Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1921-09-01
SHAKESPEAREAN PLAY BY
LOCAL TALENT BIG SUCCESS


ity of local talent to present a
iously, those doubts were certainly
dispelled last Thursday night when
A Midsummer Nights Dream was
put on in the ChautauQua auditor
ium. 1t was splendid, every min
ute of it being enjoyed by the large
audience present About 40 per-
sons took part, counting in the little
fairies who were mighty big and
fine part of the show.
There were II speaking charac--
ters.- Miss Margaret Dawson as
Hernia, and Miss Marie Hoffman
as Helena, with Harry McLucas as
Lysander and Justus Alderman as
Demetrius, were the couples furnish
ing the love story about which the
play revolved. ALI were fine in their
parts.
Augusta Button, as Puck, who
caused commotion and consterna-
tion among the lovers, by the dis
tribution of the potent "love juice,
was entirely at home in her role and
earried it off in way that could
probably not have been excelled.
of Athens, was imposing in his rich
robes of royalty, his dignity of de-
meanor, and his smooth rendition
of his lines. Miss Margaret Rogers
as Hippolyta, Queen of the Amaz-
.Ons, and the betrothed of the duke,
rendered her part well, as did the
others Egens, father of Hernia,
Frank B. Smith. and Philostrate,
Master of the Revels of Theseus, Nc
Kinley Pierce. The soldier atten-
dants-Marmaduk Sears, Ray
Fleming, Harold Smith and Robert
King, added color and realism to
the scene.
To Bottom, weaver, George o.
McGonagle, and his associates
Ounce, a carpenter, S. G. White;
Flute, bellows mender, George
Newman; Snout, a tinker, r. K.
Brown, jr.; Starveling, tailor, F.
C.. Hotchkiss, and Snug, joiner,
Jonathan Perkins, the medal must
go for real comedy. The work of
these 'tradesmen" in the prepara-
ton for their play before the nobil-
ity, and their later presentation OF
same, was well done and most en-
Enthusiastically received by the audi
ence. Professionals could hardly
have performed their part in a bet
ter manner.
LaDOyt Pinkerton as Oberon,
King of the Fairies, and Miss Agnes
Pyle as Titania, Queen of the Fair
les, were attractive. In addition to
their charming lines which they rem
dered with ease and grace, they had
the accessories of most beautiful
costumes-just such as fairies might
be expected to wear, the likes of
which one dreams Of but scarcely
ever expects to see. The king and
queen of the fairies were also for a
time subject to the disturbance caus-
ed, in the course of true love by the
scattering of the Glove juice" by the
impish Puck. Here too again the
work of Bottom, the temporarily
transformed, and for time the be-
loved of Titania, queen of the fairies,
stood out as that of real artist.
Peas Blossom, Dorothy Kraps;
Cobweb, Virginia Ward; Moth, Isa-
bel Fox; Mustard Seed, Marguerite
Roberts: and the other little fairies
attending the king and Queen-Bir-
die Whitaker, Marian Mackay, Mary
Evelyn McLucas, Mary Louise Fox,
Alice Kenney, Harold Finley, Wayne
Northrup, Homer Mackay, Charles
Whitaker, Dwight Miller, Goodwin
Coulson, James Finley, George Spen-
Ger and King Betz, all won APP
plause. The part presented by the
fairies was aesthetic to a high de-
gree-a charming part of the pro-
gram. A pretty number in the
fairyland scene was song by Miss
Josephine Birch, the smaller fairies
being gathered about her.
Too much cannot be said OF the
orchestral accompaniment OF the
play. Miss Kate Stanton had had
: in charge the organization OF the
orchestra. Mendelssohn's music
was rendered, and nothing could
have been more delightful than the
musical part of the program. Mr..
Harold Savage, cOrnet, was leader,
the others being Miss Stanton, pi-
ano; Frank Gray and Eleanor Err
win. violins; Dale Perkins, clarinet;
Francis Dawson, saxophone; Rogers
Rusk. flute, and Mrs. J. e. Spence,
organ.
To Mr.. Russell Ashton, electri-
clan, fell the task of making splen-
did mechanical effects, through the
various colors thrown upon the
stage, from the darkened auditor
ium, adding to the picturesQueness
of the scene, the stage having been
transformed into a bower of green,
for the setting of the play.
The costumes, wigs, etc., used
by the various actors were from
VIM. Beck & Sons of Cincinnati.
The presentation of A Midsum-
mer Nights Dream was tremen-
dous success. 1t reflected great
credit upon all who participated in
any way, while of course particular
credit and recognition of her abil- |
ity must go to Miss Augusta True, |
under whose supervision 1t was pro-
duced. Miss True, herself formerly !
an actress in Shakespearean roles, |
being with the Ben Greet players, |
demonstrated a marked ability as
an organizer and director, with the |
result that the play presented by the
local company under her direction
the first Shakespearean drama to
have been attempted here, was a
wonderful success, and reflects hon
or upon the supervisor, the actors,
and all who assisted in any way
with the arrangements.
The amount taken in for the en-
tertainment was 1854. The expenses
amounted to $121, making balance