The Washington times., 1895-01-01
AS THE CROWDS COME OUT.

Richard Mansfield and his most excellent
company opened their week in Washington
with the New York success, Arms and the
Man, " by Albert Shaw. The piece is COM
edy of the purest type. Mr.. Mansfield has
mounted it beautifully; indeed there is the
same finish in the Mansfield mounting as in
the Mansfield acting
Capt. Bluntschli Mr. Mansfeld) is devil
may-care soldier. who hides himself in the
room of Major Petroff's daughter, this major
being an officer in the enemys army. This
daughter thinks she is devoted to Major Ser
bravery in Capt Bluntschli so superior that
she learns to prefer and love him.
Mr.. Mansfield's acting has the same old
perfection OF nnish and proportion, no fault
can be found with it. He has also drawn
around him the same splendid supporting
talent andhe has given the automatic Mans
field attention TO every little contributory
detail
The audience was large, fashionable and
enthusiastic. Tonight Scenes from the life
Of Napoleon Bonaparte " will be given for
the first time in Washington. 1t is said to be
the strongest piece in Mr.. Mansaeid's roper
toire.
Another New York success, ''The New
cess, Incidentally, Arthur Law leaps into
fame rs farce comeny author. and James L.
Powers becomes star interpreter thereof in
the estimation of Washington audiences
The New Boy undoubtedly was written
because the author had read Arstey's Vice
Versa" for the plot is quite similar. Mr..
Law however, may be easily pardoned for
fresh scenes into stage literature.
Mr.. Powers, too, copies certain methods,
but ~ he copies them extremely we'll. ana
let's it out through his own peculiar individ-
uality. he need not feel so immensely in
debted to Stuart Robson.
Helen kinniard, a most careful. pleasing,
and thoroughly satisfactory actress by the
way, played the part Of the New Boys wife,
who is obliged 10 pass herself off as his mother.
Rachel Booth. las a maid, made vigorous
one, although she was called upon to do
scarcely nothing more than BUY bottle of
whiskey for the New Boy Ella Gardner,
the ingenue, and George BOGUS as a French
master were excellent. The audience all
but filed the Academy and the rising genera
ton was well represented from the boxes to
the gallery.
Thin clouds of dust and smoke rose gal
lery-ward from the stage of the New National
Theatre last night during the performance
of % In Old kentucky " and enveloped one of
on record. They hurrahed the heroics,
hissed the villain and villainess, even mock
ing the latters taunting remarks to the
heroine, kept time with their feet during the
jigging" of the pickaninnies and were loud
and boisterous whenever a curtain climax
was reached.
Through all this diL and merriment up
stairs the people who nearly filed the lower
part OF the house sat and smiled as much at
the antics of the gods as at the actors on
the stage. 1t was, ali things considered,
''rattling" performance of the popular play
of blue grass life, and the audience cared lit
tie that somo of the scenes were of the "bor-
der drama variety. or that some of the
actors ''chewed the scenes" because there
was enough else to suit all tastes.
One OF the best things in the piece is the
scene at the beginning of the second act,
where the pickaninnies dance. They enter
into the sport hands and feet down, and make
the welkin ring. The boys dance in every
manner known to man from time immemorial
and stir up the audience to almost camp
meeting pitch. Then they come in as the
"Woodlawn Whangdoodles'' and play sin
brass" in way to make a country circus
band throw away their instruments in de-
spair.
Lulu Tabor makes good Madge Briefly,
the flower of the mountains but she can't
hold a candle to our Annie Lewis. Paul Gill
more is easy as the hero, but he needs little
more starch. Gus Frankel is, of course a
played by E. l.. Snader, would never be toler-
ated in any but a "Moonshine" community.
The others of the cast are fair.
In the third act is the great race won by
Queen Bess,'' a live property, and it is one of
the most real to be found in these days of
everyday life transplanted upon the stage.
is ci Cin
comedians on the stage, and to this is added
a gentlemanly presence, kindly eye, and o
graceful carriage. AS ''Caspar the Yodler'
he drew large audience to Buffers Bijou
Theater last night, and sent them away feel
ing better and happier for two and half
hours enjoyment of clean comedy inter
spersed with pretty songs and clever dances.
The play is not, advance agents to the con-
trary Notwithstanding, "the greatest on the
road" nor has 1t ran 1900 nights in New
York" but il has every element that forms
popular medium for displaying the talents of
Mr.. Ellis and a clever company of refined &C.
tors. In a word, it is a play which ladies and
children can see and which, too, will amuse
even the masculine gender be it ever 90 'un-
certain, coy, and hard to please" Mr.. Ellis
is popular here and deservedly so.
Omene, who does "dance du ventre."
better called dance of innocence, in Sam
Devere's variety company, which opened the
New Years week at Kernan's last night, was
naturally the magnet for a large audience,
two-thirds of whom were boys, black and
white, in their teens. who smoked cigars and
cigarettes and shifted the fumes of the beer
circulated on the main floor. Lieut.. Amiss
and policemen were on hand to suppress the
woman should.she become too demonstra-
lively emotional in her stomachic acrobatics.
Consolation.
Mrs Dooley Con her death bed )-Yis, Din
mis-, it do be hard to dole and lave the chill
ders.
Dennis (smiling) know it is, darlin';
but think of the fun yez'll have at the wake!-
Judge.
A Relief to Both.
Collector-Say, look here, I'm tired of call
ing here about this bill.
The Debtor Well. I'm mighty glad to hear
it.-Life.