New-York tribune., 1918-03-17
Monumental
Audacity" to
Woo Success
Laurette' Taylor to Snake
the Dust Out of
Shakespeare

Laurette Taylor, whose ambition is
apparently boundless, is not satisfied
with having created four widely con-
trasting and distinctly different roles
in four plays by J. Hartley Manners
during the past year and half. She
now proposes to give an added flip
to the last months Of her second con-
secutive New York season by appear
ing for the first time on any stage in
| no less than three Of the most impor-
noon. In other words, according to the
text of an official announcement ema-
mating from the Offices of her man
( agement, she is to give series OF
special Shakespearian matinees at the
Criterion Theatre on the four Fridays
of April, appearing as Portia, Juliet
and Katherine in scenes from "The
Merchant of Venice" "Romeo and
Juliet" and "The Tanning of tthe
Shrew." The first of these matinees is
to be given On Friday afternoon,
April S.
The trial scene from "The Merchant
Of Venice" and, of course, the balcony
scene from Romeo and Juliet will
be given. Four scenes in all from
"The Tanning of the Shrew" will have
place on the programme. These will
include practically all Of the important
scenes in which Katherine and Petru-
chic have a part, showing the famous
termagant before and after she has
been brought under the sway and
dominion of the lusty gentleman who
takes her to wife.
These matinees will be doubly in
teresting in that the important play
ers who have been chosen by Miss
Taylor to play the leading roles op-
posite herself WILL like herself, be max
ing their first appearances in Shake
speare. 0. P. Heggie, who is now
appearing with her in Happiness"
and whose performances in "Androcles
and the Lion" and Justice" were
ing seen in New York in the seasons
in which those plays were presented,
is to be the Shylock. Jose Ruben,
best remembered for his work last
season with the Washington Square
Players and for his performance
of the role of the romantic Alfred
de Musset in MADAME Sand" with Mrs
Fiske, is to be the Romeo, and Shelley
Hull, now prominent in the cast of
"Why Marry?" and one of the most
finished light comedians in the Amer-
can theatre, is to be the Petruchio.
In arranging the casts for these
special performances Miss Taylor was
insistent that every one essaying a
leading part should, like herself, bring
fresh viewpoint unhampered by ira
dition to the delineation of the char
acter in question.
Il know extremely little about the
established and traditional method of
Interpretation of the parts which 1
am to assume" she announces, "and
1 am foolish enough to think this will
be an aid rather than handicap to
monumental audacity in attempting so
much at once, but I hope that | will
be good in at least one Of the three
roles. If my public gives evidence of
liking me particularly we'll in one of
them l hope to later appear in an
elaborate revival of the play in which
the character has place"
The cast which has been arranged
for the scene from "The Merchant of
Venice" will include such we'll known
players as Frederick Perry as Gratiano,
Edward Mackey as Antonio, Leonard
Nude as Bassanio, Hubert Druce as
the Duke and Lynn Fontanne as Neris-
sa. All of these players will have roles
IN the scenes from "The Tanning of the
ShreW" as WELL
1t was Miss Taylor's original inten-
tion to devote the profits of these four
matinees to some war charity, but
when the cost of the production and
the limited capacity of the Criterion
Theatre were considered and a little
figuring was done it was discovered
that there wouldn't be any, even if the
theatre were sold out at each of the
four performances.
Arrangements have therefore been
completed for the giving of a special
performance on the afternoon of Thurs
day, April 4, at the beautiful private
theatre of Frank A. Vanderlip on his
estate at Scarborough, N. Y. The en-
tire proceeds of this special prelimi-
nary performance will be devoted to
the work of the American Red Cross.