Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-12
ANU SEMENTS.

THE NATIONAL THEATER.-The pre-
sentation of Lord and Lady Algy' was
ike a step into pleasant past, when the
name of "Frohman" was an ironclad guar
antee OF refinement as well as liberality.
Since becoming man of extensive enter
prises Mr.. Frohman has offered some wares
of questionable quality-wares of which his
own better judgment doubtless disapproved
But Lord and Lady Algy." despite the fact
that its principal characters are not social
types to be commended for imitation is
worthy of the Frohman trade mark in the
palmiest days of its significance Its APP
peal is almost universal. The wit is schol-
airy as well as pungent and the humor is
rational, however broad it may at times
become. The dialogue is not made up merely
of superficial sCiItillations. The talk de-
ponds upon the situations and is in keep
ing with the characters. The cavIller might
suggest that Miss Jessie MiIlward ought
not in strict grammar, to say Somebody
else 5 when she means Somebody's else -
and that a wOOer, however ardent, would
scarcely kneel to the object Of his passion
in the presence of a drawing room full of
guests. But il is to trifies like these that
the tduiinnder must cOnline himself The
performance never gets off the key. 1t is a
picture whose subjects may not win con-
servative approval but whose artistic quail
ity makes the appeal Irresistible. 1t is a
literary comedy which does not in its eff
fort to be literary, forget to be comedy.
Mr.. William Fayersham does one OF the
best bits of work of his career. 1t Is
enough to win him full forgiveness even
for his recent Romeo As Lord Aiey''
he presents the picture of a reckless, low
alb young Engishman. who is so well
bred that he does not become wholly Of
fensive even when he is drunk. 1t is to be
doubted whether there is another actor on
the stage Who could Dl1N ma ri oil
as Mr. Faversham plays it-and this dec
laratlon does not ignore the fact that there
are number Of much more self-assertive
players before the public As an exhibition
Of light comedy work his performance COM
n'ands the Use of the epthet good" with
all the synonyms cuStomarily employed to
vary the monOtony of compliment. Mr.
r. G. Carton the author, has not neglected.
his book shelf in arranging his plot; the
hero has separate compartments for his
various styles of duns just as Dumas had
and the Indebtedness to The School for
Scandal for the hypocritical brother and
his amiable scapegoat is gracefully ar
knowledged by Mr.. Carton when he brings
one OF the characters to the fancy dress
Dd4i costunleu as Joseph Surface" In
deed, it is no Sacrilege to saw that much
of the writing in Lord and Lady. Aley''
would have been no dIscredit to Richard
BriEsley Sheridan. Miss Jessie Mllward
was next in Importance to Mr.. Faversham
She is an actress of studious and careful
methods, and without seeming to he thor
oughly in temperamental sympathy with
the part of the dashing Lady AIgy," gave
a convincing and agreeable portrayal. There
are many bits of character worthy tn he
dwelt on. The large lady in shepherdess
costume, after Reynolds" by Fannie Ad-
olson Pitt; the somber, society-bored Jockey.
by Joseph Wheelock, jr.; the SNUG rascal
of a brother by Guy Standing and the
English tradesman who dearly loves a
lord, by E. Y. Backus, all went to make up
a stageful of people who will be long re-
membered by all who had the pleasure of
making their acquaintance across the foot
lights.
COLUMBIA THEATER.-After years of
stage couTtship. cleverly and attractively
done, the spectacle was presented last nieh,
at the Columbia Theater of Roland Reed
the m1rth-provoking, nasally proud and
prominent Roland and Isadore Rush the
lalr, brown-eyed, blonde, vivacous Isadore,
as a married couple of eighteen vears'
standing. To many the thought of Miss
fush as matron in the play is too do
Mestc anu unromantic to be considered
10Y a moment. When this young woman's
many admirers among Washington's plav-
| gong population scrutinized their programs
! of His Fathers Boy" this years Vehicle
| Tor the Reed-Rush alliance. a wave of an
| ticipatory disappointment swept the we'll
| filled house. for the prefix Mrs" and the
parenthetically inclosed trusting wife of
Pennie, brought visions of staid old wo-
manhood TO view. These fears were han
I
first entry. She was gowned as daintiIv as
ever, and was just as young and pretty.
Her appearance was greeted with much an
plause she sharing equally with Mr. Reed
in this respect 1t was a new experience for
the old Roland Reed-ers in the house to see
| their favorite in the the role of a CAV, de-
ceitful husband, forty years of age or moro.
| with Miss Rush as the ''deceivee." 1t is not
bad Idea, however, taken altogether and
| the audience was friendly and appreciative
| throughout.
| In His Fathers Boy" comedy of three
acts, by Sydney Rosenfeld, Mr. Reed and
| Miss Rush are taken through sea of ludi-
| crous trouble just following the eighteenth
| anniversary of their wedding day and
| finally. after many mistakes and explana-
| lions, are set right and started afresh on
| the matrimonial journey. The plot from
\ time to time does a wonderful imitation
| OF the famous wine bottle of the elder
| Hermann in springing yariegated sur
| prlses The plot turns on the invention of
| a hcuuous past and a son In order that
| Pennie. gaily inclined husband, may get
/ money from his wife. A sutton for the
daushters hand is mistaken for the son.
! The dialogue is clean and amusing through
| OUT with the situations well worked up.
\ Mr. Reed throws all his widely known abil-
| ity into his work and makes every line ex-
| pressiye and every bit of business effectual.
| Called before the curtain at the end of The
| second act, he made a speech that fairly
| scintillated Miss Rush acted with her
/ usual brightness. She is one of those wo-
| men who never let down in their work for
| an instant Full of enthusiasm, she dtf-
Il f1lsea a WelC0rnA vivacitv fhronoh ~