The evening times., 1895-10-29
AS THE CROWDS CONE OUT.

When 4 theatrical company Is announced
TO be under the directing genius of Charles
Erohman il goes without saying that IL
is one of fine abilities and thorough train
ing and that tells the whole story of the
merit OF the players in The Masque-
RAIDERS" which was presented for the first
time in Washington at the National Thea
ter last evening.
Henry A Arthur Jones, the author OF the
play, has made il very happy hit in this
his latest composition. While II Is not
wholly Ibsenish, it is full of that cold,
cynical realistic analysis OF the human
animal. with all its fads and follies. which
seems TO be necessary and unavoidable
element i'm the modern seini-philosophic
drama.-Therc is no doubling the endof-
thc-century ingredient in The Mas
Queraders."
The company is so thoroughly good as
whole that it is rather ungracious to indi'
vidualiZc. Mr.. Henry Miller, Viola Allen,
j. L. Dodson. Emma Kemp, William Fave
shaw, and W. II. Compton are all favorites
with theater patrons, and their names
sneak more cloquently of their merit than
is possible in any brief notice OF their
performance.
crcston Clarke presented Hamlet 10
well-filled house AT the lafayeue squire
Thcater last night. His acting OF the role
late uncle Edwin Booth. True, Mr.. tl3rke
is not Booth. but he, perhaps, comes as near
The INTERPRETATION OF this famous Shakes
perian play as any other living actor, ana
in time may wear Hr. Booths mantle.
Mr.. Clarke IN many respects resembles
his illustrious uncle, and has quite nuiir-
ber of little mannerisms, which maue
Booth the ideal Hamlet. BY this ii must
not be understood that Mr.. Clarke is an
imitator for he is not. His ideas are his
own and are all worked up effectively.
Mr.. Clarke realizes that he has an immense
amount of work 10 do in order 60 make
himself master of his part. He displays,
however, marked intelligence In the in
depreciation of the mad Prince, ana by
little judicious cutting and pruning has
shortened the play considerably.
Miss Adelaide Prince " as quite effective
as Ophelia. Her work in the mad scene was
was particularly good. Miss Prince appears
TO most excellent advantage, and " as well
received by the audience.
Mr.. Clarke W i'll appear 10 night rs
Bertuccio, in The Fools Revenge
After an absence of several years Jolly
Nellie McHenry has returncdsto the city,
brighter and more amusing than ever, and
was seen at the Academy of Music last
night by large and enthusiastic audience.
''The Bicycle Girl is the name Of the
new farce i'll which Miss McHenry appears,
and being from the pen OF Louis Harrison, of
comic opera fame, 1t Is, OF course, very
nearly as full Of amusement as its author.
Although the play has little claim to any
particular plot, it is brimful OF witty say
tngs, catchy songs, and funny situations,
and Is an unusually good take-off of the
coming woman and the going man.
The farce is given most elaborate scenic
surroundsings aud detail, especially I'm the
81 W 10 rna is in
full view of the audience by pretty girls in
bloomers. The company in support of Miss
AcHenry is good one. Henry Laurent's
ideal of the fully developed male of the fu-
ture is source of continual laughter.
There was a quantity of bright music and
pretty dances in each of the three acts.
Miss Laura Bennett, who gave a clever
performance OF the part OF the coming
woman received the encore of the evening
In the last act, when she rendered several
catchy negro dialect songs.
Charles p. Morrison and Miss Della Jack
son each were amusing in their respective
parts. Miss McHenry remains the feature OF
the show. however, and the audience broke
forth with storms of applause, nearly every
time she opened her pretty mouth The
Bicycle Girl should do an excellent busi-
ness, and In all probability it will.
Anyone who has heard a qua ri ct of dark
YES" singing ON the street at night will be
able to anticipate the pleasure he would de.
rive from attending "Black America"
which is playing u second weeks engage
ment ut Convention Hall. There are at
least 800 blacks, taken from Southern PLAN
ations and their voices are full of the mel |
ody that arises from powerful vocal or-t
gans that have not suffered from the rasp-
ing OF improper and false voice culture.
The scene. too, is most picturesque, as all
the singers are desscd in the bright colors
90 much affected by the negro in the South;
the women wear turbans, the men overalls, |