Evening star., 1897-02-16

band. the victimized wife. the betrayed
gdrl, the unscrupulous adventures and
half score Of other characters lent in
terest to the evenings performance. The
performance was not without a touch OF
pathoe, as was demonstrated by the pres
ence OF many weeping ladies in the audi
ence in the act where the Earl Of Dee-
borough having been divorced from his
wife through the Vaccinations Of Maj.
Mostyn parts the mother from her little
son. In this scene Cora Tanner, as Muriel,
Countess Of Desborough. was at her best.
Again In the reconciliation scene oppor-
tunity is afforded for another bit of pathos.
In these scenes especially Miss Tanner
had before been credited with. Rose Cogh-
Ian. an old favorite in Washington, made
the best of a part which. while not long
one, and hardly the leading figure. afforded
abilities. She undoubtedly filled to the brim
the ideal of a sporting duchess If any ons
had such an IDEAL and furnished the bright
est dashes of sunshine to relieve the
shadows thrown over the play by the ras-
caly Maj. Mostyn. ]. H. Stoddart. one Of
the best character actors on the English
speaking stage. played his part with con-
summate artistic skill for all of his seventy
pearing but infrequently in the play. he
held the attention of the audience while
he was on the boards and filled his part
to the utmost. His scene with Maj. Mos
throw the race was an exquisite bit of
acting. and was promptly recognized by
the spontaneous applause. Elita Proctor
Otis. as Vivian Darville, was very realistic
adventures with a straw-colored hair and
a taste for cigarettes. Her violent temper
and utter heartlessness and shamelessness
were In strict consonance with the part,
and she fully shared the honors of the
villain with Harry Lacy as Major Mostyn,
the main author of all the trouble. The
other members of the cast acquitted them
selves with credit. In the last act, when
the Derby race is being finished, a unique
supposed to be going around the track
to the rear of the audience and the COM
Iany on the stage wrought up to high
pitch of excitement by the progress of
their heads at the supposititious horses be-
hind them. The part was done so well
last night that the contag1on of enthusi-
asm communicated itself to the audience
looking over their shoulders at the flying
horses With such a splendid cast, superb
scenery and rich costuming it is no wonder
that 1.-The Sporting Duchess" has had such
National Theater-Those in the overflow
ing audience at the National last night to
see and hear Sherrie Mathews and Harry
Bulger and their merry company in
melange bearing title "At Gay Coney Is
land.' who were blase in ali variety shows.
were not enthusiastic in their approval of
the farce: of the others, and they were
16 to I, not dissenting voice was heard,
and not laugh was left unlaughed. The
play Is not play. though there is small
plot in 1t, because it is easier to make 1t
something else. The first act keeps the
company on the go to get a beautiful young
widow married, and the last two are de-
voted to unmarrying her, the last act being
at gay Coney, whence the title. Mathews
and Bulger are stars on the vaudeville
stage.
sparkle and quips and witnesses into the
farce, with the result that an audience is
kept in succession of expectancy and
laughter Other funny characters on the
side are VIM. Gray as the honest grocer:
Royer West, with musical specfalties; Tony
Hart, jr., one-armed constable: Jane
Whitbeck, as Daisy Kidder. with darkey
songs and dances; Josie De Witt, very
pretty Washington girl, who made de-
cided hit with her violin playing infusing
into 1t rare expression and artistic finish:
BERTHE Conway. as the beautiful widows
sympathiZer, and-well. and everybody, for
without anybody being great, everybody
caught onto the spirit Of the play. The
songs and dances were interesting to de-
gree, both in solo and concert, and most OF
the audience went away trying to get off
gags to each other as did DIR. Aiken Payne
and Hi Price in their daily and hourly con-
versation.
Academy of Music.-It mas been but
short time since Washington people greeted
Mrs. Eugene Blair at the Academy of
Music in that sterling old play, East
to see her again last night, albeit they
were not out in such numbers IS before,
seeing that SO many were out before and
the supply Of theater goers is not mex
haustible. What was said in praise of the
handsome woman and fine actress then,
and of her supporting cast as well, can be
now with equal sincerity and
II uthfulness, and those who love to have
heir n
depths have a week of pleasure before
them, to be changed later in the week to
Jane Eyre" which, with East Lynne"
makes the strongest emotional combira ton
possible. Plays of this class have in them
qualities apparently not possible to the
construction Of the late modern emotional
play, and men and women go to these
older plays as to what has been tried and
not found wanting.
Bijou Theater.-A beautiful meodrama,
1.-The Burglar" Is at the Bijou this week,
and it may be truthfully said that it is the
best performance of the kind seen at this
theater during the season. 1t is founded
upon Mrs. Francis H. Burnet-'s "Edi:ha's
ally good one. and the large audience pres
ent last night was not slow to testify its
appreciation. Although the play in itself is
pathetic, there is a broad vein of comedy,
audience home in good humor. AS the
burglar, William Lewis gives finished
portrayal of the character and mingles the
rough exterior of the burglar with the ten
der-hearted father il a most acceptable
manner. AS the unhappy wife of the burg
lar. Martha Worth was excellent, and her
rendition of the difficult lines showed care
full study. Taken all In all 1t is a play well
worth seeing, and one entitled to the sup
port of the theater-going public.
Kernan's Lyceum Theater.-There was a
meteortc display at Kernan's last night,
with this difference, and the meteors were
clever specialists with regulations emitting
them to high rank in the vaudeville world.
1t was because of the quick flashes of wit
and original specialties that the manage
ment christened the company 1.-The Me-
teors' it was explained. 1t was a regular
frst-night crowd that attended the initial
performance last night, and il show
ceives its approval 1t Is a good one. The
applause attested the merit of the program
last night Clarise Vance with her spark
ling plantation songs pressed the gallery
into service and soon had everybody sing
ing. The Pattens contributed an original
comedy sketch with a strong Hibernian
tint that took. and the lie Moyne Brothers,
the kings Of the double horizontal bars,
executed with neatness and precision a
number Of new and startling acts Smith
and Campbell told number of new jokes
and inferSnersed them with a ral1v of