry Cutler of Providence, R. l., Col. Isaac M. Ullman of New Haven, Schwartz Bros., Mrs. Edna J. H. Swim merton. Miss A. B. Jennings of Fair field, Mir and Mrs. Abraham Schnee, J. P. Haley, James Staples & Co.,, The First Bridgeport National Bank, Bridgeport Trust Co.,, T. l.. Watson & Co.,, Kilpatric X Hotz, s. Loewith & Co.,, Salts Textile Mills. The Title Guarantee x Trust Co.,. Crane Co.,, Leverty Bros, Bridgeport BraA Co.,, Sprague Ice Co. and Lowe's Laundry. A number of manufacturers have pur- chased reserved Seats for the support of the production. The names of the rest of the donors will be announced later.
 The public is reminded that there is only one day left before the first performance, and the time for pur- chasing reserved seats is short. Nearly all the boxes for the first night arc sold out. Only one or two are left. Tickets for the second and third night