Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-01-14
ADJUSTMENTS.

costume appointments and accessories that
make a perfect picture, and command the
highest admiration from the audience. In
fact, 1t Is the completeness Of their pre-
sentation that forms the chief charm OF all
of Mr.. Irving's plays. His principal assoc
ciate, Miss Ellen Terry, is infinitely more
artistic and more natural than Mr.. Irving,
and, for that matter, others Of his COM
pany are more attractive in their elocution
and methods than he. But Mr., Irving,
whatever may be his faults as an actor, has
the artistic sense developed in the highest
degree, and his productions are all as per-
feet as careful attention. long experience
and almost reckless expenditure under his
keen and intelligent supervision can make
them. THE Merchant of Venice" with
which Mr.. Irving opened his present en-
gagement at Aliens Grand Opera House
last night, has been seen here under his
auspices before, and so those who have
been regular attendants upon the perform
anees which he has given in this city were
!uuy prepared for the sumptuous manner
in which the piece was mounted. The at
mosphere of Venice was about every scene,
save when Portia was found in her own
home, and then it changed to Padua.
The exterior of the Jews home, as an ex-
ample, with the canal in the background,
on which were constantly passing and re-
passing gondolas filled with gay parties;
the troops of. maskers running in, climbing
glinting lanterns which they carried, all
combined to make one imagine he was in
Venice, and that the elopement of Jessica
and Lorenzo was an actual fact. The pc
culiarities of AIr. Irving, both as to his
elocution and his acting, have been fire.
quently referred to, and it need only be
said that they are perhaps less objection
able in Shylock than in any of his i'm
presentations, unless, possibly, Louis NJ.
He portrayS the Jew as a tottering old
man. physically a wreck, but with hatred
of the Christian that is religious, and
greed for gold that IS a passion only less
strong than his hate. His reading of the
strong and forceful lines is marred by his
imperfect elocution, and his tricks of
speech seem now to be more accentua ted
than ever, so that unless one knows the
text he will fail to appreciate many of the
effective speeches CT the Jew. Mr.. Irying's
strongest scenes were those with Antonio
and at the trial. In the scene with Tubal
he failed to give the contrast between his
joy at hearing of Antonio's misfortunes
and his despair at the prodigality of his
daughter with sharpness, that was so per-
feet in the late Edwin Booths perform
ance, or that is noticeable in the work of
Mr.. keeue now. Still much can be for
given Mr.. Irving for the benefit he has
been to the English speaking stage in the
elaboration of it's resources and POSSIBLE
tiles in the matter of properly and artistic
ally placing play before the public.
Miss Terry's Portia is as thoroughly We
manly and natural a piece of work as is
Mr.. lrving's artificial. In this version of the
play Portia is given much more scope than
is usual, and Mss Terry improves every OPP
portunity afforded her. Unfortunately, she
is 10 longer young, and can hardly reaEzs
physically the ideal woman that Shakes
peare drew, but she Is so graceful ard
natural in manner that she wins the SYM
pathy of her audience at once. Her reading
is not Evolutionary, but converse tional and
so her speech at the trial was perhaps not
so impressive as one would expect from g
a Lou,
il diligently given. In the casket scenes
she makes it manifest that she knows
wherein her picture is deposited, and her
fear that the Prince of Morocco may select
the right one and her relief of mind when he
chooses the golden one are del.cately por-
trayed. The same feelings of fear, doubt
and joy were emphasized when Bassanio
takes the ieaden casket and thus wins her
for lis wife.
The supporting company were all good
Mr. Cooper made manly and earnest Bas-
sano, Mr.. Howe "a dignified Duke, Mr.. VAL
entino an effective Launcelot; Gobbo and
the others were all efficient. save the young
woman who played Jessica, who was at
ficted with bad lisp.
The audience was not so large as it might
have been. but it contained many distin-
guished persons and all were friendly dis
posed The applause was LIBERAL and at
the close of the fourth act Mr.. Irving was
compelled to make a speech, in which he
gracefully acknowledged the hearty recep-
Sured the audience that it was heartily ap-
preciated. 1t is understood that the prac-
tice adopted by some stars of making those
who buy simply admissions stand up durins,
the whole performance does not prevail
during Mr.. frving's engagement. Seats in
the orchestra circle not reserved may be
occupied. Tonight will be a double bill,
Journeys End in Lovers Meeting and
THE Lyons Mail"
La Fayette Square Opera House.-"Little
Minnie Palmer" hasn't grown any larger.
and, mirabile dictu, any older in the five
years of her absence, and she was quite as
cute and frolicsome at the La Fayette
Square Opera House last night as she ever
vas. and she had fine audience to well
come her. Her new play, which has been
British success, is The School Girl" with
the book made by George Manchester, and
the music by Albert Maurice. and it is not
above the average of that class of work,
though Miss Palmer and her people make it
very lively. 1t is the story of a frisky
young school girl Louisa Allason, Little
Miss Loo" who gets into all sorts of inno-
cent scrapes, is a general tease and romp,
is in love with young fellow, and finally
breaks all records by appearing a
Having done that she rushes away to her
room and comes back in beautiful even
ing toilet, but forgets to remove the mar
quis mustache, and the whole scheme is be-
trayed. but the end is felicitous. Miss Pal
mer is, as always, a cheerful little body,
and sparlSles throughout the play in her
Picturesque way. Her sweetheart (NIr W.
e. WILSON, gives a good imitation of a
her mother Miss DickersonJ
acts better than she sings; Mr. Gill is an
able professor; Richard O'Gorman takes
naturally to Timothy O'Flannigan, and
everybody else, and some of the young wo-
men are decidedly good looking, do all
there is to be done. The songs in the main
were we'll received; that is to say, they
were well done, the Bubble song getting
several recalls. There is a stageful of peo-
pie nearly all the time, and what the play
lacks in dramatic or literary excellence is
largely made up in mise en- scene, so to
speak.
The New National Theater.-'"The Shop
Girf' was performed at the National The
alter last night to an appreciative audience.
The story is fiimsy to the point of inanity,
and the fun in the dialogue is developed in
the method characteristic of the British
humorst. A jeu d. esprit is approached
with dignfied leisure, which is oftener
than not justified by it's claims to rank as a
ponderous intellectual effort. The repartee
is approached with respectful difference,
and the satire, if it exists at all, is diluted
so as to be absolutely safe for the most
sc nstive. The quality of spontaneity be-
comes strongly apparent only in the dane
ing. There the company excels. The COM
poser has provided some exquisite music,
but excepting where the orchestra alone is
responsible fer its Interpretation his work
The dancing is delight all the