New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-25
Ten Thousand Persons See
Shakespearian Masque
in College Stadium.
+ 500 TAKE PART IN
THE PERFORMANCE
NAM Works First Community
Drama.Much of II Escapes
the Audience.

Tan thousand persons assembled IN
Ae Stadium Of the College Of the City
- New York last night TO witness the
as, Community MasQue ever presented
=, ,be metropolis 10 be present IN
go. on the occasion Of New Nork's
sr.t endeayor TO evolve something re-
senb,ng a municipal form Of enter
comment. Added 20 these 10000 were
81. more than 800 participants IN the
vasoue drawn from all the widely
carving strata Of New York life' but
,,,bue6 with a common purpose. John
nrew head Of Americas most notable
theatrical family, and Morris Blum
bsrg. rom the Henry Street Settle
ment each did his share and for the
same reward.
To create "Caliban by the Yellow
Sands" the greatest men in their re-
.,eetive lines were brought together.
Tho production was planned as some
,binc more than the supreme endeavor
f Americas Shakespearian Tercente-
nary Celebration. Through it New York
was 20 be aroused TO sense Of its
civic duty not only 20 Shakespeare,
hut % the DRAMA IN general, and, most
inportart If all, TO Its own clulehs:
The Community Masque is put forward
- the ultimate solution Of the recrea-
20, probIem for New Iork's millions,
end Is the elimination Of two years
;sbor 10 that end-labor involving the
services of thousands upon thousands
How fan last nights ten thousand
subscribed 20 those ideas IS problema'-
;caI After all. 10 was the crowd that was
both the most interesting and the most
irnortaut part Of the Masque. To Degin
Win II must be admitted that the al
tendance was smaller than had been
t,nected although the poStponement
Ind the mountaineering weather may
have been responsible for TINS. Inc
reserved seats. for the most part were
tued. but In the unreserVed Sec'lOAs
,aere were huge gaps. u.5
majority mad apparently gatherea
with no definite idea concerning "ha'
Mas coming, and TO that majority much
Of the proceedings was consequently
unintelHgible. The early part OF inc
performance resolved itself into cries
Of Down i'm 'front.'" coupled with much
,training 20 catch the lines ana con-
siderable speculation as 10 what lt was
all about As the ear became gIAou
ally educated TO the surroundings now
ever. a majority Of the performance
was heard and presumably, under
stood. There was q certain and newt
able restlessness, for hard Denchea
and q long and sometimes tedious per
Torrance form trying combination.
hut New York's ten thousand acquitted
themselves decidedly well. 1t is true
that they gave no indication OF belng
conscious Of the fact that they were
pres emit al an epOChal happening, ana
indeed, II is doubtful II they were
"Cal ban by the Yellow Sands is I'M
prcssive and interesting, but Il neVeI
approaches the border of greatness.
To the men and women who planned
this titanic undertaking and carried
il TO completion there is due the full
est Of credit. As a mechanical achieve
mert 10 cannot fail 10 compel admira
ton. but as a work of art IL is no
vastly important. Real art require'
no guide books TO make IL understand
able. "Caliban," TO be sure, IS hand
some-even magnifcent-sp spectacle
10 is q big undertaking carried ou'
along big lines. and it crowns th'
Shakespcarian celebration IN htun.
stvIe One who has followed th'
Growth of the idea from the beglnnin2
cannot but be amazed az the gigantic
amount Of labor involved. TO say noth
inc OF the patience required, nor car
one doubt the sincerity OF oil con
cerned After witnessing a. proauc
ton. however, IL is Impossible 10 pe
lieve that the project will have inc
sweeping effect desired.
II IS true that it may stimulate IN
6iyiduals 10 a deeper study Of Shake
speare. but Mr.. MacKaye's hopes Tor j
have been far greater. II is ms Iaea
as expressed In the preface 10 the BOOK
tbat tbis form Of production econ
tributes a basis for the future devel'
opnent Of the outdoor community ar
OF the theatre, on scale adapted tc
modern cities" The very necessity
however. Of adapting the production Ia
the needs Of large city is what gets
"Caibar" into difficulties. 10 having
been necessary 10 erect stadium
which should accommodate the city !
thousands. the result is structure OF
magnificent distances, with the corol,
larry that the spoken lines are heard
only occasionally. and even then MOI
ALWAYS understood. Thus the masque
resolves itself into spectacle, and II
is largely upon its spectacular merits
that "Caliban' must rest It's case.
E
undoubtedly superior 10 anything ever
seen in New York City. II is a tn
umph for Joseph Urban. who designed
the stage and planned the lighting Ell
iects, and 10 is no less one tor koD-
CIT +. Jones, who is responsible for the
extremely colorful inner scenes. Fol
lowing a days pOstpOnement, Nature
aecommodatingly furnished a cloudles
almost fawloss. night. She even added
On occasional fash Of lightning, which
shot out above the stage at intervals
and gave the impression that even the
elements were attending the perform
alee.
Il was s:45 o'clock when a chorus OF
ougles from the top Of the Stadium
announced the beginning o. the Masque.
Arel was rcvealed-not clasped IN the
Jaws %. S.tebos, as had been expected
but r- standing m the creature 5
mouts The voices OF the Spirits Of
Ariel proceeded most effectively, from
a concealed platform on the top o. the
stage. Caiban. Prospero, Miranda and
me other characters Of the prologue
advanced 20 a platform on the edge OF
The Yellow Sands, and the entire cpl
logue was read from this point. Dur
Ing the interludes, also, this platform
served as a stage within stage. and
was transformed each time TO CORE
'pond 10 the period being represented.
The drama is Mr.. Mackaye's hero IN
"laIlhnr y nrl chnIoenanre MA Suncr-