Elsie Herndon Kearns and George Carleton Kearns

              Announcing
ELSIE HERNDON KEARNS AND GEORGE CARLETON SOMNES

ELSIE HERNDON KEARNS


IN AN OPEN AIR SEASON OF PLAYS, SHAKESPEARIAN AND CLASSICAL

INCLUDING Shakespeare's THE WINTER'S TALE and Moliere's THE LEARNED LADIES



PASTORALS WITH DISTINCTION

Elsie Herndon Kearns
Miss Kearns needs no introduction to the open air public.  For the last three years she has been leading woman with the original Ben Greet Players, and after his return to England Mr. Greet secured her services as the star of his company for two seasons.  This last would establish her as a star in her own name and forestall any idea or suggestion that a new and unknown, or inexperienced, person is being foisted upon the public under an old and reliable name.

Miss Kearns is proclaimed by the press and the public as one of the most talented exponents of Shakespeare's women in the past decade.  She was a prominent member of the New Theatre Company from its inception until it was discontinued.  During that time she played in Anthony and Cleopatra, Twelfth Night, The Winter's Tale, Sister Beatrice, Strife, The Cottage in the Air, The Witch, and The Bluebird.  Since this Miss Kearns has played important parts with Winthrop Ames Company, in The Piper; also special engagements with Miss Marie Tempest in Vanity Fair, and with George Fawcett.

Miss Kearns is a graduate of Smith College, where she played leading roles in the Smith College Dramatic Club.  In her Senior year she played the title role in Hamlet with the Club, which also played in all the largest cities of the East.

New York's eminent critic, Alan Dale, says: Nature has endowed her liberally with beauty, temperament and intelligence.

Her Juliet has been favorably compared with that of Julia Marlowe.

During the year with Mr. Greet, Miss Kearns has added successfully to her repertoire: Juliet in Romeo and Juliet; Miranda, in The Tempest; Portia, in The Merchant of Venice; Rosalind, in As You Like It; Beatrice, in Much Ado About Nothing; Katherine, in The Taming of the Shrew; to which she will add this year: Hermione and Perdita, in The Winter's Tale, and Armande, in The Learned Ladies.


ELSIE HERNDON KEARNS




George Carleton Somnes
Mr. Somnes' name is by no means unknown to the lovers of Pastorals, either—having for the last five Summers been active in Ben Greet's service as actor, manager and producer.  Since Mr. Greet has been in England the entire production of the plays for his original company has been under the sole direction of Mr. Somnes, and his work in that capacity, in conjunction with Miss Kearns, has called forth such praise as follows, not from one, but from many universities:

INDIANA UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

Bloomington, Indiana, October 21, 1916.

DEAR MR. SOMNES:

The best testimonial that I can send is that we take the Ben Greet Company with Miss Elsie Herndon Kearns, whenever we can get them.  I can say with sincerity that not for several years have their plays been so much enjoyed as last Summer.



Mr. Somnes has also played with Mr. Faversham in his three all-star Shakespearian revivals, and at various times with Thomas Wise, Constance Collier, Julia Opp, Tyrone Power and Frank Keenan.  During the season of 1915 he played in London, supporting such stars as Miss Viola Tree.


GEORGE CARLETON SOMNES


He was of the original Washington Square Players of New York, and this past Winter has been active with them in establishing their Chicago Company.  He was also engaged as director of The Little Theatre Society of Indianapolis, but, through illness, was forced to resign.

Besides all this acting and producing, Mr. Somnes has found time to study designing—his principal achievement being the costumes for The Marriage of Columbine, which opened at Charles Hopkins' Punch and Judy Theatre; the fancy dress costumes for The Hawk, produced at the Shubert Theatre, New York, by Mr. Faversham; the setting and dress for a Miracle Play in London, and several individual costumes for Mr. Greet.

The entire arrangement and direction, costuming and lighting, will be under his direction.  With an entirely new equipment he can hardly fail to excel all past efforts.

He will be seen this year in two new parts, as well as some of his successes in the old repertoire.  Apropos of his artistic equipment, a well-known college professor and writer recently said: I should feel certain that any performance under the entire direction of Mr. George Somnes would be marked by grace and beauty, as his own work is sure to be.  In all the six different parts in which I have seen him, the voice, the diction and the metrical rendering combine a fine eye for effects in color and line, and a sense of poetry unusual among any actors.





Testimonials and Press Comments

I always recall with pleasure the occasions on which I have seen Miss Kearns' and Mr. Somnes' acting, on account of the notable unity of effect in their verse reading, their sense of idealization of the parts, and their general taste and distinction.  It is a delight to remember the seven or more occasions on which I saw them take the leading roles.



STATE NORMAL SCHOOL IN THE WESTERN DISTRICT
Bowling Green, Ky., November 6, 1916.

To whom it may concern:

The Ben Greet Players with Miss Elsie Herndon Kearns gave three performances on the campus of the Western Kentucky State Normal School in the summer of 1916.  The audience was pleased with the intelligence of the acting, with the clear interpretation of the parts, with the individuality shown by Miss Kearns and other members of the company.  These entertainments stand out cameo-like among other performances given on our campus, and it is with pleasure that we recommend these actors to any schools desiring to have the lesson that Shakespeare wrote, not for an age, but for all time given to their student body.

Yours truly,
 President.

UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

November 5, 1916.

Nothing has ever come to the University of Mississippi that proved quite such high entertainment to the University community and to the people of Oxford as was presented by the Ben Greet Players with Miss Elsie Herndon Kearns, in their matinee and evening performance respectively of the Comedy of Errors and Romeo and Juliet.  The cast was well balanced, and no role was poorly supported; but Miss Kearns' Juliet will be unforgettable to all.

