El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-04-01
Shakspere Continues to o.
cupy Prominent Place in
New York Theatricals.

TEW YORK. April 1.-Shaksper,
N continues TO occupy r promi-
Il nent place m dramatic activ-
files. Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree con-
tributes a most interesting opinion OF
the Bard OF Avon TO The thousands
and thousands Of reams Of apprecia-
tion which the tercentensry has caused
TO the great English actor Shak-
spere is the most moder0 OF writer's
The poet-darmatists ar alysls OF hui
man nature is as keen today as it was
IN the time Of Good Queen Bess.
Sir Herbert also describes with great
power the blighting effect of the war
on English artistic and creative life
He says;
In our land the art Of the theater.
like all other arts, is under the passing
could OF war. This waT. which has
brought many social changes, seems
ephemeral. some likely e be abiding.
has been the cause Of an upheaval in
the world Of the theater.
1T is natural that in thiz turmoil the
art OF the stage should Cor the time
being be submerged. As We cOntem-
plate the tremendous trag o theater of
war we dc not need to tIrn for our
emotions TO the drama.
our senses are stirred gvery morn
ing as we open the newBp Gper. where
we not Only read OF the great events
which are cOnvulslng mankind, but we
can actually visualize in the printed
pictures the pageant OF ho'Tors which
beggar the Imagination ar paralyze
the ingenuity OF the draTFatist. Not
Dante's Inferno nor Shakspere's
speech OF fire couid picture the horrors
OF these actualities.
In London have with tn aid OF my
colleagues given an annual Shakspere
festival, and in the present year I had
intended 20 provide a celebration whose
scope was to embrace the ntire cycle
Of historical plays from Kiag John to
Henry VIII
FOR this enterprise PREPARATION
we're already on foot whe: the war
broke out, sweeping away in Its mighty
rush the gentle and humaEizinK arts
OF peace
In this strenuous time tia best oc-
Cupation OF the artist who is not shout
wounded bodies and the BAN Of for
getfulness TO the hurt minds Of the
people.
Here's where the sme,1 Of the
trenches does not reach our ostrils. IT
s. hard to realize the state Of things
which afflicts our people At home
Happiness and optimism are tclund only
in the trenches
What a change has come yer Eng
land since the first days OF the war
Then we gave 70 the public 4 revival
of Drake Nightly the scenes Of dar-
ing inspired great audiences. The
spirit Of Drake was abroad IN the land.
To-day a mightier and p 3founder
spirit than that OF the conquefing hero
animates England, the spirit 81 willing
sacrifice The glories OF pas history
are but a boast Their pride and pomp
are melted in the great cracible OF
chaos.
AT home even shalkspere's muse is
f. dumb. Let us all do our best TO
honor him on this side, and or proud
est achievement should be to hanor him
with some great tribute from 3 nerica-"
y
II IS said "The Merry W ives OF
was written at the especial
request OF Queen Elizabeth because she
wished to see poor old Falstaff in love.
While not considered one OF Shak-
spores masterpieces. IL serve as an
excellent vehicle for the taisnts OF
Viola Allen. Henrietta Crossrfan and
others Of James X. Hacketts Company
at the Criterion theafar
Mr.. Hackett was much disappointed
nj not being able TO play the FAT knight
himself, part IN which his fataer was
famous. Illness prevented HIN and
Thomas A. Wise, at short notice, gave
D. most excellent Interpretation
Much OF the coarseness Of tts play.
TO which a modren audience but not the
Virgin Queen objects. has beer elm
mated and by this and another device
The time Of playing has been Drought
down 10 reasonable length THIS de-
vice was a bridge connecting tbs street
IN front 81 the Page home on one side
'f the stage with the space bef-re the
home Of Or. Caius on the opposite side.
II was thus possible, as in Shak-
spere's stage. 10 produce scene after
scene without change, some en- the z
bridge and others az either enc Act 1
and part OF Act II went swiftly 1
through this arrangement
While the ancient Globe theat was /
initiated to this extent, the bard would Z
certainly have opened his eyes. SAD he I
seen the exquisite settings whi,h had /
been prepared by Joseph Urbaa and |
Richard OrdynskL The two artists out /
lid themselves In their conception Of |
forest Of the interior o. Mas /
.er FOrd's house and the bridge scene /
already mentioned.
IL would be interesting to 1--we a /
irst nighter OF the Elizabethan period /
or first-dayer, rather sit amcug us
oday and estimate just what recent I
n ShaksDere's jokes get across" Our
guess be that three quarters Ct the
'ards rich humor has been lost 4 the