Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-12-27
ADJUSTMENTS.
LAFAYETTE SQUARE OPERA HOUSE.

Mr.. David BelaScO said IN MS Httle
| speech last night that any play WHICH he
wrote or in which he was interested he
should produce first in Washington, and, re-
| ferring to the applause that had greeted
"Zaza' up to the end of the fourth act, he
asked, Can you blame me?' In response
to that question it can be said that every
| success Mr.. Belasco has had has been first
| produced in Washington, and that the sue
cess has been merited- Mr.. Belasco Is
perfect master of stagecraft, and there is
no one who understands better the art of
dramatic construction. He pays close at
tention to all the little details of character,
scenery, costume and properties which go
to make up the perfect picture. He is more
Ike the late Dion Boucicault in that respect
than any man now writing for the stage or
engaged in stage productions. Then, too,
he will not let production be seen by the
public until avery detail has been so care
fully rehearsed that failure of mechanism,
of technique, is impossible. That was the
case with The Heart of Maryland;' 1t is
the case with 'Zaza."
This new play, which he modestly calls
| an adapta ton, but which bears evidence all
the way through of his scholarly care in
construction and dialogue, had its first pro-
duction at the Lafayette Square Opera
House las night. 1t was greeted by bril-
liant audience that filled every seat, and
the demonstrations of satisfaction were
manifest from the first to the closing scene.
The piece has been given scenic lnvesture
that commands admiration and gives 1t an
atmosphere harmonious with the locale OF
the story
'Zaza' is similar to Camille, and yet it
is different. She is more realistic, she lives
on the earth and is a part of the humanity
one meets every dav. She is a child of the
Sums who, when deserted by her father, Is
cared for by an old aunt, who deVotes more
attention to the bottle than to her niece.
Finally she is taken by a music hall singer
and made his singing COMPANION. She
meets with success in this business, and the
first act finds her the stellar attraction in
provincial music hail. The scene is behind
the scenes and is remarkably realistic.
Stage secrets are revealed to those who
have never been behind the footlights,
while those who are familiar with life on
the other side of the curtain readily recog-
niZe the types that are there to do their
different turns" Zaza, careless, easy-go-
ing. a good comrade, and yet with the i'm
pulsiveness and vanity of her class, makes
bet that she will get one Bernard Du-
frame to take her to supper that night. At
first it looks as If she was going to lose
her wager, but the man returns. and 1t is
case of immediate responsive affection.
The next act finds her in a cottage with
the man who has stirred the full depths
of her nature, who has given her loftier
and holier aspira tons than she has ever
dreamed before, and she is supremacy hap
Ply. hoping that that sort of existence may
last. She has given up her stage work and
lives only for Dufrane. Her former singing
partner has discovered that Dufrane is
married and he impartS this information,
hoping that it may break her infatuation
and lead her back to the stage. Zaza then
first feels the pang of Jealousy, and all the
saVageness of her nature breaks out. She
goes to Paris intent upon having a stormy
scene with the wife, but at Dufrane's house
she meets his child, and that takes away
all her anger, and she leaves without dis
closing her identity. She then has a strong
scene with Dufrane, in which she informs
him that she has seen his wife and told her
all. Man like, he then turns on her and
says that he never loved her and re-
proaches himself for having wasted his
time a thing SO low and common as she
is. She then tells him that she had lied
to him, that she told his wife nothing, and
then when he begs to again renew their
relations she orders him from the house.
She returns to her stage work and be-
comes the idol of Paris, winning fame and
fortune. He goes to America with his wife
and child, and after two years returns and
meets her as she is going home after her
performance. He pleads that his love is
stronger than ever, and offers to give up
everything if she will return to him, but
she tells him that her love is dead and
sends him back to his wife and child
Mrs. Leslie Carters Zaza is remarkable
performance. She runs the whole gamut of
human passion, and in every note is truth
full and convincing. The part has been
made for her, and she fulfils its every
quirement. In no instance does she step
beyond the natural limit in tone, gesture or
expression, and her whole work is that of
an accomplished and finished actress. 1t is
a great advance over her Maryland Calvert
and yet in that character she received I'M
stinted praise. She was applauded to the
echo last night, and she fully deserved
every tribute that was paid her. In the
climax in the fourth act she reached
height of emotional effect that is rarely
seen and was rewarded by many curtain
calls In "ZaZa' Mrs Carter will achieve
even greater success than in The Heart of
Maryland" and will furnish an additional
puzzle to those critics who said she would
never be able to act
Mr. Chas. A. Stevenson was natural and
graceful as Dufrane although his work last
night was not as good it will be when
he becomes more easy in the part. While
the interest of the audience centers in these
two, there are several other people in the
cast whose work deserves praise. Miss Marie
Bates as the bibulous aunt did splendid
piece of work, as did Helen Tracy as Nata-
lie Miss Anne Sutherland as rival prima
donna had not much to do, but what there
was in the part she got out of it, Mark
Smith. as the singing partner of ZaZa and
both excellent. ''Zaza" VIII be repeated
every night this week, and at the matinee
Saturday.
NEW NATIONAL THEATER.-A little
a very little, catchy music, which might
have been composed by the uninteresting
persons singing it, some graceful dancing
and brilliant costumes and scenery, a lot
of nonsensical horseplay, and lastly too
much vulgarity, inexcusable and obnoxi-
Gus, and there you have 1.-THE Tele-
phone Girl" New York Casino productions
have come to be considered the brightest
bits of the theatrical season in Washington
where local playgoers have seen the best
products of the managers and their CORPS
of artists, but the production playing this
week at the National resembles its pre-
decessors only in few particulars while
there are wide divergences from the origi-
nal paths of music and mirth that do not
improve or enhance in any respect the sup
posed gorgeous gaiety." With the hope
of hearing more of Mr.. Kerker's pretty
music. his solos and charming choruses
and Hugh Morton's bright lines, such as
they have shown themselves capable Of
two immense audiences crowded the Ma
tional to the utmost yesterday afternoon
and evening. In this they were disappont-
ed, however, for these features which
would make the production commendable
in some degree, have been sacrificed to al
low Mr.. Louis Mann to spin out his con-
glomeration of mixed English at firing
length. In THE Girl From Paris" Mr..
Mann was not seen or heard until the sec
ond act, and then he was funny. In THE
Telephone Girr' he is always with one and
is harpng on one subject all the while. In
It'd. - ylo t1a rrltp