The evening times., 1899-04-22
THINGS THEATRICAL.

| THINGS THEATklCAL.
| There Is a great moral for women in
! ''Lost-Twenty- four Hours" which will be
next weeks bill at the Columbia. Just
about this season Of the year Washington
wives are beginning to consider the sub
| ject Of summer resorts and to hint to their
| husbands that it is high time that they
| the wives-and their children. of course,
were going away for their health. The
constitutions and moral welfare OF the
aforesaid husbands do not seem to enter
into their calculations. But any spouse
who witnesses Robert billiards play at
the Columbia will be converted to different
views on the subject. Consequently 1t
would be economy for all benedicts who
are just now lodging the question Of the
seashore to take their companions to see
this farce.
The principal character of 'Lost-Twen-
ty-four Hours" is one, Dick Swift. who
may be a rather extreme example of his
kind but who nevertheless illustrates the
temptations and troubles into which un-
protected married men sometimes fall
when deserted by their wives. Mr.. Swift
is beguiled into going ''out with the
boys" and. being unable to keep the pace
as in his earlier days. is brought home in
comatose condition. from which he does
not recover for a day and night. When
he awakes his calculations are all that
length of time behindhand and ere he can
settle his affairs his helpmeet comes back
and embarrasses him considerably Ac-
cordingly he further complicates matters
by prevarication. in which he forces an in
nOcent brother to join. to the great scandal
of all that individuals highly proper ac-
quaintances. The complications are event
ually Strengthened out with the accom-
paniment OF much laughter on the part of
the careless and gay. but. Of course the
far seeing woman will reflect that II Mrs
Swift had remained by her husbands side
all these things would not have happened
Having digested the moral. she will prob
ably decide to stay lin Washington this
summer. or, at least. until her worser half
can accompany her TO the seaside. This
learned and amusing play will be inter-
preted by T. Daniel Frawley and his ca
pable company.
1t has been often and truly said that
women are responsible for the success or
failure OF an entertainment, and in no
contemporary case is this fact more nice
ly proven than in that of Alice Nielsen.
who returns here next week and will be
seen at the National Theatre in THE For
tune Teller" Since the days OF her pri-
ma donna-ship with the Bostonians the
clever little woman has been a great IA
vorite with her own sex and fully half OF
the so-called mash notes. and flowers
she has received have been from admiring
girls. Miss Nielsen has beeen nothing IL
not successful in this her first season as a
star. At the head of a number OF the
cleverest people on the operatic stage size
has toured from one end Of the country to
the other, always playing to the most
gratifying business and winning the most
satisfactory criticisms. The star is ex-
tremely able but her popularity is far less
due to general realization of that fact
than to feminine appreciation of her dain-
tiness and charm.
Unless the performer is extremely well
known ii is always dangerous TO attend a
musical recital. At such an entertainment
one may not be saved from the unproft-
ableness of dull evening by the work of
other entertainers and a hasty exit is in
variably preceded by lowering glances
from the elect. From the praise that has
reached here in advance of Geraldine Far
rar. who will be heard Wednesday evening
at the Lafayette Square Opera House. it
is not probable that the concert in which
she will be assisted by Newell Whitney
Mansfield and DIR. Anton Gloetzner, will
be anything but enjoyable. Miss Farrar is
said to possess a marvelously sweet voice
which has been well cultivated and the
programme selected for her is a most
interesting one.
Milton and Dollie Mobiles. who serve as
headliners on the bill provided for next
week at the Grand. are two recruits from
the legitimate whose prominence had not
begun TO wane before they went into vau-
deville. Saints and Sinners" one Of Mr. !
Mobiles best-known plays, was at the |
height of its success when the author gave
up writing dramas and confined his atten- |
tion to vaudeville sketches. The piece in |
which the duo are to be seen here is called |
why Walker Reformed" and it is said |
to tell an old story in decidedly new |
and interesting way. Mr.. Mobiles assump-
tion OF the title role is mentioned as be-
ing an exceptional bit Of humor. and there |
can be no doubt that the two will have |
small diniculty in establishing themselves
in local favor.
That much abused species of drama, the |
war play. recently received a great testi- |
monial from Western politician who in |
the course of a speech made in Chicago, |
claimed that the patriotic spirit of this |
is largely due to the number of |
literary and stage efforts Of that sort pro- |
duced yearly. Upon moments thought
this statement seems to contain every ele- |
national events must always be more in !
spring that are those set down in his
tory, and so, perhaps, the battle scenes, |
Of which so much fun is made, are not OBJ |
iects Of ridicule after all. Jean Mawson's |
work, "A Daughter Of Cuba" which will |
be the attraction next week at the Acad- !
emy Of Music, gives representation Of the |
charge up San Juan Hill that is said to !
be most thrilling. II the politicians con-
nntion is to be believed everyone should |
illness the scene.
, For the second time this season Bryan |
and Watson's Australian Beauties. will |
be seen next week k Kernan's. The per- /
formance to be gives has been altered but |
little since the last lOcal appearance Of the !
and is said to be most inter- |
esting. It begins and ends respectively
CAS1ORJA 4 fsIstans and ealdna.
Ihs Kind You naEs AIusys Bought