Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-04-22
New York's M onster
Masque by Percy Mac
Kaye the National
Climax

IFTIHREE HUNDRED years alive on
i the 25d Of April, 1916, the memory Of
Shakespeare calls creatlvely upon a self
destroying world to do him honor by hon
oring that world-constructive art Of which
he is a master architect"
Thus writes Percy MacKaye in the
preface TO the printed version of the
Shakespeare Tercentenary Masque, Cali
ban by the Yellow Sands" which will be
Americas national commemoration of the
poets death. And since Shakespeare's
native land-with all Europe-has other
matters TO think Of, this monster masque
of a hundred thousand will also be the
worlds chief tribute to Its greatest dra-
mRtlst.
New York plans exercises. readings. lee.
lures, In schools colleges. clubs. settle.
ments. much In the fashion of Philadel-
phia- But the masque is the crown of IL
all. Enlisting national artists like Percy
MacKaye, Joseph Urban, Robert Edmond
Jones and Arthur Farwell 1t is national
memorial.
1t is certainly on national scale-< The
great halfclrcle of the concrete stadium
of the college of the City of New York
has been duplicated in wood so as to form
an oval seating 10000. On the ground In
the centre and huge raised stage at one
end, 30 actors and between 1000 and 5000
dancers, singers and mines will enact
"Caliban" for five nights, at cost OF
100000.
Joseph Urban, whose genius conceived
the idea of adding wooden stadium to
the concrete, says of his stupendous share
of the work
This is the biggest piece of theatrical
construction l have undertaken since |
came to this country. 1t Is more than
theatrical work. 1t is theatre plus archi'
lecture
'sThe problem was TO transform an
athletic field and stadium into a fairy
theatre for n single week on a scale SO
huge as to hold the attention Of 10000
pairs of eyes through two and half
hours of performance The inner stage.
on which the more intense action of the
drama will take place, is S5 feet broad,
20 feet long. and is feet high. But this is
only small part of the whole stage; 1t
is intended for the inner scenes which
Robert Edmond Jones is designing and
which will be, as 1t were, miniatures set
within an elaborate frame. In front of
the inner stage is n broad platform, af-
fording an acting space about 80 feet
broad, and in front of this again another
projecting stage. or apron surrounded by
irregular and rocky steps. which lead
down to the main level of the ground
circle.
'The main stage Is flanked by elabo-
rate architectural structures. These are
put In, first, to afford striking back
ground, impressive enough to be worthy
of the magnificent conceptions which Mr..
MacSaye has embodied in his Masque of
Shakespeare. They will be pierced by
entrances, and behind them will be the
dressing rooms and the props to be used
on the inner stage This structure will
also conceal the orchestra of 100 and the
mass chorus of 1000, for which Arthur
Farwell Is writing the music
"rha great towers. 45 feet high, which
are at the sides. have a still more i'm.
portant use. They will hold the huge
lamps which we are devising for the IL
Elimination of the performance.
This part of the problem interested
me almost more than any other. The
lighting for the hundreds of people, who
will deploy upon the ground circle, must
Be extremely powerful. dozen arc
lamps would hardly make a pin-prick of
light In this huge distance. So we are
perfecting a scheme for the use OF newly