Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-04-22


IGtiOT S.tU: comm with IN any other
OLD tbtster sosTs, have persistently avoided
tne tfeafeTs Of This city since last autumn.
Our action was induced in part by our own
experience OF tie wIetched acting 10 be seen
upon Their boards, and in part to the severe
structures or IL management and the abil-
liles Of The &c ors by the theatrical critic of
tDe CopV0I, whom we had always found
reliable. But when Sotbern came I could
resist 70 longer, nor could my wife. She
said, My dear, let Us go, aud endure the
50 We went; and never were two persons so
agreeably disappointed. Not that the acting
was first class, or that it would have passed
muster at Wallack's or the Bost IN Museum;
but IL was very good, and we were proper
tiODally delighted. / have been theater-
goer foI over twenty years, and have seen
every actor of eminence from Burton down,
end the best stock companies in every large
city in the United States, and think know
a bad actor when / see one. / am free TO say
that those gentlemen and ladies who acted
al the y atioDal on Thursday night in david
GaTrick" are not bad actors and certainly
90 not deserve the name of "sticks.u The
piece ran with exceeding smoothness, most
OF the acting was very fair, and in one or two
cases-those OF Messrs. Hottie and flanagan
for example-it was really good. Mr.. Hotto's
fault, in my judgment, is q tendency toward
OyerCOing his part; but that is fault on the
right side, and ole easily corrected. Mr..
flanagan is always good in the minor parts.
TO which he is usually assigned, and il a
paiu stalking and conscientious actor. Toe
SchiISHi~I WIZ lidSSu JULIE uldIS me
laugh a great deal.
Ia "HupdIeary" I looked again for
sticks" and this time / foupd one. IL was
lady; end have such weakness for the
sex that / won't mention her more pRrticu-
larry. She did the best she could, have no
doubt; but Mr.. Ford has no right 10 put q
lady pos Sessing 20 few claims TO the notice
of the audience in a prominent part. Her
acting really detracted from the effect Of the
very funny performance of SOthern. and she
should appear only in minor parts. such as
pages and "waikipg ladies" and "confi-
Genital friends" who are expected to SYM
pathise with the heroine. and say nothing.
Wen, as came home 1 said to Mrs. Pol
Wheal: "My dear, the Capital will certainly
contain favorable criticism tomorrow.
The actors we saw to- night are the results of
its noble crusade against the miserable sys-
TEN heretofore adopted by John T. Ford.
Ford has succumbed. All honor to the Capt
tar" MY wife said she "didn't know" She
wouldn't be certain"
Wei, | Looked in yesterdays Capital. At
ter racing fTantically down the street in
dressing gown and slippers after colOred
citizen who was disseminating that useful
journal, l succeeded in securing II, and
turned Immediately to the Theatrical No
tees. What could believe my eyes? The
came old criticism, "SOthern was of course
coed, but the rest excepting Hotto and Some
one else were worthless sticks!"
gave up. ! said to my wife, my faith Is
shattered. Henceforth my dependence on
newspaper criticism is gone. i had built up
a huge castle OF faith on the Capital. and am
now sitting amid its rims like Marius. in
sombre melancholy. Yours despondingly,
THOMAS POIWHFAL.