David H. Bishop



WHAT THE PRESS HAS SAID.

Minnesota Morning Tribune, Minneapolis, Minn., June 8, 1915:
In Elsie Herndon Kearns the Ben Greet Players are fortunate.  Her Viola is admirable, in appearance, in voice, in manner.  The resonance of her expressive voice and the clearness of her enunciation are especially to be commended.  The pompous Malvolio of George Somnes was one of the best interpretations of that noted character that has been seen in some time.


Columbia Record, Columbia, S. C., April 14, 1915:
The Grand was crowded last night to hear these justly famous players is As You Like It.  This play was presented in a wonderful manner that deserved the plaudits of the most critical.  As was the case of the matinee performance, Miss Kearns and George Somnes stood out as especially brilliant stars.
It is wonderful how these players concentrate one's attention on the play and the lack of scenery is not noticed.



Sunday State Journal, June 6, 1915:
As Katherine in The Taming of the Shrew, Miss Kearns was superb.  With her mass of flaming hair, her flashing eyes and the imperious toss of her beautiful head she was a vixen until her fury was matched against that of the whip-snapping, tongue-lashing Petruchio.


Des Moines Press, Des Moines, Iowa, July 13, 1915:
Miss Elsie Herndon Kearns made an appealing Viola, especially in the first important scene with the Duke, a very trying one because it is so frequently quoted.  George Somnes' interpretation of the conceited steward, Malvolio, was a decidedly artistic piece of work.


Times-Picayune, New Orleans, La., April 27, 1916:
To George C. Somnes fell the part of the impetuous lover, Orlando, and Mr. Somnes sustained the character to the evident satisfaction of the audience, using to advantage a rich speaking voice.
As Rosalind, Miss Kearns was one of the delights of the evening.  She gave the part that summer freshness that is so indispensable to its successful rendition.



Houston Chronicle, Houston Texas, May 4, 1916:
Shakespeare's text gains much in impressiveness when given without stage settings.  All of the dignity, the nobility which mark the writings of the great observer and recorder of humanity are thus unmarred by the slightest distraction of the mind and one becomes, anew, a learner at his feet.
These players see that nothing is lost, so perfect is their enunciation, so accurate their interpretation, so able their by-play and facial expression.  Miss Kearns, in the character of Juliet and Mr. Somnes as Romeo were supreme in their artistry.  The balcony scene can never be forgotten by those who saw it.  It seemed almost beyond belief that Miss Kearns could be she who had enacted the jealous wife of the afternoon so thoroughly lovable and truly womanly was she as the coy sweetheart and faithful young bride.



San Antonio Express, San Antonio, Texas, May 5, 1916:
Miss Elsie Kearns was pronounced most charming in her roles, first that of Rosalind and at night, Beatrice.  She succeeded well in creating the illusion that Rosalind lived before the eyes and ears of the audience.  She gave those small inimitable touches of humor which are the springiness of refined comedy which makes the stage character real to the audience.  At each performance she became a favorite with her merry laugh.


San Antonio, Texas, May 15, 1916:
In As You Like It, Rosalind (Miss Kearns) was at her best perhaps in the scene where, garbed as a jaunty knight, she leads in Orlando.


Waco, News, Waco, Texas, May 13, 1916:
Miss Elsie Herndon Kearns was at her best in the part of Beatrice and as in all her appearances held the closest attention of everyone present.


Waco News, May 12, 1916:
Miss Elsie Herndon Kearns as Juliet and George K. Somnes as Romeo were nothing short of artists in the presentation of two of the most difficult parts in literature.  Miss Kearns, who has been prominent as one of the interpreters of Shakespeare's women and who has been of the New Theatre Company, of New York, and the Winthrop Ames Company and then with the Ben Greet Players, is undoubtedly one of the greatest modern Shakespearian actresses.  Mr. Somnes easily ranks among the best who have played the part of Romeo.  In the performance last night he gave some of the strongest bits of acting ever seen here in Shakespearian plays.


Indianapolis News, Indianapolis, Ind., June 10, 1916:
Elsie Herndon Kearns, from Rosalind of As You Like It to Juliet, undergoes the most striking and deftly accomplished metamorphosis of the players.  She is perhaps even more effective as the tragical Juliet, although the boyish charm of her Rosalind is missed.  George C. Somnes also seems as suited to the role of the sombre, love-shattered Romeo and others of the cast essayed less ambitious roles with spirit and skill.


Nashville Tennessian, Nashville, Tenn., June 23, 1916:
The interpretation of the part of Hamlet by Miss Elsie Herndon Kearns on last evening was a veritable triumph.  With a beautiful speaking voice she recited the famous soliloquy especially well.


Philadelphia Press, Philadelphia, Pa., July 28, 1916:
Elsie Herndon Kearns, cast in the role of Rosalind, did splendid work and the applause that followed every dramatic situation in which she appeared testified to her effectiveness as the Beloved Masquerader.  The open air setting added greatly to the realistic manner in which the forest scenes were enacted and little criticism could be made of the technique of the presentation save in the denouement, which was weak.  But this was not the fault of Miss Kearns, who appears to be exactly the sort of person that the elusive Rosalind was.


Philadelphia Public Ledger, Philadelphia, Pa., July 29, 1916:
Elsie Herndon Kearns was a piquant and winsome Rosalind, capturing her audience bag and baggage, scrip and scrippage, with her charming reading of the lines which all lovers love.



All communications should be addressed to ELSIE HERNDON KEARNS' PLAYERS, P. O. Box 116, Times Square Station, New York City; Phone, 5942 Prospect.

Performances may be secured outright, or under favorable conditions—on a percentage basis.