Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-10
ANU SENIENTS.


was deeply disappointed man when he
saw it staged The story of Dr. Faustus
has served as material for a great deal of
literary and dramatic work. This author
intended that 1t should have d lofty mis-
SION; that 1t should be a legitimate enter
talnment, with possibly Il certain allegori-
cal reminder for the beneht of human NOR
ais generally. 1t is not TO be DOUBTED that
MS IeeAnss were considerably shock ed
Wheh ne found the servant OF mis- principal
GAdI actef playing star part as a come
uIdA, ana his moral purpose pretty well
oDscured behind lavish array OF costumes
anu magnificent scintilldtion of snapely
eXtremities.
IL Is very evident that the practical
Judgment Of the management was re-
spohSiole for lOnger-liv9I work than the
author could have boastei had his ideas
peeh let acne The Black Crook" cele-
p1dtSd III the comic papers, alluded to with
eentts suggestion by the poet whose forte
40 Yes uS soclele and recognized univer-
SdLy as The foremost representative of the
sort of dramatic entertainment IN which ~
DdlIel Hgures, has not merely survived its
IlIst Few seasons of popularity 1t is with
Us IN renewed splendor shedding its com
PiiCdtuhS Oh calcium lights on polished
pdtes IN the front row, making them glow
win an irldeScent eIfulgrnce which M
previous Black Crook" with the less eIah
SihIy EQUIPMENTS OF the times, could pos
slply nave caused.
me BLACK Crook" as il came To AL
iS idSt night for two weeks STAY
20 COLOSSAL conspiracy to dazzle the
SENSES SpahSieS and tights, gorgeous seen
cry and glorious transformations - H.
realms OF a fantastic nuthingn.ss into .
sun more SorSeously uncanny nowhere
combine to bewilder and amIIsa. ana ~
suite influence of feminine loneliness is
over II all Occasionally bits of the original
PIot come 10 Lsht but they are unimpJrt-
ant. Ihelr sole function, obviously, is to
give enough suggestion Of the s,IpeTnatur.aI
10 stimulate the imagination of the ami
ience and the ballet master does the rest
Last night occasion was one that lust
doubled the ordinary mathematical proper
lions all the way round. Ii the stage per-
torrance was as big as two ordinary efforts
OF us KIND, so was the audience The cos
tunes We're sklllfully chosen for good color
etectS ana the music is Sprightly and suf-
1lclent. The main strength of the per
torrance is in its wonderful tableaux the
graceful dancing and the may harmonies
or movement which a whole stage full of
people execute under the drec ton of Mr.
Lawrence McCarty. The premiere dam
seuses attained the degree of excellence
which causes the muscular strain to be for
gotten in the impression of easy airy grace
which the cOncealment of art engenders
There are four dancers, one of them a man
Signor Salvaggi who contributes not only
novelty but real artistic merit to the per
Torrance. The comedy characters were
taken by John PAGE and Mamie Gilroy, and
they were very cleverly done. Wood and
Sheppard furnished fun in n musical act
and Fielding did some marvelously neat
tricks in Juggling.
The characters of the play proper We're
competently taken, but after all. ndiviiu-
alities do not create strong Impressions
1t is the clothes and not the man that
count in The Black Crook" There is no
reason why a genuinely meritorous en-
tertainment should not prosper for two
weeks in city of Nashington's size and
appreciation for things theatrical.
New National Theater.-Nr. Wilson Bar
rett, traEedian who has many steadf;lst
admirers, presented ''ViTginius' to an ap-
preciative audience at the New National
Theater last night Mr. Barrett has made
some changes in the play which add to its
effectiveness without harIning the SYM
metry. The style of the star is familiar
He is an actor of unquestiOnable force. has
graceful figure and intensity of clocution
one of his chiefly admirable qualities is the
manner In which he stages his plays. lie
is correct, as well as elaborate, ana gives
an impression of unStinted liberalitv. which
always commands respect. Miss Maud JEFF
fries, the leading lady, gave evidence of
being an actress of natural qualities and
accomplishments in the role of Virginia
The cast throughout gave satisfaction. 1t
is entirely probable that the public is not
pining for ''Nirginius." The interest of its
melancholia was exhausted some time since
and its Importance at present can exist
only in certain scholarly curiosity to see
how the understanding OF ii by one actor of
repute Will differ from or compare with
that OF others. The play for tonight is
Ben My Chree"
Academy.-rhe hundreds of people who
laughed themselves tired at the Academy
of Music last night over the ridiculous
ramiiicauons of Mr.. Wilkinson's Widows
nave cause to be thankful to Mr.. Charles
Frohman for his revival of the same, and
mere particularly 50 that he has put il in
the hands, as near may he, of the skill
ful and clever comedians who originally In
troduced IT to the public with such unani-
nous and permanent success. 1t is scarcely
necessary to speak now of the plot OF the
play. 1t is a complicated compeXity of the
best French type, and it Is funny from start
to finish. At the play last night the fun
10 the old StagerS was in watching the con-
vulslve. contagious laughter of those, who,
for the first time, Were seeing the develop
ment of the tangle; and some of them were
sorry that II could never come back again
However, one can't eat his cake and have
IT, and few ever forget how they have laugh
ed and howled over "NilkinSon's Widows g"
In the present cast are Joseph Holland,
Henrietta Crossman, Charles S. Able
Thomas Burns Margaret Craven T C Val
entlne, William Levers, Maud White. Annie
Wood, Anthony Eddinger. Could that cast
be very much improved? What may be said
of them except in praise? Holland is as al
ways, SO profoundly in earnest that he can't
help being funny; Miss CrOSsman is of most
attractive personality: Mr.. Burns is so In
nocently funny as Maj. Mallory, Miss Cra-
ven, as one Mrs. Wilkinson is widowlv vi
vacious; Maud Whites Susanna is a type OF
the pert maid. and Annie Wood, as the
"coo-ook," is something to bring a smile TO
lne mouth OF the tomb The play went
smoothly, and there a finish that can
come only from such practice as this play
has had, which is so much in favor of the
old things as against the new
Harris Bijou Theater-A highly sensa-
toral play, a capable star with good sup
Fort and a carload Of scenery with mn
merouS mechanical effects, served to crowd
harris BiJou Theater with an aDDreCiativ
audience last night. The play was THE
Diamond Breaker" and the star Miss
Etelka Wardell. The modern melo-lrama
has a strong hold on theater patrons and
that THE Diamond Breaker possesses all
the requirements OF such is substantiated
by the elaborate workings of a coal breaker
Ill the Pennsylvania coal fields, from the
Jaws of which the hero is rescued in the
nick or time by the heroine. Miss Warden
Is an actress of more than ordinary ability
and In the chief character of the plav con-
tributed a great deal toward the successful
presentation thereof. The remainder of the
cast is most capable one, their efforts be-
iEg in perfect harmony with the play and
star.
kernan's Lyceum Theater-Pat Reilly has
long enjoyed the distinction of being the
best caterer in the vaudeville line before the
public. Always awake to give the public
the very latest and best specialtias he full
nils his part to the letter. This was proved
last night at the opening of his second en-
gagement in this city at Kernan's Since he
was here before many new faces have been
al Nnd oral fln.a