They held the party in the library, the biggest room in the Corliss
house. And Aunt Nan’s portrait looked down on a strange gathering
of folk out of her favorite books. It seemed as if the old lady
must be pleased if she knew how many persons had become interested
in Shakespeare through the things which had happened and were still
happening in her library.
The door was opened by John dressed as Puck, in brown jacket and
tights, with little wings sprouting out of his shoulder-blades.
In the library the guests were received by Mary in long, glittering,
green draperies to represent Ariel, with a wand and a crown of stars.
She kept Caliban close at her side, beautiful in a green ribbon collar
which bored him greatly.
Katy Summers stood beside Mary, and looked sweet as Titania, in a fairy
dress of white tarlatan, with a crown of flowers. Dr. Corliss had been
made to represent Prospero, with a long white beard and gray robes. And
Mrs. Corliss was one of the witches from “Macbeth.” She wore a dress of
smoky gray veiling, with a veil over her long hair, which concealed her
face. Some of the children were afraid of her at first, for they did
not know who she really was; she looked very bent and witch-like, and
acted her part weirdly.
Ralph and James Perry, two members of John’s “Big Four,” came as
the two Dromios, the clowns in “A Comedy of Errors.” Their faces
were whitened, and they acted like real clowns in a circus, turning
somersaults and making grimaces. Whatever one did the other imitated
him immediately, and it kept the other children in gales of laughter.
Billy Barton, the fourth member of the “Big Four,” made a hit as Nick
Bottom, wearing the Ass’s head, and braying with comical effect; though
as Billy had never heard the strange noise which a donkey really makes
when it brays, he actually sounded more like a sick rooster. His
long-eared head-piece soon grew so hot to wear that Billy took it off
and hung it over his arm, which rather spoiled the illusion, but was
much more comfortable.
Then there was Charlie Connors, a very fat boy, who dressed as
Falstaff, with a fierce mustache and impressive rubber boots, a plumed
hat, belt full of pistols, and a sword. There was Lady Macbeth, in a
white nightgown with her hair hanging loose, a dangerous dagger in one
hand and a lighted candle in the other. But when she nearly set fire to
the draperies of the Ghost of Hamlet’s father, Mrs. Corliss made the
Lady extinguish her sleep-walking candle.
Hamlet himself was there, too, in melancholy long black stockings, with
a waterproof cape flung tragically over one shoulder. He carried one of
Aunt Nan’s ostrich eggs in his hand to represent a skull. Indeed, the
attic and the “Collections” had helped supply many necessary parts of
this Shakespeare masquerade.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account