Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-04-22
AMusEs1ENrs.


Doctor" . new pastoral comedy drama
from the pen Of the famous author. Mr..
Augustus Thomas. will be presented at
the New National Theater this evening,
and will continue for the rest OF the week,
with a matinee on Saturday. Digby Bell.
the favorite comedian, will appear In the
character of Doctor Willow. the Hoosier
Doctor, in which he is accredited with
having made an artistic and pronounced
success. Like Alabama and I'm Miz-
zoura," Mr.. Thomas previous successes,
the plot of 1.-The Hoosier Doctor Is local.
lied. the author having selected Indiana,
or Hoosierdom. for its locale. The story
of the comedy is said to be interesting,
filed with pathetic and touching episodes
of self-sacrif1ce. and brimful Of bright
comedy lines and situations Mr.. Bell will
appear in a character entirely new to him
in the eye of the theater-going public, his
Doctor Willow beiEg self-sacrif1cing, gen.
tie, t1mid man. whose every effort In life
has met with failure until at the beginning
of the comedy he has graduated at the
head of his class in homeopathic hos
pital. His home life has been disrupted
and dominated by virago mother-in-law,
he being widower with three daughters,
and. he is impelled by the vicious bicker-
ings of said mother-in-law 0mpersonated
by Laura Joyce-BelD to seek in a clandes-
tine marriage the affection and heart in
terest which is denied him at his own fire.
side, and 1t ts through this secret mar
riage that many of the contretemps and
much OF the humor of the comedy is de-
velored. There are many counter-plots
and several pretty little love stories be-
tween the other characters of the comedy
The full strength of the supporting COM
pany will be used in the presentation in
Guiding the following ladies and gentle
men: Digby Bell, Laura Joyce Bell, the
Misses Jennie 10 trio
Viola Miles. Katherine Owen. Marie Dud-
ley, Emily Hager, Ethel Vance and the
Messrs Frank Munroe. Herman Hirshberg,
William p Sheldon, George LeBras, Carl
O'Dell, George F. Wright. Frank L. Davis.
Gage Clark. Charles Mitchell, Edward
Len Bile, George Hogan, D. B. Cramer,
Henry Knott and others.
me presentation will be under the per-
soral direction of the author Mr.. Angus
tus Thomas.
Columbia Theater.-Mr. Walker Whiteside
appeared In THE Merchant of Venice" at
the Columbia last night and made the
same favorable impression that character
lied his appearances in Hamlet and
hichelieu; The house was large one
and was the most enthusiastic audience of
the week, demanding six curtain calls after
the great court scene. Mr.. Whiteside
showed more CT an inclination to follow
the lines laid down by tradition and prac-
tee In his Interpretation Of the Jew than
he did in either one of his former char
acters. but the production was on the same
magnificent scale that has characterized
his visit SO far to the capital, and he
evinced the same intelligence and force of
mental attributes that he showed in the
melancholy Dane and in the crafty cardi-
nal He was well supported, the whole
company showing to advantage. Miss LII
ella Moore as Portia was intelligent in &C.
ton and daintily pretty in appearance,
while Misses Dorothy Harper and Maude
Allen were up to the requirements of the
parts of Jessica and Narissa. The Bas-
sanio of c. d. Herman was an excellent
piece of acting, and ]. M. Sainpolis as An
tonic, Herbert Pattee as Gratanio f. W.
Fowler as Lorenzo and Edwin Tanner as
Launcelot were equally pleasing.
The Audience Dismissed.-A select num-
Der of musical and society people was
turned away from the Columbia Theater
yesterday afternoon at the Gregorovitsch-
Bispham concert because the artists re-
fused TO appear. There were only 300 in the
house and this did not come up to their
guarantee, and, although Messrs. Meter
oft and Luckett offered the theater free
rather than disappoint the audience, the
artists refused. to accept that sum, and Mr..
GuZman, the manager of the Metropolitan
course, was Obliged to dismiss the gather
ing.
Cinderella-The pretty fairy opera, Gin
derella," will be presented by Prof. Shell
don's pupils tomorrow afternoon at the Co
lumbia Theater at 3 30 O'Clock Prof Shell
don has always enjoyed a high reputation
for arranging affairs Of this character. and
the production in the present instance will
be no exception to the rule. Those who will
take part are Edna Janforth, in the title
role: Lille Hughes. Pansy Wilson, Willie
NeutOn, Daisy Warning, Chester Smith Nell
lie Hunt and nearly a hundred others.
Ben Hur-A Tale of the Christ.-The
graphic epitome of this thrilling story of
Ben Hur," as recited by the Rev. Dr.
Rogers and illustrated by nearly one hun
dred and fifty magnificent colored lantern
slides. has formed one of the most popular
entertainments ever offered to the Wash
ington public, having been given over fifty
times'in one season alone. Prior to his re-
moval from the city, which occurs May /,
DIR. Rogers at the request of numerous
friends will give a farewell representation
of Ben Hur at the Church of Our Father,
18th and l. streets. The date is Monday,
April o. Reserved seats at Metzerott's,
without extra charge.
Lectures on Art-The course of lectures
on art that was to have been given by
Prof. Partridge at Columbian University
but which was regretfully abandoned on ac-
count of the illness of the lecturer. will be
supplied by Mr.. e. c. Messer of this city.
Mr.. MeSSer has kindly consented to give
these lectures in response to the request of
a number Of Washington artists and art
lovers who have enjoyed before the fruits
of Mr.. Messer's ability as an artist ard
scholar. His subjects will be Realism in
Art" rs there Grammar of Art?' and
art and the Critic" The lectures will be
given in the lecture hall Of the university
oil successive Fridays at 4:3O O'Clock, begin
ming Friday. April q, and the public is
cordially invited to attend.
E. b. Hays Talk on Rhineland.-Mr. Ed
win B. Hay delivered an interesting talk on
"Rhineland" last evening at St. PauPs
Parish Hall for the benefit of st. Paurs
UnioE. He handled his subject in a master
ly manner. his narration of the many
legends and myths connected with the vari-
Gus points of interest on and about the
Rhine being highly amusing and equal in
descriptive effect to that of any Of our best
fiction writers. The hall was crowded to
its utmost capacity by an intelligent and
appreciative audience. many congressman
being present. Senator Roach of North
Dakota presided and introduced the speaker
of the evening. This was the second of 4
series of free lectures given under the
auspices of st. .Pauls Union. which was
organized to pay off the debt on Father
Mackin's beautiful church.
The Observation-Disclosures the Biograph is
now in it's twenty-second week of its en-
gagement at the capital city, there seems
to be no evidence that its popularity Is de-
creasing. On the other hand, the audiences
grow larger with every exhibition, and on
several evenings the doors have been closed
and a large number of persons turned
away. The new views, which were added
Monday evening Of this week, and which
x.tt1 ho Of ho