Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-07
ANU SEMENTS.

LAFAYETTE SQUARE OPERA HOUSE.
Last night Messrs. Klaw and Erlanger
offered a new srecimen of style of the
atrical entertainment which has become
quite familiar this season. lone Round of
Pleasure as presented at the Lafayette
Square Opera House has the advantage of
an extensive experimental career in a toll
Grant metropolis, and there is every evil
dence that money was not spared in the
effort to make it acceptable. In one of
the songs the iibrettist declares that the
words do not count for much; that it's
all In the music. This unguarded declara-
ton appears to have exerted a discourage
ing influence on the galaxy of librettists
without afforcine the stimulus to the mu-
Sicians which might be looked for after
sucn compliment. Sidney Rosenfeld,
Clay NJ. Greene. Ludwig Erlanger James
Thornton, Charles Trevathan, Gus Rogers
and several others are associated in the
authorship and composition of the piece.
The dialogue cannot be complained of as
stilted. The chic which only colloQuial ism
can sometimes impart is strven for with
patient determination. 1t is considered hui
morous for It creation which conspicuous
ly introduces songs to boast of having no
plot worth speaking of. This boast is
made by lone Round of Pleasure and is
faithfully, and the specialties considered
independently good. Walter Jones has
discarded his tramp representation, but re-
tainS the imitation of John Philip Sousa
and scores hit with 1t. He is not only
clever. but indefatigahle. and contributes
great deal of animation to the per-
formance. Richard earle is a successful
laugh maker. and the imita ton of Weber
and Fields by the Rogers Brothers was
immensely entertaining. Maud Raymond
manages to get on friendly terms with
hgh-priced thvater audience quite read
lily she did with the patrons of vaude-
Vile. TEe costumes pictureSQue and
expensive, and beautiful scenery is used.
There are some touches of satire in the
piece. the effort of number of theatrical
people to bring Shakespeare down to date
being the most noteworthy. The Shake
spearian burles1ue has not been used for
some time. and the amusement which 1t
creates in Zone Round OF Pleasure indi
Gates that interest In the immortal bard Is
not extinct. The idea is not developed
with any thoroushness or originality, but
it affords in . slight degree a reason of
being for the production, and is therefore
welcome. The production Is a distinctly
frivolous or e. and. SO far as the individual
efforts of the company are concerned.
amusing. The objection is that it has set
about being frivolous in a matter-of-fact
fusiness-like manner. which. while condu-
Give to thoroughness, is calculated to dis
1lusicmze.
NATIONAL Observation-Disclosures
with Henry Miller in the leading part.
scored distinct triumph at the New Ma
tional last night. The play comes back
after a years absence, and a large au-
dience, representing the highest culture of
Washington society, gave it most hearty
approval With the play itself Washing
ton theater-goers are nearly all familiar.
1t is a romantic drama. dealing with En-
glish aristocratic society of the time of
George III. In depicting that phase of
English life the authors have followed
closely the pictures drawn by the best his
torians of the period. The play Is as artis-
tic in its detail as in its general scope. AS
the plot turns on the musical production of
! the hero 1t seems that the klea of harmony
is successfully carried through the whole
play. The costumes, the conversations, in
deed, the whole environment of the play
is cast i'll a lofty tone, which is in keeping
with the theme, and entities the work to
a place a classic. Perhaps the most in
teresting thing in connection with the
turn of this play to Washington is it's pro-
nounced success. That success demonstrates
the fact that there is a very large ele
ment in Washington society that appre-
ciates humor which does not require either
a stuffed club or an indecent allusion to
give il point There We're times last night
when almost a pins drop might be heard
while those on the stage told Of their sor-
rows or joys in tones which were only au-
dibe when such absolute quiet prevailed.
1t was the triumph Of genuine dramatic
art over mere rant and noise. When the
climax came the roof was not Jared, yet
Mr.. Miller was called before the curtain so
often that it seemed for awhile that the
approval. "Heartsease marks distinct
departure from the school Of plays which
have been offered to the public for the past
ten or twenty years. 1t is so great de-
parture in the direction of all that is clean
and wholesome, while being strong In
dramatic way, that Its marked success
gives rise to the hope that more authors
will follow along its lines of thought. OF
the personnel of the cast it would be hard
to point out where improvement could be
made All seemed to be so thoroughly i'm
bued with the true sentiment of their re-
spectlve parts that criticism would be di-
rected at the part itself rather than the
actor. Miss Maud Hasford as Lady Ne
vile was a charming, well-bred woman of
the English nobility. Miss Margaret Dale
as Lord Neville's daughter was no less at
tractive In her part. and Miss Josephine
Lovett made an excellent Alice Temple.
OF Mr.. Miller's Eric Temple 1t Is sufficient
to record the remarkable expression of ap-
prevail given by his audience. Mr.. Thomas
Halls Lord Neville was as well done as it
seems possible to present the character.
Mr.. Arthur Elliot as Sir Godfrey Pomfret,
tistic rendering of the part. Mr.. Prince
Lloyd as Captain Jack O'Hara was all that
could be conceived of the brave. jolly
young Irish officer who hated and loved
with equal fervor and whose friendship
was as hearty as his rich brogue. Mr.
Frank Beamsh as Major Twombly a be-
sotted officer of the English army, and
| Leslie Allen as Peter Padbury the par
venue anxious to crowd his way into polite
| society. both made decided hits and
| brought out the strong points In what are
usually considered unattractive parts. AL
together Heartsease'' Is far and away the
| best play of its kind that has been given
In Washington for many years and richly
| merits the success it has scored.
| COLUMBIA THEATER-Layinia Shan
mons laugh was the best bit of acting in
Miss Francis of Yale at the Columbia
| Theater last night. and 1t aroused the ONLY
genuine enthusiasm of the evening. 1t W..
| SO hearty, so natural. infectious tina;
| the audience, only slightly amused at the
complications of the plot. burst out in I'M
restrained expressions of mirth. A hearty
| and natural laugh OH the stage is rarely
| heard but Miss Shannon gave half dozen
| retiring with a final Shrek of merriment
| that convulsed the house. 1t was the most
! artistic acting seen in Washington thea
ter in 'ong time. 1t seemed to be need
| ed to arouse the audience from its Ieth-
| argy. After that applause came with a
| more generous hand. and the third act was
| provocative of much laughing. Although
| the play revolves around Etienne Girardot
who as Miss Francis has the center of the
! stage most of the time. his support Is by
| no means neglected. Monte Donico, Ger
| trude Holman. Fanny Young. Lavinia Shan