Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-12-24

The week before Christmas is always a
bad time for theatricals. for people are so
much occupied with buying presents that
they have neither time nor money for the
theater, and yet Miss Olga Nethersole has
done a remarkably good business at the
Lafayette his week. All her performances
have been well attended, and by distin-
guished people, and she has added to her
already high reputation by her excellent
work. Anna Held has been the next strong
est attraction, and the sprightly little
French woman has done fairly we'll at the
National. The Bachelors Honeymoon" at
the Columbia. and Down in Dixie at the
Academy have felt the effect of the season
and the bad weather
Next week some strong attractions will
the first time his play. "Zaza." at the
Lafayette, with Mrs. Leslie Carter in the
title role Roland Reed in THE Wrong Mr.
Wright" will be seen at the Columbia, The
Telephone Girl VIII come to the National
and James O'Neill will be at the Academy
in Monte Cristo," when Greek Meets
Greek and "Virginius." At Kernan's there
will be the usual variety program.
LAFAYETTE SQUARE OPERA HOUSE
Manager Charles Frohman has engaged
the following ladies and gentlemen to sup
port Mrs. Leslie Carter in his production
of David Belasco's version of "Zaza"
which comes to the Lafayette Square Opera
House next Monday evening: Charles A
Stevenson, Albert Bruning Mark Smith,
Hugo Toland. Lester Gruner, Harold How
ard, Gilmore Scott, w. b. Murray Gerard
Anderson. H. S. Millward. Leon and Mas
ter Bimbi, Walter Stuart. Lawrence Reeves
w J. Preston. E. J. Hart, Marie Bates.
Mabel Howard, Lizzie Du Roy. Emma
Chase. Helen Thill Anne Sutherland,
Maude Winter. Marie Thill. Eleanor Stuart
Elizabeth Belknap. Corah Adams Helna
Horneman, Aurela A. Granville. Louisa
Burnham and Helen Tracy. 1t goes with
out saying that this is, without doubt, the
strongest dramatic organization ever got
Ten together, and after months rehearsal
in New York under the personal direction
OF the author. Mr.. Belasco, a perfect per-
Torrance is assured those who visit the
Lafayette next Monday night The sue
cess OF "Zaza" at the Theater du Vaude-
FlLe last winter and it's long run there
Iroducei a sort of literary revolution in
fafis so far as dramatic work is con-
eerned- Zaza served to show Madame
ReJane IN a class of work essentially diff
iereht from any she had been accustomed
10 play. 1t is the role which David Belasco
mas so happily fitted TO Mrs Leslie Carter
mere Happily, she is about the only Amer
lcan actress who can adequately realize
such role in dramatic gifts mimetic tai
ent and physical attributes. Almost need
less TO say that Mr.. Belasco upon whom
the task of adapting this play for the
american stage has fallen, will see to it
mat the production is perfect as good
taste and long and valuable experience can
make it, He has himself chosen the com
Pany that will interpret "Zaza." and he
Will do all the work of preparing these peo-
pie IN their roles, and will. besides super
intend every material detail of the presen-
tdsi"n' such as appropriate scenery, char
acterIStic dressing. and so forth
Owing tc the length of the performance
or Zaza, the curtain of the Lafayette
Square Opera House will rise promptly at
clock each evening and at . pm. We'd
nesGay and Saturday matinees during Mrs
Leslie Carriers
COLUMBIA THEATER-The holiday
Season viii be ushered in merrily at the
Columbia By that capital comedian Roland
Reed, who will be in his greatest sue
cess, The Wrong Mr.. Wright" an i'm
meEsely amusing comedy by George III
BroaGhurst, that made an instantaneous
hit on its presentation here last season. The
scene of the play is laid at Old Point Com
fCrt, Va, the first and second acts showing
the reception room of the hotel the third
act, the parade grounds at Fortress Mon
roe. with the white squadron lying at an
Choir In the distance. Seymour Sites. played
by Mr.. Reed, wealthy but intensely penu-
nous merchant of San Francisco. has
been robbed by employe of $4,000 by
means of a forged check He has placed
the case in the hands of a private detective
agency, offering a reward of 5000 for the
arrest and conviction of the thief Sites has
learned from some business friend that
Bailey. the clerk who committed the forg-
cry, has gone TO Old Point Comfort; so he
hastens east, with the idea of intercepting
him and saving the reward Sites arrives
at the hotel. ard registers under the name
of Wright Here he Is confronted with his
nephew and niece, who are at Old Point on
pleasure bent. to whom he explains the sit
uauon, and they promise to assist him. He
passes through several amusing situations
in his endeavor to conceal his identity. A
crisis comes when there arrives upon the
Scene Henrietta Oliver. fin de steele de-
tectiFe who has been put upon the forgery
case, and has traced the defaulter to Old
Point Comfort he having been posing as
Mr.. Wright. The first person she meets is
Seymour Sites. who becomes terribly smit-
ten with her, and she. in turn, imagines
him 10 be the forger, "a he is posing under
the name of Wright !Tith his introduce
ton to Henrietta. Sites entire nature
changes. From being close and mean, he
becomes liberal to fault. throwing money
right and left. His action lends credence to
the theory that he is the defauiter. and
after many wild and amusing complications
he is finally arrested the thief After
some highly entertaining situations every
thing is satisfactorily explained. There are
many clever characters introduced and sew
eral Interesting under-plots. Mr.. Reed is
surrounded with a most capable company
which includes the charming actress, Miss
1sadore Rush.
NEW NATIONAL THEATER.-"The
Telephone Girl" the book by Hugh Morton
and the music by Gustave Kerker will be
the Christmas week attraction az the New
National Theater. commencing with a matt
nee Monday. This is known one of the
most pronounced Casino successes which
means that il is production of the highest
merit so far as scenery, costumes and ca
pable people 60 This particular production
Is said to have undergone several changes
since II started out on the road, but it will
be given here with Mr.. Louis Mann and
Clara Lipman in the leading roles. support
ed by the original company. The auxili-
aries include a large chorus of female
voices and corps de ballet. led by Miss
Lille Collins the celebrated wing and
buck dancer. Perhaps the decided novelty
of THE Telephone Girl is it's chorus Of
young women. with not a male voice to
break the rather agreeable monotony. One
advantage, at least, has resulted from the
experiment. and that IS round of brilliant
costumes in great variety. The players
supporting Mr.. Mann and Miss Lipman in
Guide the Messrs- Joseph c. Fay, William
I. Terriss, Nick Long, Nicholas Burnham
James F. Macdonald. Ben T. Dillon, Sam
uel p Fisher. and the Misses Rose Bra m.
Sarah McVicker, Helen Harrington Nellie
douglas. Amy Lesser, Mable Frenyear,
mary Post, Rene Collins, Mamie Chaplin
Florence Gammage and Minnie Woodbury.
Miss Lipman Will play the particular .hello
girl designated in the title and Mr. Mann
Will act the eccentric and COMPOSED Ger