Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-23
tile talents. The company is a strong one
and the scenery is all new and pretty.

and the scenery is all new and pretty.
In 1.-The Great Train Robbery" the Chey
enne Indians, Little Bird, Elk Man, Lone
Wolf and Crazy Horse. have prominent
part. The managers of the show have re-
ceived word from the business manager
actors in the company, except the Indians,
have drawn their salary several weeks in
advance. This is the first time 1t had &C.
Cured although the company had been out
several seasons. 1t took the business man
ageT quite while to ascertain the reason
1t seems the actors have been in the habit
of playing mild little games Of poker, and
when gently approached by Little Bird,
Elk Man. Lone Wolf and Crazy Horse with
the request that they be admitted to the
game let them draw up to the table. This
was the beginning of the end for the white
men, They say that. compared with In
dians. pale faces can no more play poker
than they can invent flying machines. 1t
is absolutely impossible to tell by Chey-
enne chiefs face whether he stands to win
or has handful of losing cards.
NATIONAL THEATER.-Wilton Lack
aye and his own company in THE Royal
Secret" will appear at the New National
Theater next week. Last season Mr. Lack
at the head of his own company, and he
now returns with a new play, which has
been fashioned after the romantic drama,
now so much in vogue. 1t has France for
is the reign of Louis XIV. That frequently
discussed individual cuts an important fig
ure in the play. He is the rival, in fact
of Mondory. strolling player. imperson-
ated by Mr.. Lackaye. This player finds
that the successful result of his lovemak-
ing to his leading woman Is imperied by
the rivalry of King Louis. The heroines
name is Armande. She is faithful to Mon
dory, but the fancy which the king has for
her threatens the prosperity and union of
the hero and the heroine An element of
jealousy and intrigue is copiously provided
In the drama, through the introduction of
Madame de la Valliere, the kings favOrite
who naturally does not relish the diversion
of his attentions to Armande. She makes
1t her especial purpose to incite the king
to many more acts cnfavorable to the low
ers than would otherwise have occurred to
the monarch. The course of events, there
fore, is. in the main, the outcome of the
crOSs-purposes Of De la Vallere, using
Louis tool, and the actor MandOry.
The actor, it should furthermore be notic-
ed. has a personal enemy in De Harley.
who has previously attempted to capture
and turn over to the enemies of the king
a political fugitive. 1t is the knowledge of
this fact that is used by Mondory
weapon with which to fight De Harley. He
demonstrates to the king that this man is
a false friend, and thereby wins the kings
favor, which is substantially demonstrated
by the kings withdrawal of his affections
from the heroine and yielding her to Mon
Gory. Mr.. Lackaye has spared nothing in
order to give fine production and 20 cast
his play adequately and with close regard
for the personal qualifications of the actors
for the parts they will interpret. 1t has
been stated that the production from a
scenic point of view will be series of
beautiful pictures, and that the costumes
worn by the characters are as handsome
and as sumptuous as anything ever seen
In their line on the stage. Mr.. Lackaye Is
worthy actor because he is a natural
actor. He has always invested himself
with the character he plays, 1mbued his
being with the surroundings, and his por-
trayal therefore, is always realistic. Mr..
Lackaye has Of late years played almost
entirely parts which have given him full
advantage to show 1is skill and mastery
of the art of makeup. He is subtle in the
building of character. AS he will be seen
next week in part that is essentially ro-
mantle. with all the robustness and en-
thusiasm of youth. and clothed in an at
mosphere Of chivalry, costuming the char
acter in all the gorgeous raiment of the
period of Louis XIV, his appearance will
doubtless receive marked attention. The
leading members of his company are Ed
mund Collier. James o. Burrows, Fanny
Mcintyre and Alice Evans. Others who
will be seen in the production are Britta
Griffin, Ralph Lewis George Donald. Alex
ander Kearney, John Lancaster, Russell
Weyler, Edwin Wallace Charles Bonnell.
Edwin Maurice and r. C. Chamberlain.
LAFAYETTE SQUARE TTEATER.-
Monday, October %, the DArville Opera
Company will begin a brief engagement at
Lafayette Opera House, in Peg Voting
tom
peg Wellington" is a new comic opera
written by Victor Herbert and Harry l..
Smith for Camille D'Arville land Is said to be
legitimate in all respects. The scene is laid
in England about the middle Of the last
century, ard the first act takes place in an
English village, to which Peg Wellington
has fled for a brief vacation from the foot
1icrht he live. In ha Wy n GO fpn,N f,n
representing herself Margery Home
spun, rustic damsel Records of the
great come jienne show that nothing was
more to her liking than just such bit of
farce this in private life, and, in fact,
the whole opera is founded on actual Incl
dents. A troop of strolling actors, led by
Joe Wattless, a transforming tragedan,
comes to the village. and Mistress Voting
ton discovers them In great woe because
their leading lady has left the company.
With characteristic kind-heartedness and
love of fun. she offers to supply The place
of the vanished star, and the actors agree.
TO this same village comes Captain Adair,
a young officer. and Lady Betty Marshall,
a London heiress. who have eloped and are
about to be married. Peg. in her disguise,
meets this couple and finds that Captain
Adair is her own lover. who has deserted
her in order to marry the heiress. The
tumult Of resentment and grief into which
this discovery throws her results in plan
for revenge Returning to London, she
proteges. and the next act takes place in
Vauxhall Gardens, the famous pleasure re-
sort of London at that time. Here Peg
appears in the dress of a gay cavalier. Sir
Harry Wiidairs. part which she has as
sumed on the stage, and which her
biographer tells us was productive of num-
berless love notes from the eighteenth
century matinee girl, who did not dream
that her adored was a woman.
The heiress becomes acquainted with the
supposed Sir Harry, and proceeds to fall
violently in love with him, a behavior aided
and abetted in the most vivacious and
charming manner by Mistress Wellington.
Capt Adair's double-dealng is carefully
revealed in the process, and his discom
future is complete.
There are three low-comedy parts in the
opera, Joseph Wattless, tragedian and man
ager Of the troupe Of strolers: Nat Bow
string. a member Of the same troupe, and
Maj. Firelock, a recruiting officer.
There Is no more picturesque period in
English history than that in which Peg
Wellington lived. and no more fascinating
character than she. Her beauty, her grace
her eccentricities, her droleries and her
Wit were the talk of all London for years.
and great was the mourning when she re-
tired from the stage. Miss D'ArvilIe has
been surrounded by a large and capable
company, and carries her own orchestra
The following make up the caste: Camille
D'Arville, Maude Courtney, Nettie Lyford