The times., 1899-05-07


ing scenes OF the Bard's love story. Brief
iy. they prophcsy failure.
ANA. while these sccrs are debating the
question pro and con, " Is well to remark
that considerably over a year ago. ~hea
Miss Adams was as yet uncertain OF her
success In The Little Minister" and had
thought of nothing more important. The
Times published a brief resume OF her
work. in which the venture was made that
the Westerner would one day be consid-
cred among the best OF Juliets. That
opinion still exists. Miss Adams Is the
slight, girlish, naive, little woman who
would seem from her very looks to be best
fitted for the role of Shakespsare's four
teen-year-old heroine. She Is possessed OF
bright spcntaneity. of simplicity, and OF
perfect naturainess that should show to
extreme advantage in such bits of the
dialogue as that over the balcony More
over. Miss Adams is a scholarly and intel
ligent woman. who may be expected 10
give the blank verse. which cannot be ma lie
to sound anything but stilted no matter
how colloquialized. with grace and candor
that will rob it of much OF its old stiffness
and forbiddingness.
OF course, one cannot very well say as
yet what Miss Adams will be able to do
with the emotional portions of the tragedy
with the potion scene and with those fol-
IOMiHS- JCuu DfeW > tUIUlsT issulue WI
man is a bit light and childish for the pow
erful Incidents which bring Romeo and
Juliet" to an end. But il Miss Adams
proved excellent even in these she would
only be following the example of several
clever people-Viola Allen among them,
and Minnie Maddern and later Odette Tyler
who were deemed impossibly ingenious
until they established their more solid
abilities. Miss Adams has shown fervor
and intensity in many of her parts. and
there can be no good reason why she
should not duplicate that force in this.
Altogether. the coming production OF 'Ro-
meo and Juliet need not surprise any one.
Mr.. Faversham will probably be COM
monplace Romeo and Mr.. Hackett only a
fair Mercutio. but the best may confidently
be anticipated of Miss Adams.
When Frank Murray detached himself
from a bed OF pain at the Lambs Club to
come to Washington as the representative
of the Frawiey Company, everyone who
knew him looked for trouble. So absolute
was this expectation that many OF Mr..
Murray's friends we're trifie disappointed
when II was learned that none Of that COM
modify was concealed in the agents bag
gage. and still more so when a fortnight
passed by without signs OF rioting or other
difficulties Outside OF founding an Eleven
O'Clock Club. the courier had done nothing
extraordinary. Still those who were in the
confidence OF the gentleman refused to be
disconsolate and at last their reserve Is
understood. MIR. Murray's quiet was that
Of ''the calm before the storm and now
that he has given vent TO himself a most
threatening warfare has been precipitated.
This combat is a strife for striking un-
derlines for the everlasting three sheet,
and Just at present IL promises to be ex-
tremely bloody. The first shot was fred
three weeks ago. when II was noticed that
the paper which announced the changes N
bill made by the Frawiey company des.g-
mated the house that organization occupies
as Columbia, Washington's leading the
atre." Mr.. Murray was exceedingly proud
OF this literary effort and spent much time
in telling Messrs. Luckett and Dwyer how
ii would affect visitors to the city who
wished to see the great sights OF the Capt.
tai. Its most immediate effect however,
was upon the managers who employed no
such gifted author as Mr.. Murray and who
had not thought of a descriptive sentence
themselves. Most of these folk were con-
tent to merely turn up their noses, but
Messrs. Burke and Chase held a consulta-
tion and soon evolved two underlines. one
Of which announced that the Grand was
"Washington's favorite theatre" and the
other that the building was Washing
tons coolest theatre" Next the Bijou ad-
verified 'the only artistic show in town"
on the week in which Joseph Jefferson
opened here. Manager Painter has dubbed
the Lafayette the fire-proof theatre and
now there seems to be very little choice
left for Managers Herman or Rapley. The
first named of these might state that his
house was the wettest in the Capital and
the last might adopt the words. New Ma
tional-Washington' Oldest theatre" but
even these hardly rank with the ones that
have gone before. Meanwhile former
friends in local theatrical circles are los
ing respect for each other and there is a
possibility that troops may have to be call
ed out to quell the disturbance.
Harrison Grey Faske, who, as was ex-
clusively announced in The Times, passed
through this city a fortnight ago. seems
TO have been much reassured by his trip.
In the Mirror of April 30 he announces
that during a brief visit to Washington
and Baltimore last week | learned. with
considerable satisfaction. that not one of
the frothy and nasty farces which have
gone there this season has played a profit
able engagement" Mr.. Fiske is a careful
and conscientious man whose opinions are
generally valuable, but it is to be feared
that he has been deceived in the matter
of which he speaks. Desirable as such a
record would be it is not true that the
filthy productions which have come here
from New York have failed to do busi-
ness On the contrary. the mere announce
ment that an attraction to be seen locally
was indecent and unfit has been enough
to fill the theatre at which the aforesaid
attraction has appeared-even as such a
reputation has been found profitable in
Gotham.
The one farce which comes literally un-
der Mr. Fiske's heading and which has
visiting Washington during the year is
THE Turtle This vulgarity held the
boards at the Columbia directly after one
of the heaviest snowstorms of the winter
had made the streets impossible and the
auditoriums OF the various Place of amu5e-
ment open iccy. 1t had as an opposing
combination Maude Adams and The Little
Minister" and yet the house was crowded
nightly. Women seemed especially dssi-
rous OF seeing THE Turtle" and the matt
nees given we're well attended. The Con-
querors.'' which was more artistic than
dirty, and ''Zaza." which Mr.. Fiske's pa
per characterized as being more dirty
than artistic both did well here, while
1.-THE Tree of knowledge proSpered de-
spite adverse criticism. and the nauseating
Telephone Girl packed the National to
the doors.
Meanwhile the mere reputation of SEN
sationalism is sufficient to crowd the val
deville houses in Washington. and a local
manager. who has watched the field v5ry
closely, said the other day that if he cared
to make a fortune locally and did not care
how he made it, he would rent certain
theatre here. pave its floors and seat it
so that II could be washed out with hose
place the v:lest matter possible on its
stage and then turn the public loose to
wallow" This view OF the affair may
sound a trife radical. but it was not given
without reason. In the Capital. as else