Evening star., 1897-04-13
ADJUSTMENTS.

ana coquettish, was the reigning spirit at
the Lafayette Square Opera House last
hight. Some stage performers have art
without natural ardor and are unsympa-
ttetic; others have the ardor without the
art and are ludicrous Miss Olga Nethersole
has both emotional energy and the facility
OF expressing 1t. All that she does Is inter-
esting,s and the story OF the -heartless cigar
cite girl, shorn though it was of the emo
tfonal plea which music lends, touched the
heartstrings and made them respond with
notes of pity. fear and admiration, though
never with affection.
The performance is finely wrought out as
to detail. 1t is allowed to run until too
late an hour, but simple and familiar as is
the manner of unfolding the plot the audi
eEce waited In apparent Indifference to the
passing OF time. 1t is a step backward to
take q story which has been familiarized
with musical setting and present it as
simple drama. Where the artifice Of melody
has Cnce been used to mold the mood Of
the audience. the idea never seems complete
without 1t, and 1t was discreet, as well
as apropos, to keep the strains of Bizct
cchoing' constantly from the orchestra. In
opera the character of Carmen and the
allurement she exerts are accepted more as
poetic exaggerations than as matters of
human probability.
AS Miss Nethersole performs the charac-
ter II becomes plausible picture. Sinuous
IN motion, languid in repose; passionate
or saucy or languishing, she was never for
a moment the actress; always the beauti-
fui, soulless creature who lived for the sun
shlne and the caress of the present nor
looked beyond. The influence which Miss
NetherSole'S portrayal wieldS is of course
a fascination and not a wholesome charm.
1t Is her soldier-lover, whom she SO ruth
lessly degrades. who appeals to the better
ieehngs, and by that appeal sounds the
Keynote of the work-the domina "a ton which
g
recklessness likely to hold over q sensitive
intellectual character. Mr.. Nathaniel Hart
wig assumed the role in a most capable
manner Its exactions are scarcely less
than those of the stellar part. and much of
the intensity c. impression whicn the per-
formance yields was due to his weil-di-
rected exertions. The picturesquencss of
environment Is elaborately reproduced in
the staging of the piece. The eye is con-
unualiy delighted with masses of moving
color, as the mimic populace assemblies and
olssoiVes At times there is deliber,tion
in the solicitude for this phase of the nro-
duction which makes it seem rather pom
ueruus ii Its mechanism. The scenic eff
feets are ceautiful. The dramat:zation by
Henry Hamilton is dignified effort which
renes more upon the intrinsic qualities of
the theme than upon any disposition of the
playwright to intrude himself
Columbia Theater-Notwithstan the
nandlcap of prior appearance of the
prisoner OF Zenda'' in this city with Mr.
Sothern in the leading role greatly
pieased gathering saw Mr.. Daniel Froh-
man company present the dramatization
OF Mr- Hopes story last night at the CO.
lumbia Theater. Mr.. Howard Gould, who
portrays the character first assumed by
Mr. Sothern, was cheered with enthusiasm
ana the curtain was repeatedly raised in
response to the applause, to enable him to
bow his Acknowledgements. His concep-
ton OF the role of the fiery haired English
man. who becomes king to save the king.
was strong and consistent and his execu-
ton was forceful and artistic. One could
heartily sympathiZe with old Sapt when
he exclaimed: Here is one more fit for
the throne than the king himself" The
theme of the play is the struggle of love
and honor and these mental conflicts were
vividly shown in Mr.. Gould's characteriza-
.lon, ana II there was an excess of the
lachrymose 1t was chargeable to the au-
thor, not the actor. Mr.. Gould has a fine
stage presence, his voice is musical full
and well modu.ated and he moves about
divided the honors of the leading role in
her assumption Of the attractive part of
Princess Flavia. Miss Irving has appeared
many times before a Washington gather
every appearance, but never has she ere
ated SO favorable an impression as she did
last night. The support was thoroughly
capable, and no character was slighted.
Especially commendable was the An
toinette de Maubin of Maude Odell, who
was handicapped by an excessively melo-
dramatic role. and who at times rose su-
perior to it. The rather monotonous part
of Col. Sapt was admirably performed
by Robert F. McClannin. The prologue
was a clear-cut. well presented picture,
from the eighteenth century, in which Mr.;
Could Mr.. Elliott and Miss Reals appeared
with especial advantage.
The National Theater-Last night was
not "Chimmie Faddens'' first appearance
in Washington, but the fine audience at
the National greeted this popular young
New Yorker as effusively as ii he were
making his first, instead Of his second
bow, and really needed to be apprised of
the fact that he was welcome to Washing
ton. Mr. Charles Hopper Chimmie sings
In the sweetest, most sympathetic voice,
and is always sure of an encore or Two or
three, but he is just size too large for
the ideal lad Of the slums, and he forgets
sometimes to keep his chin stuck out at
the proper Bowery boy angle; which amt
sayin' no wrong of de Hopper gent, see:
The best impersonations in the cast are
the Mrs. Murphy of Mrs. Marie Bates and
the Paul Small-bot of Mr.. George Nash,
with Just shade of the favor to
the credit of Mrs. Murphy, seeing that it is
so seldom women can be funny on the
stage. Each part is fine imitation of al
coholism. and the Interpretation that each
player gives of the effect of liquor on the
human mind and body is almost worthy of
scientific investigation. The character next
In artistic merit is the French maid, Hor-
tense, as done by Miss Beth Franklin, who
In accent and action Is the very type she
portrays And what an unctuous Irish wo-
man is Chimmie's ''mudder." as set forth
by Fanny Denham- Rouse. Miss Berenice
Wheeler the only change in the cast, is a
pleasing Miss Fanny. and his whiskers''
were blown through in quite distinguished
manner by Mr.. Sydney Price. Miss Irene
Viancourt was pretty Maggie, and Mr..
Sheldon was as sad a Larry as Mr. John
Flood was a handsome Burton, who car
ried away from the "Small-bot' what he
loved best on earth after a drink
Academy of Music.-One would suppose
that everybody in this broad land Of free
Gom had seen Hoyt's "A Texas Steer" but
everybody has not, and everybody includes
some very well-known people, who have
yet something to live for. In Washington
more than anywhere else. of course, Is this
Lest of Hoyts plays appreciated at its true
worth and enjoyed at its best, for here
passes the greater part of it, and its scenes
are among those socio-political figures
which most please Washingtonians who
have come to stay. AS presented last night
at the Academy with Frank keenan, as
Senator Brander, Miss Stella Kenney as
Bossy, Barry Maxwell as the minister to
Dahomey H. D. Bycrs as Brassy Gall, Miss
Lizzie DuRoy as Mrs. Brander, and the
other Uerts as capably taken, there is not
a particle of danger that "A Texas Steer
Will not do aS we'll as If evar dtd IT.