Life — June 23, 1904 — page 6: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page contains two distinct sections: a critical essay on Shakespeare productions and an unrelated cartoon about a child's first encounter with nature. The main text, "Scenes from Shakespeare," critiques theatrical adaptations of Shakespeare's plays, particularly Mr. Greet's open-air productions at the University of Pennsylvania. The author argues that modern directors strip away Shakespeare's careful structure, eliminate essential exposition, and create confusion—exemplified by their staging of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" where characters roam inexplicably without motivation. The essay suggests audiences left bewildered, with one elderly gentleman asking what "was the matter?" The cartoon "Astonishment" is separate humor: a city child's first park visit, exclaiming "What a large park!" The second panel shows rain, with the caption "and then the rain came on—" a gentle joke about weather interrupting the outing.