her charming effect, but the outlines of
the trees are quite definite; no impressionism here.

The acting is quite a different matter. _As You Like It_ is one of the
most modern in spirit of the Shakespeare plays. This air of modernity
is still further emphasized by the fact that the play, for the most
part, is written in prose. I feel certain that Bernard Shaw derived
part of his inspiration for _Man and Superman_ from _As You Like It_.
Only in Shakespeare's play Ann Whitefield (Rosalind) pursues Octavius
(Orlando) instead of Jack Tanner. I am inclined to believe that Shaw's
psychology in this instance is the more sound. It seems incredible
that a girl so witty, so beautiful, and so intelligent as Rosalind
should waste so much time on that sentimental, uncomprehending
creature known as Orlando. Every line of Orlando should have sounded
the knell of his fate in her ears. However, it must be remembered that
Orlando was young and good-looking, and that, at least in the play,
men of the right stamp seemed to be scarce. Of course, it is out of
Touchstone that Shaw has evolved his Jack Tanner.

Whether Miss Anglin had this idea in mind or not when she produced the
comedy I have no means of ascertaining. It is not essential to my
point. At least she has emphasized it, and she has done the most
intelligent stage directing that I have observed in the performance of
a Shakespeare play for many a long season. There is consistency in the
acting. Rosalind, Jaques, Touchstone, Celia, Oliver, the dukes,
Charles, Sylvius, the whole lot, in fact, are natural in method and
manner. There is no striving for the fantastic. Let that part of the
comedy take care of itself, undoubtedly suggested Miss Anglin.

Jaques, finely portrayed by Fuller Mellish, delivers that arrant bit
of nonsense "The Seven Ages of Man" in such a manner as a man might
tell a rather serious story in a drawing room. "The Seven Ages of
Man," of course, is just as much of an aria as _La Donna e Mobile_. It
always awakens applause, but this time the applause was deserved. Mr.
Mellish emphasized the cynical side of the role. He smiled in and out
of season, and his most "melancholy" remarks were delivered in such a
manner as to indicate that they were not too deeply felt. Jaques was a
little bored with the forest and his companions, but he would have
been quite in his element at Mme. Recamier's. Such was the impression
that Fuller Mellish gave. Bravo, Mr. Mellish, for an