Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-12
AMUSEMENTS.

strange indeed if the brownies did not find
a welcome in whatever province of popular
entertainment they may be exploited. They
have been known and loved by the children
for many years past, and Mr.. Palmer Cox
made lucky selection in utilizing them as
a speciality in his labors as picture maker
Their career has been a triumph of me
chanical effects, first in the geometrlc pic
lures which proved So grotesquely amusing
and so easy to draw that they had to be
copyrighted; next In the verses, which
adapted themselves so simply and directly
to the comprehension of the little ones, and
now in the elaborate scenic display with
which they are surroundei at the Laiayette
Square Opera House. The story Is con-
structed on the familiar lines of tile fairy
spectacle with the malevolent demon, the
beautiful fairy queen, and the rest OF the
we l-known charac ers. The brownies troop
about the stage doing nothing in particular.
but welcome as old friends every minute of
the time they are in evidence. Tbs license OF
ex ,ravaganza reisns supreme, and the ORA
matte continuity, Slight as it is. rather re-
tards than assists the enjoyment of the
FRANKS of the little folk. the dude brownie
the Indian brownie. the Chinese brownie,
the policeman brownie. and al! the rest,
friSk about with a supreme disregard OF
the cow antiJnait,es and the thread of the
story. Where Sc many people are employed
in production whose pretensions are scenic
and not dramatic. ordinary business econo-
my would demand concessions to quantity
in the cast at the expense of quality. The
tiny-slippere1 Ida Mule is as coquettishly
comcal as ever. and Lena Merville has still
some of the ioility which gave her vogue
as burlesque and farce comeaienne. But
they are in very ordinary company. While
not all of the humor is adapted to the chill
dren, the fun, for the most part, is juvenile
and sportive. A happy concession is made
to the adult taste in a topical song in which
the drama is burlesqued cleverly, though at
too much length and in which the yacht
race is caricatured with cleverness. The
pece, as it stands, is a brilliant entertain
me1t which is sure to delight the little ones,
and very possibly win the blase to sym.
pathetic remembrance of the days when the
man in the moon was a bona fide Individual
when the fairies We're likely to appear at
any moment, and when Santa Claus really
came on Christmas eve.
New National Theater.-Gcod actresses
we have in plenty. But on the stage, as In
history according to the contentious OF
many cynic philosophers, to be truly good
is not necessarily to be truly great. Olga
Nethersole belongs to the few really great
English-Speaking emotional stars that the
present generation affords. The perform
ance of Camille" last night was not a
revelation. Miss NethersoleS previous APP
pearance in this city led the admirers of
what is honestly meritorious In the drama
to approach her with confidence on the
present occasion. She is a womanly ac
tress, one in whom intensity is not acquired
at the expense of any lovable trait She
does not tower either in physique or In
artistic method. She wins her admira ton
SO easily and surely that there is no
need of her resorting to explosive energy
to compel it. She has power without arti
ftcialiry and she lends a refinement and
dignity to the rather too familiar charac-
ter of Camille which invests it with new
interest. Marvelously has this strange
study in pathology and sociology survived
the sharp competition which has arisen in
the heroine mart. Our Becky Sharp
and our TrilbyS have not been able
to entirely oblterate the interest in
the love of Camille and the errors which
she pathetically atoned. Miss Neither
soles Interpretation of the part gives it
the vitality of a modern masterpiece. She
is an actress of technical culture, and she
has that indefinabie attraction of person
ality which makes all that she does inter
esting. and which constitutes more than
anything else the quality called genius.
The company provided for Miss Neither
soles support is one which presents many
points for commentator. Mr. Ernest Lei
cester played. the part of Armand with
more efficiency than commonly falls to this
important element of the cast.
Tonight Miss Nethersole will play De
| Lise,' collaboration in which it has been
| acetiously said that Clement Scott did the
| playwrting and Sir Augustus Harris the
typewrilinS.
| Grand Opera House.-James A. Herne in
"Shore Acres pleased a large gathering at
the Grand last night. Nat Berry, the char
| acter he impersonates, is every ones friend
| and no ones enemy, and yet with a strength
| of character that showed itself in the tight
| place. The scenery was accurate and Won
| the highest praise. There are few attempts
at dramatic intensity. For the most part
| the play purports to show the daily unevent-
| full life of New Englander on the coast of
| Maine. The usual villagers are introduced
| the correct details of costume. speech and
| accent being scrupulously preserved. In
| differentiating the characters care has been
taken not to make the peculiarities too
! marked or groteSQGe one of the brightest
scenes Of the play is the silver anniversary
| dinner at Martin Berry's house. 1t kept .he
| audience in a constant litter until there
| came the startling interruption. the story Of
| the theft, the accusation of Helen Berry S
| lover, her flight with him and the grief Of
| old Uncle Nat. Perhaps the best-liked scene
was that in the Berrys kitchen on Christ
mas eve. There was much natural and SIM
| pie fun, not the least of which the children
| furnished, little Milie Berry winning every
| heart by her mischievousnesS. Then, too,
| it was in this scene that everything came
| out all right. Helen returned and her father
| V elcomed her. Her husband was greeted
| like son, while the three months old grand
| child at once began his reign. Mr.. Herne
| is we'll supported, Grace Gaylor Clark filling
| with naturalness the role of Martin Berry S
wife, and Grace Fftkrs that of his daughter.
Gates, and Ernest Lamson acceptably per-
| formed the somewhat colorless part of the
| lever and hero.
| Academy of Music.-Professor Kellar was
| greeted last night by an audience that filed
every part OF the Academy, and the applause
and enthusiasm over the many clever and
mystifying tricks spoke volumes for the pro-
| fessor's popularity and ability. The latest
mystery from the professors fertile brain is
| called 1.-The Shrine of Koomra Sami," and is
| a wonderful creation. y cage is wheeled in
front of the shrine, an India princess enters
| and immedia tely disappears; about minute
| iItervenes, the curtains pulled aside,
and Mrs. Kellar, surrounded by an immense
| bouquet of pink roses, is seen. Other mysti-
| fsing enigmas were the "Simla Seance;" an
| expose of the rope-tyng trick, new spirit
| ualistic idea, called "Cassadaga Propa-
| ganda," and the new departure in magic,
"Flyto." Mrs. Kellar was seen, of course,
| In her Incompatible mind reading act the
lady working with an accuracy and quick
| ness that is really marvellous.
Kernans Lyceum Theater.-The popular
comedians Sheridan and Flynn, at the head
of monster variety show, opened a week s
| enga cement at Kernan's last night to a
crowded house. The performance from
every standpoint was entertaining. Juletta
Nelson was the bright particular star of the
aggregation. Her performance on the high
wire was thrilling. Among other startling