Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-16
AMUSEMENTS.

canvas to see THE Country Circus at AL
baugh's last night, and, as far as could be
judged, everybody was satisfied. This is
not the first time 1.-THE Country Circus" has
pitched it's tent in Washington but what
was here last time and what is here now
are quite different, inasmuch as the me-
gathinian aggregation of any finest show on
earth is subject to change. In the cast of
the play this year are Mr. Walter Gale, the
artistic ring master; Mr.. Chas. Willard, Mr..
Frank Bell, Mr.. A. V. Gibson, Miss Con-
zales, Mrs. s. X. Chester and Miss Sothern;
in the show ring are Mile. Venus, dancing
bareback rider; the DeVere family of tum-
blers. Senior Scafar and his goats. Mr.
Adams, emperor of the stills; Mile. Rosina,
a slack-rope performer of exceeding grace
Joseph Darby, the champion jumper, and
most remarkable too; Hernina, who walks
around the globe. and Professor Wood and
his ponies. Truly this is a feast of circus,
and flow of enjoyment, and the big
crowd had as much fun as if they were
under real canvas, and the peanut and
the ice-cold lemonade fourished as the
green bay tree. The performances will be
given every evening of the week. with matt
nees on Wednesday and Saturday.
National.-Wa theater-goers had
their first presentation to Scandinavian dia-
lect last night at the National in Mr.. Gus
Heege's play, "Yon Yonson." which evil
IDENTIFY has put off visiting the capital until
peculiar dialect, too, but one which adapts
itself readily, and, while in no wise mel
lifuous and beautiful, it is quite capable
of giving funnier turn to humor and
tenderer turn to pathos. In the character
of Ion, Mr.. Heege finds no difficulty in cap
turing an audience, and it never gets away
from him. He is, of course, the good angel
of the play, and after many incidents by
flood and field. he winds 1t up in the dis
comfiture of all the bad and the triumph of
all the good, and everything is lovely. The
supporting cast Is mixed. That is to say,
some of it is very good and some of 1t is
plain, every day bad. A character which
stands next to Mr. Heege is Miss Connol-
ly's Mrs. Laughlin, the tavern lady, who
does some singing and dancing in addition
to some very healthy acting which carries
the house unanimously. Two pretty char
acters are Miss Victory Bateman and Miss
Merri Osborne, as Grace Jennings and Jen-
Eie Morris. In the matter of scenery the
second act is noteworthy, being a very
realistic production of dam and log-J jam
on a Minnesota river in winter. The break
ing of the jam is strong bit of realism.
Another catchy feature is the singing of
the lumbermens quartet in the picturesque
garb of the northwest saw-lOg artist.
Academy of Music. "A Temperance
Town" seen at the Academy of Music
for the first time in this city last night
might be properly described as funny at
tempt to be serious. The seriousness con-
sists in effort to show that prohibition
too freely INDUCED in may become positive
to good morals. If, in his desire to make
the stage the exponent of ideas affecting
political or social economy, Mr.. Hoyt meets
with adverse criticism he should not feel
uncomfortable Sardou has had the same
trouble. "A Temperance Town." in work
ing out the inverted moral that its author
had in. mind, goes to the extreme of max
ing the drunken and dissolute personages
on the stage perform the acts of phian-
thropy and express the sentiments that
thrill the bosom of the gallery god, while
the men of standing in the community.
who are clearly in their personal habits
the deeds of villainy that keep the plot
moving. The absurdity is manifest-so
manifest that even the ardent advocate of
prohibition could find 1t in his heart to
laugh at the jokes and ignore the antag-
onism to his cause, because it is so weak
and illogical. But the display of bad taste
is unquestionable and unforgveable This
Is one of the few productions of recent
times which give tangible ground for the
old-fashioned bigot who claims that the
playhouse is the school of immortality to
stand on. No author holding a position of
consequence either as all artist a
molder of sentiment could afford to place
such work before the public. But from
Mr.. Hoyt it is fun the people expect. And
his inimitable way of working out char
acter pictures and his forceful fashion of
making a humorous point are both con-
spicuously and enjoyably present in "A
Temperance Town" An audience that
crowded the theater was present last night
Harris Bijou Theater.-"The Struggle for
Life" melodrama of intense local inter
est, attracted a large audience at the BiJou
last night. 1t was the initial performance
of the play in Washington, and proved one
of the successes of the season. The story
is one of metropolitan life. and the pictures
of New York were true and realistic. This
was especially so in the first and third acts
In the first act there is an excellent repre-
sentation of New York harbor with the
statue of Liberty. while the third act shows
Rutgers slip on East river during a snow
storm. The supporting company is good,
and work in harmony. Again tonight.
Kernan's Lyceum Theater.-Kernan's was
crowded last night to witness c. H. WILL
iams' big show. The program presented is
long and varied one, containing acts
adapted to please all tastes. and delin ca ted
by artists of recognized ability. Delavoye
and Fritz, the two nondescripts, opened
with a trick house act. Then came Id
Viene and Franklin i'm character songs and
dances. Those monarchs of black-face com
edy. Williams and Barton did a new turn
and &. W. Williams was very funny in MS
own way. The favorite German couple,
Watson and Dupree. in roaring farce.
THE Danger Signal" brought storms Of
applause. +. Il. Morton proved himself a
wonderful harmonican player, and Gilmore
and Leonard as Ireland's Kings We're en-
cellent Dupont was startling the AERIAL
trapeze. and the Gardener brothers proved
themselves entitled to the SobriQuet Of
the Comedy Musical Kings Wahlund and
Johnson did some clever work with the
heavy dumb bells, and a roaring afterpiece,
entitled ''Warhoo," closed the performance
Again tonight.
Mr.. Murray's Lecture.-Mr Bentley p
Murray interested large and appreciative
audience at Grace NJ. E. Church last night
with his entertaining lecture on the worlds
fair which was handsomely illustrated with
$50 stereopticon views. Mr.. Murray has at
tanned quite a reputation in Washington
for his profusely illustrated lectures on the
Holy Land and other interesting subjects,
and the audience last night listened with
great satisfaction to his graphic de5crp-
tons of scenes and incidents at the great
fair.
Eastern Presbyterian Church.-Tomorrow
night there will be musical and literary
entertainment at the Eastern Presbyterian
Church. The program will include musical
selections, with stereopticon illustrations
under the direction of Prof. H. C. Murray,
and there will be other talent that will COM
bne to make an enjoyable evening.
National Rifles Hall.-Tonight the r. B.
Sheridan Dramatic Company will present
the charming comedy How She Loves
Him." at the National Rifles Hall. The
play had a run of a week here about thirty
years ago by the Wallach-Davenport Com
pany, and created a decidedly favorable
impression. 1t is not expected that the
ladies' and gentlemen who will assume the
parts tonight will equal the work presented
at that time, but they will do their best
and no doubt give creditable performance.