The Washington times., 1894-11-11
A WEEK IN THE THEATERS.

The dramatic event of the week in Wash
ington was the first presentation in this coun-
try of Sardou's comedy. Madame Sans
Gene, which occurred at Albaugh's on Mon
day night, under the immediate supervision
OF Mr.. Augustus Pitou. If the reception OF
the play here be any criterion of its future,
Mr.. Pitou has winner. Madame Sans
Gene is an admirable play, and it has been
admirably mounted.
Few dramas have been given so elaborate
and beautiful a stage setting, or one so com
plete in minor details. Take Tor example.
the setting for the prologue, where various
processes Of laundry work are elaborated
with appropriate tools almost 10 the point of
tedium. For the first act. which takes place
in a drawing-room, Mr. Pitou has been al the
pains to provide complete set OF furniture of
the period, as well as the entire stage setting
where he might easily have depended on the
ordinary equipment OF the theater. The last
two acts occur in Napoleon's library. which
has been reproduced with as much of histori-
cal fidelity as is possible.
1.-The AmaZons" closed very profitable
week at the National. The size of the audi
ences increased each night Three such de-
lightful ladies' as Johnstone Bennett, Isabelle
Irving and Elaine Ellison deserve the success
which they have scored in Pineros extremely
clever play and their stay here is one of the
bright memories Of the season.
Is Miss Bennett able to participate in a real,
old-fashioned love scene? is one of the uues-
tions raised by her stay hers. Those who re-
member her in ''Jane" will notice that her
mannish methods are only accentuated in
The Amazons." Who has ever seen her ''do"
love scenel
In her by-play with the consumptive and
n r1 in hn m oil
imagines that she is really man in woman's
guise. There is nothing that suggests femi-
ninity about her. OF course, the piece de-
mands gust that but she does it we'll enough
to raise doubts of her sex identity in minds
of the most confirmed play-goer.
Whether Tin Murphy comes to Washington
as LEN Kettle" in "Alimony.r or in any
other guise, he will always be welcomed by
his friends, which means the entire theater-
frequenting population, but for the sake of
his fame as comedian 1t is to be hoped that
he will find some other mediums than Lem
Kettle or ''Alimony'' TO bring his talents to
public view. The first play belongs to a class
that is gradually producing nausea. 1t is the
same old plot, with the same old situations.
and the same old characteristic novelty of
originality not trace. Mr.. Murphy himself
is too original in his methods to waste them
upon such poor stuff. The audiences during
the week at the Academy OF Music were good,
but this was because they liked Murphy, rot
his plays.
Time may change Ada Gray, but it has no
power over East Lynne" The play is un-
known TO few theater-goers, but it viii draw
in cities where even porous plGsters possess
no adhesive quality.
1t drew large audiences to the Biiou last
week and confirmed Manager Buffers belief
that his patrons prefer what is called "heart
plays" to any other kind.
When the average man hasn't time to
spend at the other theaters in seeing the
whole of play, he goes into Kernan's Ly-
ceum and sips briefly, but contentedly, OF the
vaudeville and variety decoctions so gener-
ously served to the patrons. There is there
fore always weil-liled house in both senses.
and las1wcek when the Russell Brothers
Company appeared proved the rule