Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-23
ADJUSTMENTS.

Coghlan interested large audience at the
Columbia TheaterlastFnight by the magni-
tude of the task he han undertaken almost
as much as by the actual material he had
to offer. Mr.. Charles fCoghlan, dramatist;
MI Charles Coghlan, Istage manager, and
MI. Charles Coghlan, factor, are one and
the same It wasea tremendous effort. and
no one but thoroughly disciplined player
could have stood the nervous strain which
II involved. Several sfacts combined to
arouse a great deal Of expectant interest
IN the production The play had its origin
IN the genius of Dumas. 1t was adapted
by member of the theatrical profession
who has been in a position to absorb its best
traditions. and it was interpreted by a COM
pany whose personnel gave assurance that
pad actfng was not threatened. The play
mas the decided advantage of being written
IN graceful English throughout. The chain
.. pure oiction Is SO exquisite that it is a
pity that It's potency is not exerted over a
larger proportion of the theater-going
masses. Some of the speeches are rhetor-
lcal gems. There is q great deal of strong
ma . IN the story, but the climaxes do
noI impress as they would If more care
fully approached The appetite for sur
prise is not literally gratified, in spite of the
employment of the old but comparatively
unfamiliar device of using proscenlum box
anism of the piece itself assists the actors
III MAINTAINING interest but slightly 1t
PROVIDES them with scenes in which they
may shine if they have the power; but
then m nt De the creatures Of self more
run one risk for which, with SO good a
company, there is no need
ne mas given himself too much to do In
.ne ambition to present striking scenes he
mas been at times content to OFFER an after
explanation instead of pursuing the more
Cincult method of suggesting and account
ing IoI tnem In advance by the work of
subordinate people.
Inc character of Clarence, the actor, can
be admired only as a study. The announce
ment that The Royal Box is a romantic
play suggests the existence of a Nero. But
tnere Is none. The only male with the in
s.io.s VI gentleman is the Swedish am
oaSsauor, whose deception concerning the
character of his wife is made the triumphal'
incident OF the piece. Clarence, whose fas-
clnatlons have won two women, one haugh-
~ ana pad, the other gentle and good, is
an uhhlltlgated rogue A vulgar liberality
with money to his tavern fatterers does
not suHlce to redeem him in candid opinion.
Neltner does his protection of young girl
from worse ruftian than himself. And it
~ pecuharly unfortunate that the gentle,
&C % young girl with an ambition to go on
the stage should have been repulsed by
clarence with fatherly admonitions against
the pitfalls of the theater, until she comes
70 MN with a fortune in her own right just
When ne Is discarded by his more distin-
eulshed enchantress, and kindly but firmly
invited by the Prince of Wales to leave the
country.
1t is at this crisis in his affairs that
Clarence consents to, educate her as an
actress. and TO embark ON a professional
tour with her in America. If seriously in
tended as fitting conclusion of romantic
story. this denouement invites ridicule. But
1t may be that Mr.. Coghlan has grown
weary of seeing virtue tritely rewarded
ana mas concluded to make an experiment
In the direction of realism by allowing the
scapcsrace to prosper upon his own impu-
dence, as he not infreuuently does in real
life. Mr.. E. J. Ratciffe gave a splendid
impersonation of the Prince of Wales, and
MI. Albert Bruning was good as Count
telsen. Mrs. Thorndyke Bouccault, as the
Countess Felsen. bestowed personal at
fractions and efficiency as a player upon a
role which did not.liberally requite her en-
beavers. Miss Grace Bflkins was excellent
as the young woman to whom Clarence
nnaily turns for moral and pecuniary So
lace, and Charles Stanley gave perhaps the
best of.several de3icious bits of character
delineation which lent coloring and tone to
the performance. 1t Is probable that good
as the speeches ara Mr.. Coghlan may find
for the sake of quickenfng the action. THE
Royal Box commands respect as con-
scientious effort to depart from convention
al lines; to give the public novelty without
competence of thes cast and, the finish of
the literary composition were of them
selves sufficient to make the performance
welcome to many people as a change from
the somewhat profuse offerings of musical
comedy which have recently been made.
LAFAYETTE SQUARE THEATER.-De
Wolf Hopper seems akin TO John Philip
sousa IN the matter of popularity in Wash
ington. the amusement-seeking popula ton
seeming to always have a warm SPOT for
each: and when the two are formed into a
combination. where one is given the work
OF carrying cut the ideas of the other the
partnership becomes almost Irresistible
FL Captain" as performed at the Lafay-
cite Square Theater last night was about
the same production that secured such
favorable notice Eere last year. The cos
tuning is beautiful, the scenery is all that
could be desired, while the music-well
every one knows how bright and catchy
Sonsa's music is. The fact that there was
not Sousa audience in evidence NAV be
laid to the condition of the weather. but it
cannot be denied that there was very little
interest manifested up to the time of Miss
Bersen's sclo in the second act when the
first genuine applause of the evening was
registered. After that the house warmed
up considerably, and the closing chorus of
the second act had to be repeated, and De
Wolf Hopper was forced to give his little
curtain lecture before the audience would
he satisfied. The cast presenting lei Cap
itan' is the same as that which appeared
here last season. De Wolf Hopper is, of
course, the feature, and his hard work after
the first warming up was appreciated to
the fullest extent. He managed to intro
duce a few new sayings, but on the whole
the dialogue remained about as before. AL
fred Klein, as the simple minded angelic
PoZzo, makes an excellent foil for the long
legged Hopper. Edmund Stanley sang the
part of Isabers lover very creditably and
secured an emphatic encore in the duet
with Miss Bergen in the last act. John
Parr, as Scaramba. was good, while Thorn
S. Guise, as Don Cazarro; Louis Shra-
der, as Gen. Herbana, and Katherine Car
Isle, as Taciturnez, did well in the smaller
parts. Edna Wallace Hopper is as bright
and as cute as ever in the role of Estreda
The work of John Parr and the two Hop
pers in the Typical Tune of Zanzibar was
encored over and over again. and the stock
of verses was completely exhausted Nella
Bergen, as Isabel, sang in splendid voice
and Alice Hosmer was of course, all that
could be desired in the part of the Princess
Marghanza the unlucky Mediguas wife
The chorus has been strengthened some
what since last year and the combination
of pretty girls and good voices makes a
strong feature. The choruses in EEL Cap
itan" are features of the work and they
were sung last night with spirit and
force that was delightful
NEW NATIONAL THEATER.-In spite