Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-21

81 >sss sts@kx4
The notable event this week has been the
presentation of Mr.. James Herne's new
play. "Rev. Griffith Davenport" Mr.. Herne
has not yet completed the revision neces-
sary to insure the work complete success
as a drama but from his knoMG ability as
Il playwright and his experience an actor
it may be assumed that before the New
York engagement begins it will be brought
down into reasonable length and made more
effective to many of its incidents. The
French Maid and Anna Held at the Column
bia have probably done the best business
of the week, though the Eoyt skit, with
Otis Harlan. and The Devils Auction"
have been well patronized. The venture of
the management of the Grand Opera House
in presenting frst-class vaudeville seems to
have been appreciated, for the audiences
have been good and have included some of
the best people in the city.
Next week the offerings are varied and
attractive. Julia MdriOWe, always popular
here, Will be seen at the Lafayette: Paul
Gilmore, new candidate for popular favor,
will be 1T the Columbia in The Musket-
GERS and The Dawn Of Freedom;
Shenandoah. one of the best of the war
plays, will he at the National; "A Grip Of
Steel at The Academy. and vaudeville, with
Lillian EuTHhart as the chief attraction, az
the Grand The Lyceum and Bijou will pre-
sent the usual variety attractions for men.
LAFAYETTE SQUARE OPERA HOUSE.
Julia MdrlOWe has found The Countess
EaleSka'' the most congenial modern role
she has ever appeared in and the most ac-
Ceptdble 10 the public so she Is making
the new play the principal feature of her
repertCry this season. 'NaleSka' will open
her annual engagement at the Lafayette
Square Opera House on Monday night, and
will be repeated Tuesday, Wednesday nights
and at the Saturday matinee. on Thursday
and Friday nights she will apear Rosa
Ind in AS You Like It and on Saturday
night as Parthsnia in ''ingOmar. The play
''NaleSka' does not solve anything. 1t is
just a plain. ordinary. everyday bit of hui
mainly set IN a fine dramatic frame. There
is not even villain in it. unless the villain
be the hero. who, under stress of peculiar
circumstances. does things of which he
not conscientiously approve. The heroine
herself is no angel She is a young widow
who has quarreled with her PruSSlan lover,
and when she saves him from his enemies
and her friends she bluntly tells him that
she does not love him. which is lie. He
lies back, for that matter. and both agree
that there is absolutely nothing between
them, all the time knowing that they are
fbbins for further orders. They are the
sort Of hero and heroine who are not i'm
psrvious 10 malaria and the tOothache-in
ether words. they are human: and they
lie TO each other and protect each other and
finally collapse. just as real people would
40 under the circumstances. There are a
few other flJSh-and-blCOd characters In the
piece, folks who are not extravagantly ra-
uonal. like so many stage beings but who
quite create the impression of being able to
cat sleep AMI do other commonplace things.
The military environment of the play gives
splendid opportunity for spectacular eff
feet An the plays of the week will he
given with special scenic outfits. "As You
Like It. offers particular opportunities for
magnificent stage pictures. and the most
winsome R"salind" on the contemporary
stage viii have a worthy setting. Miss
Marl0ve's company this season includes
several actors who are new 10 her support
William HarcoUrt and John Blair take the
plays. respectively. Other players engaged
for this season are Miss Norah T.arnfson
James Cooper. Recton R3dford and Byron
Ourlav. Some Of the old favorircs retained
az. Mr. Sol Smith. DodSon Mitchell. Don
AID Mac1-areu Frank Colfax. Algernon
TiSSin katherine Wilson and Frederick
Murphy
NEW NATIONAL THEATER-" shen-
aUdoah.' Bronson Towards stirring war
play, which Will be seen at the New Ma
tiCual Theatsr next week. and which every
body. including the author. thought dead.
has been revived. and in a way that has
astonisfed the theatrical world With the
first note of wars alarm. Jacob Lift pur-
chased the play. He mounted it iaviShly,
elaborated the great battle scenes and pro-
vided a cast that has never been equaled
even in the best days of Shenandoah" 1t
made an instantaneous and phenomenal hit.
filling MCNickerS Theater. Chicago. week
after week during the not summer months
Its revival was oppCrtune. Possessing in a
greater degree than any other sO-Called war
play the true spirit Of patriotism. it just
seemed 10 hit the popular fancy. The OPP
pcrtunity for spectacular display is greater
In Shenandoah than in any play of It's
kind and this Mr., Lift has taken shrewd
advantage Of The battle scene showing
the awful retreat of the defeated Union
army, the Opportune arrival of Sheridan,
who dasheS on the stage al a terrific pace
the immediate rpOT3. OiZHfipu n the -
feated men. and finally the splendid war
pictures. all reproduced with startling
realism, excelling. it is said. all previous
pre- sensations in the same line of stage
work. The audiences grow wildly enthu-
siaStc, rising in their seats. waving hand
kerchiefs in the air and cheering Justify and
madly at the myriad of American flags
waved vigorously by every member of the
company at the fall of the curtain. The
company i beyond question the strongest
that has ever appeared in the play Maui
rice Barrymore, than whom there is no
better heroic actor in America, will play
the part Of the young Union colonel. ker-
chival West. and the beautiful and ac-
C0mpIShed Mary Hampton VIII play Ger
tTuGe El'Dgham- the southern girl. The
other members Of the company have been
selected with care There are 9D people
and - horses employed in the production.
There are cavalry. infantry and artillery,
q double fife ana drum corps. a full mill
tary band ana a series Of the most Stirring
war pictures ever seen on the stage.
COLUMBIA TfIEATER.-Lovers Of the
romantic drama viii welcome the an
roIucem- ut that that sterling old play
'''rhs Three Gu8rismen," Will be revived
in Washington next week. with new face
under the sIuuched hat of D'Artagnan.
The piece has not been seen here for sew
eral years and its presentation at this
time seems "pp1rtuEe. It will be produced
in an adequate manner at the Columbia
during the latter half Of Paul Gilmores
euGagem2 Mt. Mr.. Gilmore himself playing
the y'uuS Gasc0n. y much moOtcd point
nova days Is the present tendency Of the
drama Just row the advocates of the
romantic drama seem to have the best OF
X. and many of the foremost English
speaking actors have fOrsaken other lines
I'm which they have been successful and
are catering diligently to the popular de-
maHd- When that supremacy gifted young
Italian. Alexander Salvini. died untimely
a few years ago the theatrical world look
ed vainiy for his successor: and now be-
hold, even 50 soon, the contemporary
stage fairly swarming with his successors
who follow more or less creditably the
trail which he blazed in the domain of the
romantic play. Bearbohm Tree in England
S"jhern. Charles Coghlan, Hackett in this
country. all are UNFOLDING the standard
wcrthlly; and lastly comes a new aspirant
for hoEors in This fertile field who bids
fair 10 hold his own CALAMITY against all
Of