The evening times., 1899-02-16
THINGS THEATRICAL.

riously irritate it's general palm before
taking q call than in having the drop
raised just as the assembly begins to give
vent to its enthusiasm.
Mentally and morally THE Liars is not
a very elevating comedy. Even the virtu-
Gus lectures delivered by Mr.. Drew and
other people in the cast to their erring
brothers and sisters do not take away the
impression that Henry Arthur Jones gives
his auditors-the impression that all
things which end happily are right. From
the other point of view 1.-The Liars is
especially delinquent. Its wonderfully
clever situations, its unexpected episodes
and its variating and vacillating dialogue
spring from nothing and end with moth
ing so that when the piece is over one
can find no reason beyond the enjoyment
of an hour for its having existed. But
despite all this the offering is a marvel
ously entertaining one and pleased last
nights house as nothing has done in some
time.
Whatever may be their faults of omis-
sion and of commission John Drews pro-
ductions always contain the wherewithal
TO please the senses as well as the sense,
and his presentation of THE Liars proves
no exception to the rule. The play is well
set and for the main part well acted. Mr..
Drew himself does an astonishingiy good
bit of work in the role of Sir Christopher
Deering, giving his lines a whimsical in
Election and his manners consistency that
is really enjoyable. ThTn Isabel Irving
proves girlish and charming in an absurd
part, though she never allows one TO for
get how she has worked for her every
effect, and Ethel Barrymore, the reputed
heart breaker, contributes really artis-
tic portrait in miniature. Arthur Byron
is a sort of villain in a makeup that is
fearfully and wonderfully conceived, Mil
ton Lipman is a scoundrel without the
halfway clause, d. II. Harkins furnishes
fine character study, and Lewis Baker
gets the best of very bad bargain in por
traying the conventional weak youngster
in an unconventional way. James Lindsay
is no better than the average old man and
Frank +. Lamb gets great deal out of the
few lines given the waiter. or the ladies in
the cast, Gertrude Gheen is best, after
those already mentioned, her work in the
third act being especially deserving of
comment and compliment. Jennie A. Eu-
STAGE, George Mendum, and Marie Derrick
son wear becoming gowns-in one case a
maids dress-and do little else. The Of
fering, in retrospective, is one of the most
pleasing seen here this year; and will con-
tinue 10 draw Well
Julia Arthur appeared in new charac-
National, assuming the role of Rosalind
in AS You Like It." 1t is apparent that
the comedy of the Bard is used in order
10 avoid the tiresome strain of "A Lady
OF Quality" which will be resumed to-
night and continued until Saturday.
"As You Like It." as presented by Miss
Arthur, is far different from the classic
usually seen and the alteration is for the
better. Much useless material has been
removed and the time consumed in the
presentation shortened propoTtionateiy.
There is opportunity for the dispay of
varied emotions in the Interpretation of
Rosalind and the star, Arthur, is always
pleasing, while not invariably perfect. If
anything her reading is too vigorous, as
is also the case with W. S. Hart's Orlando.
Florence Conron does not give natural
touch to Celia, being given to gaspinsss,
while some of the smaller roles are indif
ferently taken. Yet, withal, the comedy
is pleasingly done, the scenic effects be-
ing notable.
Saturday evening Miss Arthur appears
in "Pygmalion, and Galatea,' and "Mer-
cedes.
As the dual stars exclaim in piecemeal
at the termination of the last act of The
Governors. the man who constructed the
piece didn't know what else to call il and
so the offering bears its present cognOmen.
One might easily lose his eyesight in at
tempting to discover even flament of
plot in the work and yet one would needs
be absolutely blind and deaf did he fail
to discover an evenings entertainment of
extraordinary merit in it.
To the lover of the problem play. the
romantic school of the legitimate. there is
naught of interest in The Governors. ."
Construction was an unknown art 10 the
perpetrators Of the farce but the company
interpreting it is so large, so well bal
anced, and so strong that the finished pro-
duct is undoubtedly superior to anything
of the sort seen in Washington this sea
son. There is little to be said of the play
All interest centres in the organization.
Ward and Nokes have not sought TO shine
by bedimming the briliance of their back
ground, as do so many aspirants for stel-
lar standing. While the governors them
selves-as of old-are furiously funny in
their merry melange of popular and time
ly talks and songs the success of the piece
is due in no small measure to Johnny
Page, Lucy DAILY. and Margaret DAILY
Fokes. Certainly no acrobatic comedian
on the stage today is the equal of Mr..
Page, who injects dances ballads. imita-
tions and athletic feats into every act OF
the performance with an eagerness and eX-
cellence that causes one to marvel at his
versatility Second only TO the dimim-
| tive Rubber Neck" is Lucy DAILY, who al
intervals forsakes her skirts for weII-cut
men trousers and sings old and new
airs with rare ability
The little artistic was well received last
night and encore after encore rewarded
the enthusiasm of the small but apprecia
tive audience. Margaret DAILY Vokes
wins new friends with her original con-
ception of a laughable country girl. and
unites with John Keefe in a rather bold
steal from the Methodist hymnal. In the
minor roles Charles w Young. Hal S
Stephens, James Cherry, and this same
John keefe are seen to good advantage
OF the various specialties interjected most
freely. none is so deserving of apprecia-
ton as that of Cheridah Simpson. whose
limitations upon the piano are both unique
and marvelously well executed. There is
a wealth OF pretty women in the support
ing chorus, shapliness, vocal ability. and
comliness being so evenly distributed that
1t would be dangerous to specialize. Well
painted scenery and tasteful costumes add
no small amount to the general good eff
feet of the presentation.
+. H. Sothern has been SO successful in
romantic roles that after a years rest in
comedy he will rival and expects to sur
pass, all his previous efforts in the heroic
line with a production of The Kings
Musketeer, an entirely new version of
THE Three Musketeers" which is to he
done next week at the I.afayette Tho mort