The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-06-28
AMATEUR STARS
 WILL APPEAR IN OUTDOOR MASQUE
Bridgeport Will Not Be Out done By Cities That Have
 Enjoyed Pageants.

The spirit of outdoor performances and of pageants, masoues and com munity plays is taking more and more a hold. of the mind of the people, and , after New York had it's "Caliban by the Yellow Sands,'' a masque written by Percy Mckay and Chicago, St. Louis, Boston, Newark and other large centefs had their pageants, Bridge port no less progressive than the other cities above mentioned, is also to come in line with a pageant and masque all it's own that bids fair to outdo many of those of the larger cities above mentioned, Is also Louis Srnirnow especially for the pro- duction in this city, is called 'The Masque of Shakespeare" and is a ! pleasant blending of the real and the imaginary or fantastic, dealing with human characters and with fairies i as they figure in old English folk lore and brings out the interest on both sides in a manner as perfectly as if it , were done by Shakespeare himself or at least by some other very well known and experienced dramatic writer. 1 The honorary committee--in charge ! of this pageant is composed as follows: Mayor Clifford B. Wilson, chairman; Nathaniel W. Bishop member of the
 board of trade; Fred Enos, presiden board of trade; Elmer H. Ravens. .phes- 1 ident. board of education; H. D. Si- monds, principal. Bridgeport High school; pr. Louis M. Snirnow, author
 D. Fairchild Wheeler, president i Bridgeport Land and Title Co.,; the board of park commission CTS, whose < members are George M. Flames, presi-
 dent of the board: Judge Morris B.
 Beardsley, Attorney Charles Stuart , Canf1e1d, Henry Cliffe, superinte dent
 0f TS Hayes of Hayes & Belts; Philip L. Hol- ] ger of James Staples & Co.,; Louis Kut- ] scher, Jr., president, Home Brewing : Co.,, and c. Barnum Seeley, presid dent i Bridgeport Trust Co.,: and the press i committee, Richard Howell, editor of i the Sunday Herald, chairman: J. Ed i ward Elliott, editor of the Bridgeport i Standard, and George c. Waldo, Jr, 1 editor of the Bridgep9rt Telegram. ] The board of park commissioners ' seeing the great possibilities of open i air amuSeme ments and the exceptional i beauties of pageants or community i plays, has given the use of Beardsley park for the perform ance of the Masque of Shakespeare" donated a brass band to play to all three per i formances, which are scheduled to \ take place around Labor Day, and | contributed small amount of money
 with which to start a fund to defray
 
 with an enormous stage and large
 grand stands will have to be erected
 to witness the performances, and work
 on these constructions will begin in
 the near future.
 Part of the cast is already select
 ed, and these a@e hard at work in studying their parts. The masque
 and pageant will be entirely free to
 the public, in which respect Bridge |l port differs from all other cities, as
 1arge-ad dmission' fees were charged in all other places where nnasques were held.
 A man of the widest experience, Douglas Ross of the Sir Herbert Tree
 Co.,, has been engaged to stage and produce the play. and he will also
 take the leading role, that of Robert
 Bruce, a man of the people, a dra-
 matfc writer and suitor for the hand
 of Thalia.A MT. Ross has assisted
 Thomas Wood Stevens in the ce1ebrat-
 ed Newark Masque, has produced
 his company of Woodland Players
 many of out of door Indian and
 Shakespearean plays, and with the
 Ben Greet players and the Sir Herbert
 Tree company has acted prominent
 roles in many of the best Shakespear-
 can plays. The leading lady will be
 Mrs. Richard Howell in the role ot
 Thalia, the. Muse of Comedy, whose
 sweet and graceful deineations are we'll suited to Mrs. Howell's .tempera-
 nnent.
 Queen Elizabeth, in whose time the
 scene of the play is laid, will be play ed by Mrs. Walter Loewith, who made
 such a hit at the play, '"The Hobby Horse,'' lately given for the Bridgeport Charities organization. The part for II Lord Corncliffe will be played by Fre6 Harrison who distinguished himself
 at number of local performances
 notably that of 'The Importance O, Being Earnest and of Don lately
 presented at the High school auditor
 iun. The actor in the prologue ana the first court-jester will be acted by Frank Quinn. The two delightful lit tie elves named Sunbeam and Ripp1, . will be played respectively by Miss , Marguerite Linehan and Miss Anna , Beard, who have earned merit in sev , eraI local productions while Miss Mar jorie Boyden will personify Honest. } and Corruption who make very inter } esting appearances in the play.
 Others are being selected for othe parts in the play, of which there ar l a great number, the cast is a yer, - large one Particularly will it b :, necessary for number of supers < lords and ladies, attendants, guards
 courf-jesters and dancers for the com
 nunity or fairly dances, most o
 l which will be under direction of Mis l Marsh, and all who wish to voluntee
 their services or partake in the pla I and it's perform ance will conmunicat 4 with Mrs. Howell with Dr. Snnir :, 1 now. The committee will greatly ap e+ 1 preciate such services.
 Il STRANDED STEAMER FTOATEE