The daily critic., 1890-10-04
ATTRACTIONS OF THE PRESENT WEEK
And the More Than Usually Good
Bills for the Coming One,
FASHION WILL CROWD THE NATIONAL,
While Cora Tanners Admirers Will
VIEW Her Art and Her Gowns at
Albaugh's--Other Theatres.
Stage Gossip.

The past week has been one of Mn.
usual attractions at the theatres, and
Washington audiences, which always
know good thing, even be
fore they see it, have been appreciatively
large In proportion At the National
the very acme Of the modern burlesaue
operetta was reached in Mr. De Wolf
Hopper's brilliantly funny and comicaily
gorgeous skit, called Castles In the
Air" SO many pretty girls, in so few
but beautiful clothes, have rarely been
gathered on the same highly fortunate
stage. The boxes were filled with
parties Of blasely enthusiastic club-men,
the bald.headed rows turned out with
full ranks, and cohorts of the chappies
peIfumed the air Of the lobby with the
sweet incense Of the cHtr'dcte cigarette.
In and among the may lines of the
cdalisques Of the chorus pranced and
cayorted the colossal form Of the IRE.
pressible Mr.. Hopper In such contor.
tions Of comedy as he only can evolve,
while pretty little Della Fox aud plump
and saucy Anna O'Keefe captured the
hearts of the audience with song and
dance from the very head-waters of
Helicon. Mr.. Hopper was the recip
tent Of a great deal of social attention
during the week, and was almost forcel
to Introduce in some Of his later per
formanCes several of the funny thing,
he had hitherto reserved for the de.
lcCtation Of his friends in private.
AT Albaugh's the Washington public
was treated to such play and such
presentation Of Il as 10 revive all the
best traditions Of the stage, and 10 fur.
nish, indeed, one of the best arguments
that could possibly be brought 10 bear
against the stages traducers. Not
many sermons that are preached now
ad6ys could So avail to soften the heart
Of the most selfish aud cynical. and so
mold to the gentlCr influences of gen.
erOsiiy, truth, simplicity and self.abne.
cation as this truly noble little play Of
Mr. kidder's. Thus much, OF course.
is due to the author Of "A Poor Rea
tion, but the play IN all likelihood
might have remained forever upon the
shelves, had there not fortunately been
found such an exponent Of the central
character as Mr.. Sol Smith Russell.
His Efforts are achieved apparently by
the very simplest means, but, In
reality, IL Is the perfection of
a very high order Of dramatic art. His
very silences are more eillcacious for
laughter OF tears than the most strenu-
Gus Efforts Of the majority Of actors.
a look, an almost imperceptlble gesture,
the very slightest facial change with
him Is sufficient 10 tell the whole story
Of humorous OF pathetic situation, as
thunders Of rant or agonies Of bulfoon.
cry would fail 10 convey 1t. Ills Noah
Yale deserves TO live as one Of the last
ing figures of the stage as valuable for
lie picture Of q noble and gentle human,
ily and pure and unselfsh heroism as
for IFS exceptional worth as work Of
dramatic art. A few such plays so ad.
miTably played would do much 10 llft
the stage from the Teproach to which Il |
has been, perhaps, not unjustly sub |
jected. Mr. Russell's support was SO |
uniformly excellent that the play pre. /
senied delightful and harmonious com. |
pleteness. IL was an encouraging indi- |
cation Of popular taste that play con /
eeiyed and presented on so high a plane /
of thought and action was received with 1
the closest attention and its most deli /
cate points at once perceived and appre-
eiated, while al the splendid climax of
the first act the hero was recalled with
storm Of applause, to which each night 1
he was compelled to respond with a
speech as clever and honest and direct
as his work as an actor
AT Harris Milton Mobiles and his
excellent company In 'erhe
Ph9nix" have been delighting audi
ences that taxed the capacity Of that
beautiful and coy little house 10 the !
utmost, and genial Manager Z lstoa is
counting the receipts in four big hgures.
kernan's has maintained ils reputa-
lion as a resort Of high class vaudeville
and has been well patron.
zedi but then KeTnan's Is always
crowded.