Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-06

VIII witness the return to the STYLE of nIav
III Which TINS excellent organization has
won greatest favor up to date. Not that
II GOES not play farce in exceptional styIe
but local thedtcr-gOers have had rather a
surfc!t of farce during the past five sum
hltfS, whereas the field of high-class com
coy IS one IN which the Frawley Company
mas Aad no rivals. The Charity Bau' and
Ala haTna' have been the most rnnu'ar
h.is OF the season SO far, and Mr. FrawIey
Is preparing to follow up this expressed
preference OF the Washington public with
an elaborate production next week of .Tba
vie ms IS another of Belaso and De
Mile famous New York I.yce1Im success
es' DelhS probably the most universally
popular of their collaborations While a.
ways 4 faForite in Washington becansa
the principal scenes are laid here while
most OF the characters are types familiar
to the capital city, The Wife" hac MOI
beeh seen mere in number of seasons and
never in stock 1t is one of those clever
combinations of light comedy and dramatic
interest which these talented playwrights
khe" 50 well how to make and vhiie II
thoroughly amuses an audience If sends
al away with a sense of having seen snroa-
thlng worth while. Although NOT in the
,sase pfeachy. 1t conveys a wholesome
moral, together with some deligbtfu1
glmpses of human nature The charscters
are AL clearly drawn and are character
IsIIc tmerlcan types from first to last
Even the VILLAIN is a not impossible ner-
son. whose style of intrigue is only TOO
common, while the hero is a man through
out, and the comedy characters are 6eIigbt
iul io1h, whose fun is natural and NOT In
me least oVerdrawn The story of the NAV
Is so well known that a recapitulation ~
me characters viii be sufficient to recall If
Johh Rutherford middle-aged gentleman
lhdffieS Heien Truman, daughter of a Wall
street opera tor, unmindful. of the fact tbat
She mas been previously engaged to Robert
Gray, rising young lawyer Indeed. there
Is a suspicion that Helen accepted him in a
spirit OF pique, after having quarreled with
rDTf1nN cd TO W.
lnston one Mathew Culver in the prosecu-
ton OF his political opposition to Rutber
I9ro, seeks to wound him by connecting
the name of his wife with that of GRAY
Although Rutherford protects his wife from
scandal, this revelation breeds GOODNESS
between them, and 1t is not until husband
INV ana Wiie discover how much they have
learned to love each other since their mar
rage that a reconciliation takes place
This is the serious side of the story. while
me me, comedy elements are supplied by the
pnhanthropic Widow Ives and her daughter
KITTY, who are courted. respectively b.
the gallant Major Homer O. Putnam ana
the lmpetuous young collegian. Jack Dex-
ter This quartet of comedy characters
will be admirably interpreted by Mrs F
NJ. Bates as the widow, Georgia WelIes as
her daughter, Charles w King as the
MAJOR and Alfred Hickman as Jack 4
Daniel Frawley will play the princinaI role
OF rutherford, with Selene johnson as his
Wlie, while a new member of the company
harrington Reynolds, will appear for the
nrst time IN Washington as Robert GRAY
Myron Calico will have the heavy role If
Mathew Culver. while Mary Van Buren,
VIII be the Jealous Creole, Lucille Ferrant.
| Geonrey Stein, George CASTOR. Ada Je.
! wick and Corinne Parker will complete a
| very promising cast. The costumes and
scenic settings are no small features of the
/ production, which will be duly attended 70
| The last performance of "All the Comforts
| of Home" takes place tonight at the Co
iumola. 1t is laughing bill and has been
| doing well. w.
| WILLIAMS AND WALKER-"The Two
Real Coons" stand today the Leading team