SHAKESPEARE TERCENTENARY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2747, 15 April 1916, Page 3

SHAKESPEARE TERCENTENARY

In three iveelcs the festival in connection with the celebration of Shakespeare's ter-centenary takes place at the Town Hall. There will be three nights of pageantry, fantasy, and acted scenes from the poet's best works, which will be produced by nearly one hundred performers. , The pageant is being arranged by Mrs. J. A. Hannah, and much care is being taken to get performers who can look and dress the characters allotted to them. The dressing will Iks a feature, no effort being spared to - make tho costumes correct and effective, and a-s the performers will pay for their own costumes, the profits from the festival are expected to lie la''ge. The net proceeds are to- be. given to the Red Cross Fund. The Shakespearean scenes to be produced have been selected by the committee with a view to making them as representative and varied as possible, and the best talent will perform in these excerpts. A. souvenir programme of special design will bo issued in commemoration of the event. Competitive designs for this have been received from all parts of New Zealand, and tliey will /be' sold for a_ small charge. The committee is taking a lead from England in this festival, where, despite the war, a great celebration is being organised in honour of the great poet.

The Rev. John H. Elliott, D.D., late president of the Chapman-Alexander Bible Institute, Adelaide, has had several years' experience as a leader in the Moody Bible Institute, and worked with the ChapmanAlexaader party of evangelists. Dr. Elliott has qome to New Zealand at the request of the Y.M.C.A. National Committee, and will for a few weeks work among the local associations and military camps. ■ During the next fen- days Dr Elliott will address meetings at the local Y.M.C.A., as advertised in this issue.