Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-23
AMUSEMENTS.

the old comedy Leap Year f" by Mr.. Stuart
Robson and his excellent company at the
Grand Opera House last night was most
enjoyable dramatic event. Mr.. Robson's ir-'
resistibly funny personality kept the audi
ence immensely amused all the time he was
on the stage, and Mrs. Robson played the
role of Mrs. Sarah O'Leary with spirit
and touch Of the brosue which made the
character a most pleasing one. The play
| is one Of the old-time farces, in which the
humor depends more upon the situation
than upon extravagant deiineations OF
character, as at the present time. The de-
mand on the abilities Of the players Is,
therefore, considerably heavier than IN the
case where the successful portrayal OF
part is largely a matter of make up. Leap
Year. is too hilarious in its moods to rank
with the higher type Of refined comedy,
and scarcely equals the products OF the
present day for originality of thought or
| brilliancy of expression. 1t Is, however. a
good substantial piece Of old-time English
| fun, and in the character of Dionysfus
| Dmple Mr. Robson has part which gives
him excellent scope. The servant question
| does not appear to have been as formidable
| in those days as it is at present, the audi
ence being expected to find the footmen
and maids very edifying and amiable peo-
pie judging from the amount of attention
| they are allowed to command.
The hero of the plot, a young man who
| in order to be near the woman he loves, Is
unfortunate in being addicted to the habit
of quoting poetry promiscuously-a prac-
tice which makes him so much more like
the conventional lackey than like a gen.
tleman incog. that he seems less at home
VIXEN he doffs his livery than he did with
the striped vest and buttons. This i'm
preston is not at all due to the manner in
which Mr.. Henry Bergman plays the part.
He gives it very manly Interpretation,
ignoring the temptations to burlesque
which the lines constantly present. Mr..
John L. Wooderson Sir Solomon Solus
man. and Miss Grace FRANKLIN Lynch was
very charming Mrs. Flowerby.
National Theater--Opinions differ as to
the transcendent merit Of Mr.. Augustin
Of Stobitzers German comedy, under the
title of Love on Crutches.'' but there are
no differences of opinion as to the tran
scendent merit of Miss Ada Rehan, whether
sesses. first. the inexplicable quality which
attracts. and she adds to that the dramatic
instinct, developed and perfected by years
of hard study and conscientious devotion to
her art, until today she is without a
superior. If an equal, on the English speak
ing stage. She is the perfect Interpreter of
comedy in that that with a smile, or a
touch, or look. she changes the phase of
situation. and substitutes for the logical
sequence the contrast or exaggeration
which constitutes humor, and humor is I'M
acted comedy. As Annis Austin in this
play Miss Rehan has a number of oportun.
tiles for portraying the varying moods of a
Womans fancy, and she is so variant that
one almost wonders II it Is altogether act
the art Of arts in comedy. The husband of
this lovely Annis Is Sydney Austin (Mr.
Frank Worthing), but to him, however. the
varying is vexing: and he acts it admir-
ably. An unusually clever and attractive
piece Of work is the Margery Gwinn of
Miss Sybil Carlisle, SO cleverly done, in
fact, that she shared the honors with the
star. An eccentric and very popular char
acter was Guy Roverly, the African ex-
plorer. as presented by Mr.. Sydney Her
bert. Mr.. Craig's portrayal of the Inter
viewer" while not quite what 1t would be
OIL the stage, was very agreeably done.
OF the remainder of the cast, not one was
unequal to the part assigned though some
were in parts not adapted to their best
the company did more for the play than
the play for the company. Tonight Miss
Rehan will be seen as Julanna in Tobin's
comedy Of THE Honeymoon"
The c. A. c. Benefit.-The annual enter
ment Of the Columbia Athletic Club at the
Academy Of Music last night was a COM
plete success except In the matter of a
crowded house. Enough tickets had been
the house. SO that the club suffered no
financial loss on account Of the small house,
those who stayed away being the real los
ers. The entertainment was musical and
athletic, and the numbers were so placed
that pleasing change was given by every
succeeding event. The junior class of the
club opened the show by a wand drill. after
which the Dino Mandolin Orchestra, as
sisted by Mr.. Arthur e. Yundt, late Of the
Tuxedo Quartet. gave Guckart's zulu
Dance" The next number was a club
Plant, and then striking features on the
horizontal bar by Messrs. Crossley, Sewall,
Ross, Allen. Craig. Shelley and Harmon
took up the attention Of the audience. The
OF -
watson, Fischer. LOCKER and Mooney,
made its first public appearance. and it
scored decided success. The voices are
well balanced and the men sang with good
expression. Immediately following this
came Prof. Crossley and his three Juvenile
acrobats, Masters Spurrier, Waters and
rendered the River Song from '.Nadesda."
and for a recall, Bohm's Calm Is the
Night" Her singing was spirited and with
expression, her aceompanist being DR.. E.
S. Kimball. Mr.. John J. Fischer then sang,
accompanied on the violin by Chris. Arth.
jr., on the cello by VIM. Donch and on the
piano by Prof. Waldecker. George O'Con-
dience would let him go. Another musical
selection was the quartet from "Rigoletto,"
sung by Mrs Kitty Thompson-Berry, Mrs
F. B. Hempstone, Mr.. w. J. MacFarland
and Mr.. Bernard Ryan. Mr.. VIII Haley
gave an exhibition on the musical glasses,
Swiss hand bells and variety of other mu-
steal instruments The feature of the even
high jump Of Royce Hough. He already
holds the championship of the District in
that event, and last evening he topped his
highest previous record, making the bar at
exactly six feet. Messrs. Cullen and Col
Inns pleased the audience, as they always
do. There was work on the flying rings,
boxing between DR.. Won Lindgren and Prof.
George Carter, a foil contest between
Messrs. Harmon and Bayly, acrobatic num-
bers and pyramids, and altogether it was
one of the most successful entertainments
the c. A. c. has ever given.
Buffers Bijou Theater.-A good drama
tization of Rider Haggards ever popular
novel She" was presented by Manager
Butler to the patrons of the Bijou last
night The weird story of the orient has
been carefully nodded into realistic
drama, with all of the principal characters
and events carefully retained. As a scenic
production the play is success. and with
a few exceptions the characters are we'll
taken. Miss Sadie Farley "She" made a
pretty picture. and read her lines we'll
Chester De Vande as Leo Vincey was
striking in appearance. Miss Lottie Church
as Ustane easily carried off the honors,
ard her acting showed careful study. Ed
win Boring and A. N. Davis as the ser
wants furnished the comedy. Again to-