Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-19
SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
PLANNED FOR CAPITAL
Movement Launched at Recital Civ
en- at Home of Mr.. and Mrs.
R. D. Shepherd.
Proposed That Event Be Held in
One of the City's Parks Some
Time in Spring.

| Washington may have Shakespear-
can festival next spring. in commemo-
ration of the 300th anniversary of the
death, of the Bard of Avon, which oc-
ours May %.
| With this idea in view, Mr.. and Mrs.
r. D. Shepherd invited a number OF
their friends to a Shakespeare recital
Sunday afternoon at their residence
1925 Biltmore street, when a move
ment was launched for the proposed
festival.
Already their guests. representing va
rious sets of Washington society, have
| taken deep interest in the effort in
hand. and expressed the hope that dur
ing the coming spring the city may be
brought closer to the great Elizabethan
productions.
The idea of those in charge of the eff
fort is that the proposed festival shall
be held outdoors in one of the parks
Of the city, and in continuing the work
inaugurated it is expected that a series
OF Sunday afternoon teas, musicals
and recitals will be given. Mrs. Arch
ibald Oracle will be the hostess Sunday
| afternoon at her home, on 18th street
Those Backing Movement.
| Included in the list Of those who met
with Mr.. and Mrs. Shepherd and who
have allied themselves with the move
ment for the proposed festival are
Mrs. Archibald Oracle. Mrs. Isaac W.
Littell, Senator and Mrs. Gore of Ok
lahoma, Mrs Turner A. Wick ersham,
former commissioner Of internal rev.
enue and Mrs. John G. Capers, Mr.. and
Mrs. Thomas H. Taliaferro. Mrs.
| Wheeler and Miss Katherine Wheeler
| of San Francisco, Douglass Bulloch,
William M. Conrad. Mrs. John Heath
and Mrs. Gregory of California. Mrs.
Georgia. Miss Clayson, Gray Dawson.
A. H. Van Buren,. Mr.. and Mrs Daniel
Smith Gordon. Miss Virginia Gordon.
Mr.. Warren. Miss Frances Walker,
Col. and Mrs. Ames. Capt. Perry De
Leon and Mr.. and Mrs. Josselyn
In several cities of the country. in
| Guiding New York and st. Louis.
this year, and at the meeting at Mrs
Shepherds 1t was brought out that
| Washington's leading people should
| lend their assistance to such an enter
prise
Give Shakespearean Readings.
Mr.. Shepherd. known to the stage as
n d
spearean artist in such parts as
othello. Richard III. Brutus and Shy
lock, gave a program including pas
sages from LAS You Like It," The
Merchant of Venice" and Richard Ill"
Mr.. Shepherd was presented to the au-
dience by Judge Blount of Georgia and
was followed by an address on Shake
speare by Mrs. Lamm, after which A.
H. Van Buren, rendered portion Of
vvrlt1
The meeting concluded with the bar
gaining scene from THE Merchant of
Venice" in which Mr.. Shepherd played
Shylock and Mr.. Van Buren,, Bassanfo
Mrs. Shepherd is known to the stage
as Miss Odette Tyler, and starred un-
der the direction of the late Charles
Frohman in The Heart of Maryland"
| shenandoah" Men and Women" and
ice." in which she took the part of the
Virginia girl. Caroline Milford" play
ing opposite Edwin Arden.
Was to Have Been Little Minister.
Mr.. Frohman had just secured James
NJ. Barrie's Little Minister" as the
next vehicle for Miss Tyler to tour the
country when she married Mr.. Shep-
herd and decided to retire from the
stage. Miss Maude Adams was her sue
cessor in the leading role of the play
Several times Miss Tyler was COM
manded to appear before the King and
Queen of England.
Mr.. Shepherd has been an ardent fol-
lower of Shakespeare since he left the
University of Virginia. He starred with
Nine. Modjeska in King John" and
Macbeth" and only recently with Will
liam Faversham as Brutus in Julius
Caesar" and also in "Othello," Mr.. Fa-
versham playing Iago. Last winter he
gave special performances in Boston
at the Grand Opera House as Brutus
and Shylock.
Not so long ago MIR. Shepherd was in
vited to join Miss Margaret Anglin in
her presentation of Greek plays in the
Greek Temple at San Francisco during
the exposition, but on account of the