Evening star., 1898-09-06
AMUSEMEN A rs.

AMUSEMEN
COLUMBIA THEATER.-The audience at
| the Columbia Theater last night made an
| invasion into the pasta past that is not
| so very far away III point of years. but
which is, nevertheless, sharply distinguish
ed from the present theatrical era. The
Two Orphans" a play in which the men
exhibit their hosiery instead of the women,
in. which vice is punished and virtue is
triumphant, and in which there is here and
there some attempt at rhetorical impress
siveness, served to take number of peo-
pie back to the time when plain nele-
drama sufficiently in vogue to justify
Its being written with skill and produced
with care. 1t would be hard to decide
whether the present scarcity of this style
of play-writing is due to considerations of
supply or of demand, but it is certain that
it has been largely supplanted by its dra-
matte entithesis, the farce comedy. In
stead of having its sentiment and emotion
hurled at 1t, the public waits to be stunned
with broadsides of wit and humor, deliv-
cred at short range and with the lavishness
of ammunition which makes a blundernuss
a dangerous weapon, though scarcely a test
of marksma nship. Cheers for the triumph
of the right, applause for the noble senti-
ments Of the hero, well for the ulu-
mate triumph of The Two Orphans" were
freely and heartily bestowed. Kate ClaX-
tens name is so inseparably associated with
the piece that without her in the role of the
blind girl the play would scarcely seem
itself Mr.. Charles A. Stevenson. as the
Chevalier de Vaudray; Louis Shea, as
Jacques Frochard; Francis Gheen. as the
cripple, Pierre; Mary Asquith, as the blind
girls sister, Henrietta, and Marian P. Cliff
ton, as Mother Frochard, all gave spirited
interpretations. The scenery was notably
elaborate in some of the more important
settings. The demonstrations of the audi
ence were such to leave doubt that
rnta haS ~ lost ,lr,- iv,tn
A REIGN OF TERROR-A special dis
patch from New Haven says that last
night the first performance of John ]. Nc
Naily's new farce, "A Reign of Terror"
was successfully given in that city. In
| this Messrs. Klaw & Erlanger exploit
the Rogers Brothers as stars. The
dience a spirited and responsive one,
and followed the two clever German come
dians with laughter from the beginning to
the end of the play. Georgia Caine, Maude
Raymond, Ada Lewis, George F. Marion
and La Petite Adelaide, all came in with
their sDecialtes for big share of applause.
The scenes are laid on board yacht in
midocean. dock in the city of New York
and drawing room in Brazil The produc
ton is a handsome one regards cos
tunes scenery, etc, and the organization
large enough to produce light opera. The
applause unsinted and nearly every
speciality encored
GLEN ECHO PARK.-The Jaxson Opera
Company appeared for the last time yes
terday at Glen Echo, presenting the same
opera as last week. PlanQuette's tuneful
composition THE Chimes of Normandy"
Owing to the fact that the day was hoh-
day a matinee was held in the afternoon
in the large amphitheater, with an even
ing perform ance, both being attended by
the usual sized crowd. The balloon
cension and parachute descent of Prof.
Leo Stevens which was held early in the
evening, drew quite crowd to the place,
who later visited the opera. Five DeO-
pie were introduced in the cast, and they
succeeded in giving fully as good pre-
sentation of the opera as characterized the
performances last week Miss Madge Law
renee, who previously took the part of
Susanne, appeared yesterday Serpolette,
the good for nothing. Miss Bertha Lehman,
as Germaine, the lost marchoness, appear
ed to good advantage, and her singing was
attractive. Mr.. De Lamotta took the part
of Henri, the Marquis of Corneville in
place of Mr.. Winfred Gof. Mr.. Payne
Clark continued as Jean GrenicheuX, the
fisherman, while Edward Lanyon succeed
ed George w. Denham as Gaspard, the old
miser. While Lanyon perhaps sang a little
better than Denham, yet he seemed to be
too large man for the character and his
acting of the part was not realistic
that of the Washington man. Owing to the
fact that there were no programs distrib-
uted last evening the general public was
hardly aware of the changed cast. Mr.
Jaxson, under whose personal supervision
the operas have been presented at the am
was not IN town last evening,
but the treasurer of the company Informed
a Star reporter that after a rest of a week
or so the company would proceed to Can
ada and open winter tour at either Mon
treal or Halifax. No attraction has been
secured for the amphitheater for the bal
ance of the week.
KERNANS LYCEUM THEATER-
There is much to commend in the enter
tainment furnished by 1.-The Sporty Wild
ows' at Kernans this week. The name is
misnomer, for there We're no evidences of
widows on the bill and the antics of the
demure score of pretty damsels did not
border on the sporty. But the name means
nothing and the show is really a good one.
The first part is full of snap and ginger.
1t is called "A High Old Time" and COM
mences in the old stereotyped way with a
dozen or so girls lined up in tights, looking
their prettiest and singing their best A
comedian or two furnish the fun. AS the
first part proceeds it gets better and winds
up with whirl, after introducing several
good novelties. In the olio Scanlon and
Stevens do a sketch that is new and enter
tanning. The LIE Mosne Brothers on the
horizontal bars showed several new and
difficult tricks, and the somersault between
the distant bars was thrilling piece of
work. Miss Minnie Cline made up for her
small voice by her dashng stage presence,
and quite won the audience. Sheehan and
Kennedy, the Irish comedians. possess
merit, but adhere to the old cheap wit
principle Of confusing repartee that only
pleased tue SdileTS- Inc tfiiiie SASlSlS
were unfortunate in their selections. Both
have pleasant voices, well blended and
never fail to please. Their songs are rather
high-cass for variety, and while they won
applause it was not what they deserved.
The performance ended with a laughable
buriesque entitled The Bombardment of
Vanilla" introducing the entire company.
BIJOU THEATER.-Several of the ar
lists advertised for the Bijou this week
failed to materialize. The management,
however, filled their places acceptably.
George Thatcher and Ed Marble, the min
strel duo, are the leading features Others
on the bill are the Whaiieys, Lotta Glad
stone, kraus and Rosa, Gibbons and Bar
rett and Dan and Billy Collins.