Evening star., 1898-01-18
AMUSEMENTS. A

Juild Arthur cOnpleteiy captured tHe du-
dience at the New National Theater last
night. "A Lady of Quality affords re-
newed evidence of a tendency among pa
irons of the legitimate theaters to de-
mand legitimate attractions. Its success
cannot be explained by any touch of NOR
hid sensationalism. 1t relies on start
ling departures from consistent dramatic
or moral ideals, but on characters cleanly
drawn, on a story in which there is no
effort to force climaXes and on a perform
ance as nearly perfect human patience
and intelligence combined with liberal ex
penditure can produce. 1t is the. compe-
tence of the players which invests with
the force of subtiety speeches and Incl
dents whose intrinsic force would scarcely
carry them above the level of insipidity.
And the scenic artist is not without lib
eral share in the credit for investing
scenes in which dialogue and action do
not suffice to command close interest with
impressive and memorable beauty. The
attraction of the performance rests main
~ upon that old mystery, the charm of
personality. The power of individuality
which, regardless of obstacles, finds public
attention as surely the branch reaches
for sun or the root strikes for water,
is the power which Miss Arthur possesses.
Hers is the natural gift which makes
every change Of attitude and every modu-
lation of the voice new source of fasci-
nation. And with it all she has the poise
Wnlcn QlSCipllne. COnSCteHCfOuSly undergone,
alone can impart. Abandon is not lacking.
but it is the abandon of the character she
assumes. She is always Clorinda Wildairs.
Throughout the piece the moods of that
picturesque heroine are revealed. with the
sympathetic force which can be welded
only when an emotional nature has learn
ed to temper it's impetuosity with intel
lectuel discretion.
Outside of Miss Arthur's performance the
pictorial quality of the production is its
most noteworthy feature. The first act,
with its jolly crew of roysterers, whose
tipsy seEse CT humor evolves the idea of
forcing a clergyman to share their inc
briefly, has little or no technical dramatic
value. But it affords a splendid back
ground for Clorinca Wildars, who wins
her audience the moment she steps upon
the stage, her red coat, black breeches,
black hose and red-heeled shoes becoming
her lissome figure so well that the transit
ton to conventional Dettfcoats is contem
plated with something of regret. But she
is as completely the lady as she was the
hoyden. The fierce heart contentious of
the woman are as potent to interest as
were the Dranks of the wilful, motherless
girl.
marka BILE excellence, the evenness, so de-
sIrable in a play of this character being
uninterrupted. The costuming and man
ners of earlier English society are depict
ed with studious care. In their efforts TO
secure historic color, the authors have, at
times, become merely archaic. 1t is a ques-
uon whether a modern audience cares to
cumber its mind with even the "thees' and
tnous and "haths' and .'hasts'' of our
ancestors. and it is certain that an allusion
to an institution so wholly outside of cur
rent comprehension as "a spong:ng house.
is, Wnen offered with no explanatory ac-
companiment, superfluity. But the play
Is, after all, important chiefly as a vehicle
Tor Miss Arthur and the admirable COM
pany which surrounds her, and if the au-
thors have chosen to please themselves
with bit of pretty pedantry now and then
IT is at small expense to the audience. The
approval of the production last night was
si" sGo nearsy 10 permit the suspicion that a
shaoow OF resentment was cherished
- LAFAYETTE SQUARE THEATER.-
Dear Ola Mother Goose would have been
ai iaZti beyond eXprt ssion if she had been
one of the very large audience at the La
Iayette Square Theater last night and fol-
lowed the remarkable actions of for cher
u isheu family in connection with THE
strange Adventures Of Jack and the Bean
stalk, conceived by r. A. Barnet, set to
music by A. b. Sloane, and presented by
the admirable group of capable men and
equally capable-and. what Is better, per-
maps, IN the Sentler SeX-pretty, shapely
and graceful women. The wonder how
ever, would have beer quickly displaced by
extreme enjoyment, because the historic
ola lady was nothing if not human, and an
individual would have to he something else
to be unresponsive to the fun and beauty
OF this latest. and probably best, of recent
eXtravaganzas
Usually the spectacular Is largely de-
pended upon to carry the hodge podSe of
plot and frame out the Specialtes of which
such productions are largely constituted
but in the case of THE Strange Adventures
of Jack and the Beanstalk," the staging and
Costumng. novel, sumptuous ana exquisite
as they are. prove to be accomplishments
rather than the leading themes of the COM
position. The music is good; some of the
airs are well deserving to be adjudged
rp ri
throughout. The company is evenly bal
anced to q most praiseWorthy degree. The
tallets are particularly pretty shapely,
graceful and we'll trained, and youth pre-
dominates to an extent that makes the
olden coryphee joke hide its diminished
head and sneak out before the first act is
over. The principals are in thorough sym
rathy with the demands upon them, and
enter heartily into the spirit of the per-
formance. Madge Lessing Jack Hub
bard, the son of old Mother Hubbard, who
is impersonated by pretty and sprightly
Carrie Perkins, makes a most charming
youth, her beauty and grace and her at
tractive enunciation winning her auditors
at once, it does the contrary but i'm
pressionable Mistress Mary. who in the
present instance is no other than the
daughter of Old King Cole. Maud Hollins
is pretty and vivacious, and sings well, as
Mistress Mary, and Walter Allen gives
good portrayal of decayed potentate. or
course Jack and Mary are made happy in
the last act by the friendly Offices of the
Queen Dcwager of the Fairies. imperson-
ated by Ross Snow. He makes the char
&C ter an inimitable cne, and divided with
MGdge Lessing the favor of the audience.
Excellent. too. were Nellie Lynch as Little
Miss Muffett and Harry Kelly as Sinbad
the Sailor, their scenes together being re-
plete with novel situations and ludicrous
acts The duet and dance between Miss
Muffett and Jack Hubbard was particularly
we'll received.
The stage effects are admirably conceiv-
ed and splenGidly managed. The electric
ballet in the last act is revelation in
theatrical ingenuity. Altogether, THE
Strange Adventures of Jack and the Bean
stalk" deserve everything said in commen-
dation of those who experienced them and
the manner in which they are reproduced.
COLUMBIA NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. Luck
EFT and Dwyer, the new managers of the
Columbia made a great start last night
With Ward and Vokes in their latest three
act farce 1.-The Governors, before a house
full of people. There isn't any plot to
speak of but there are more good people
to play their parts than in any organiza-
ton before the public, and the play is
confederation of specialties. each one more
interesting funnier than the other. For
I@.,1y laa1 ntrf n .