Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-21
Letter From Secretary Morrison.
ANU EIIENTS,

NEW NATIONAL THEATER.-'Th
Girl From Maxims' is one of the most
glttering and obnoxious French farces
which have recently whirled through the
city. like bubbles on a maels-rom OF muck
Its central idea once accepted, the audience
must enjoy the humorous situations and
the clever work Of the performers. But the
central idea IS so Objectionable as to make
description in public print very diff
cult. The girl mentioned in the title is
that il 10 say-well. "Maxlms,' as tourists
know, IS piace-Jhat is it is you know
er-ahem. Cold type Is altogether too
brutal to present candid and minute delu-
cation. The many quaint and amusing
touches which on the stage disguise the
bald vuigarity of the plot cannot ne re-
produced on paper. Those who yearn for
decentralization must step up to the box
once ana pay Tor Il. II cannot he passed
out secondhand, for no lifting of pIous
hands nor prudish CALCULATIONS will oblt-
crate the fact JI3t d minute description of
any vicious entertainment Is likely to be
more offensive than the entertainment it.
self The stage picture passes in a mo-
ment, he spoken line Is soon forgotten and
the auditor leaves the theater, so far
can be judged, quite uuharmed by his eX
perience. Whether this style Of entertain
ueut Is q moral narcotic, whose insidious
delights can only be maintained through
Increasing doses is an abstruse question
chrpu.c.er of passing events. The play is
accompanied by the name Of George Fey
deau as the author. The author business
has become very Furnishing. Pieces are
''authOryd" OUT OF the German and French
languages into English with 50 much in
duStry thar the oriSinatoT5 of the ideas are
quite forgotten. M. Feydcau, in preparing
his piece. followed the custom, getting
little closer 10 the source of inspiration
than the ordinary adapter He works up
the familiar idea Of the man who went on
tear the night before and picked up all
sorts OF strange acqudlnidnceS, with great
enthusiasm and effect 1t is really one of
the incest jobs Of authOring seen in a good
while. The play has TWO unfamiliar ideas
in it-One. the operating chair with an cleo
tTiC current which puts the patient directly
10 sleep and the other, the wild rush of
rural ariStOCTICy 10 initiate the manners
of the girl from MaXims, under the impress
sion that she represents the genuine tone
Of Paris. The characters are mostly good
Old friends. The gruff military man, who
has to be continually deceived, Is promptly
on hand. The imp.CSsioudble auditor IS
half tempted TO climb over the footlights.
shake him by the hand and cXclaim, How
are you, uncle? We didn't expect You
back quite so soon" And the patient, cred
ulOus wife, who believes in spiritualism-.
There is a goszipy interest in noting that
she has kept out Of the divorce court and
the Iuuadc asylum all these theatrical sea-
sons. The COmical Miss Josie Hall IS too
good an actress not to be distinctly i'm
proper in role whose improperly is It's
dom nant quality. She is as coarse as could
ht. desired and her various exhibitions of
interior decorations are calculated to bring
a blush to the check even Of the man who
draws pictures for underwear advertise
ments. ". J. Ferguson is a good actor in
an unworthy part.
COLUMBIA THEATER-'Ml Fiji is a
naughty little person, but is far superior to
many of her classmates in the school of
French farce. Fiji was hailed as risque.
racy and rare. but IT must be stated that
whatever there is Of this description in the
| play is to a large degree hidden beneath
| d bouuteous clevernesS. Fiji found a
( warm welcome at the Columbia last
| night, being greeted by an audience Of en-
thusiastiC quality and standing-room guam
| tity. Frenchiness in the drama IT would
| seem, has no further terror for the play
gOers OF Washington, In sheer despera-
| ton they go to the theater prepared for
| the wo:st. There is enough of the sug-
| gestive in FIJI just the same, to prevent
| any damage to the reputation for plays
| unsuited TO seminary dramatic societies
| already gained by Managers Brady and
| Z!egfeld. An elimination of few
| pieces of business would not hurt
| Fiji in anywise; in fact would improve
| It in attractiveness without destroying its
| drawing quality with the theater-going pub
| lie in general. Much of the original daring
| injected into the piece to please satfated
| Gotham has been stricken out for road pur-
| poses, where the FOUNDERS are not so nu-
! merous or exacting. The story of Fiji is