The billboard (Oct 1910)

■OCTOBER: 2{(;v19ia .x.n ^ B i 11 9 p d DID SHAKESPEARE USE SCENERY? An Erudite Treatment of a Much Discusse Question Embodying the Epitome of ^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^ By A SHAKESPEAREAN STUDENT. There has always been a l4unentable lack' of definite knowledge - about Shakespeare and his activities. His- tory has given us complete and satis- factory blosrapbles of other great men and women of the past, but of Shakespeare's life we know but little. What he did in his -wondrous lifetime Is, of course, evidenced concretely by the powerful collection of poems and plays which he has given to the world, but history has been so neglectful of the great Bard of Avon—there is such a singular absence of definite Informa- tion concerning his career—and such knowledge of him as has been handed down Is so vagrue and shadowy that, since his times, various attempts have been made to discredit the greatest of English poets: to prove him guilty of plagiarism; to establish Bacon as the real author of the writings attributed to him, etc > Some of these writers and speakers who have attempted to discredit Shakespeare, to question his title of greathess, to dislodge him from his niche In the Hall of ; Fame have per- haps been actuated by honest motives, but the greater number of these critics have been prompted by desire to air their alleged erudition and to achieve auch notoriety as would be la flattering unction to their souls;' or for mere sordid, mercenary ■ reasons—thinking that' their comments questioning the authenticity of Shakespearean writ- ings would enable them to sen a book, or, perchance^ give them such pres- tige on the lecture platform as would benefit them financially.. But even as the giant thoroughbred St Bernard dog Is-profoundly uncon- scious of the attacks of a lot of yelp- ing, snapping, mongrel curs, so the mighty pervasive genius, of the igreat- est delineator of human passions the world'has ever. known, whenever at- tacked, forms into a tangible, over- powering personality on the intellect- ual horizon of the present day—^ahd the intellectual world—save the small contingent of mercenaries, malcon- tents and mental malformations- does it scholarly and adoring homage. In ho other age, before or since, has such a genius lived. Never, until Shakespeare came, had a human be- ing appeared on this earth who could run the whole gamut of human emo- tions, passions, sentiments—^who could SCENE FROM RICHELIEU. discover man's soul to himself. No such master mind has since appeared, and it is doubtful if the equal of his genius will ever be manifested. Be- reft his day of all else in intellectual achievements. literary works and hu- man deeds of every sort; blot out all else of its history, and leave only Shakespeare; and that day still shines forth as one Of the brightest stars in the diadem of time. I have-ever been an ardent admirer of Shakespeare; a loyal devotee before the shrine of his unparalleled greatness, and so I be- come pugnacious—perhaps unreason- ably partisan-—when any attempt is made to detract from his greatness in his day or In his history. It is not strange, therefore, being, thus so enthusiastic in my loyal^ to Shakespeare, that I should take issue with Mr. Ben Greet and others, as to the manner in which Shakespeare presented his pla>-s. When Mr. Greet first began touring the country with his Shakespearean company of actors, appearing at the various colleges, and other educational institutions throughout the country, presenting his plays outdoors, on the green .without scenery, claiming that in SO doing he was giving an approxi- mately exact reproduction of Shakes- peare's method^ of producing his plays, I took iaiae, mentally, with him, drawing, 'perhaps, unconscious deductions from what I had read, in support of my views as opposed to those of Mr. Greet In my time I have read much, then forgotten It. and then re-read It. This is particularly true of literature which has to do with the stage, the drama and the theatre. All my life I have been intimately associated with people who were well versed In hl»» toric lore. From them I.- have ob- tained many facts which have In time faded and dimmed- With Shakespeare's works, although I have read every line he wrote, and re-read much of It. besides having seen his works produced time and again, I was not familiar In a scholastic sense: yet I knew him in a way, through his works. But my knowledge was not specific. It was purely general. When I first questioned the educational val- ue of Oreet's productions; donbted bia sincerity and scholarship, and -the truth of his representations. I did not have a single concrete fact upon which to back my opinion. When I declared to myseU and to others that Mr. Grecft waa absolutely wrong in his theory as to the manner In which Shakespeare presented his plays. I presume that I was prompted simply by what may be termed common sense. My attitude was the result of a general impression that I bad formed of Shakespeare and his time. I knew that I had a definite opinion on the subject, but I did not know exactly how I had formed that opinion. Then I began to think tba matter over and gradually it came to •me,-an*-my logic was about sa ttUr lows: Shakespeare was a great play- wright, the greatest ptoywrlght not only in his time, but in all time. Ho was also a great- actor. He was also a manager. These three facts told 'me"cleiarly arid poslUvelJl that he must have been a great stage manager—that he must have, been versed in the art of stage craft I knew that his plays were always first produced under his personal super- vision. It was Inconceivable that a man who was clever enough to write such plays should be so barren In re- source, expedient and inventiveneaa as to produce theni in the crude, cheap and tawdry manmer that Greet, his au- thorities, forbears, and others of his ilk. would' have us believe. To me It was unthinkable that a man of his almost infinite devemess would not think of such very dmple devices aa a curtain, proscenium, scenery, wlogs. flies anr^ ; set .pieces. 1 was s<Hdttv« that .If titey had 'never been thought (Gontiooed on page SO.) SCENE PROM CYMBELINE. SCENE PROM A MIDSUMMER NIG NT'S DREAM.