Evening star., 1899-03-07


the gallery occupants, that being ample
testimony of his ability. Miss Hope Ross,
the ''ingenue" Of the production, captivated
every one with her wfnsome ways. To be
Just to all would require the devotion of
considerable space to every other member
of the cast. 1t is sufficient to say that they
interpreted their respective parts intelli-
gently and with faithfulness in regard to
detail.
LAFAYETTE OPERA HOUSE.-Borrow-
ing the suggestion from vaudevillians, it
can be said that Mistakes Will Happen
when '"The Cuckoo" and "A Dog in the
Manger" are found in one place of amuse-
ment. The play with the first mentioned
title was on view for the initial time in
this city at the Lafayette last night and
soon 1T was seen to be companion piece
for the other two well remembered fail
ures. 1t is described as "a farcial study
in three acts, of which the first and last
are talky and tiresome and the second,
which contains some conventional comedy.
wearieS with its numerous repetitionS of
one humorous idea.
Summing up, it is a fair criticism to say
that the play is elementary in motive and
unoriginal in development; the cast is too
small and there are no distinct characteri-
ZatiOnS; there is too much dialogue and
too little action, except in act; and
it appeals even at its strongest only to
the order of Intellect to be found in the
cheap places of entertainment. On the
other hand. some of the audience last night
seemed to extract pleasure from the oc-
casional bright lines and intelligent acting
of several of the actors. 1t is hardly worth
while to detail the story except to say
that 1t concerns an author and a fair ac
tress whose marriage is kept a secret be-
cause managers are opposed to such al
hances, and the complications grow out of
their mutual efforts to secure production
of the young husbands play.
With the little they had to do, the actors
did remarkably well. Charles Dickson, as
the hero of the adventures. is pleasing and
evidently refrains from executing his de-
sire to burlesque the part. In less capable
hands the character Of Tom Genowin
would fall fiat. Henrietta Crosman is
piquant and handsome the gay Mrs.
Hunter-Chase. and Is gowned in the latest
fashionable mode. Edith Knight Mollison,
as the actress, is graceful and convincing
and indeed wins the whole favor of her
audience Adah Eckert as the landlady,
gives a natural and clever partraiture.
Carrie Behr does a German domestic very
well, indeed. The others, Charles Harbury,
Franklin Garland, Edmund Lawrence and
Ben Deane, are competent. The scenery is
good.
GRAND OPERA HOUSE-The manage
ment at the Grand Opera House presents
another very pleasing vaudeville program
this week. T. J. Farron, whose turn is
placed third on the program. opened the
ball last night with some sentimental
songs and some time-tried and fire-tested
Irish jokes, which seemed to have lost
none of their entertaining qualities on ac-
count of venerable age Mayne Gerhue
follows in dancing specially, which proved
very attractive to the audience. Next came
Walberti and his horse Dahl in what the
program terms a novel high-class trot
ting act 1t is certainly a novel sight a
good-siZed circus ring on the stage at the
Grand, and the horse deserves all that has
been said in his praise, but Mr. Walberti
presents nothing startling in the line of
bareback riding. The intelligence of his
horse, however, amply makes up for any
shortcomings on the part of his rider Miss
Helen Truesart, who is put down on the
bill as a singing comedienne, is really a
nrst-class rag-time dancer. Mr.. and Mrs
Sidney Drew give very entertaining
Are Won" These short dramatic sketches
nave proved an immensely popular part of
the programs under the new management
at the Grand, and that presented by the
DreWs takes high place among the best
of them. Maude Courtney has made her
self a great favorite in her spirited singing
OF songs which Were popular melodies
some years ago. 1t is safe to say that no
number ON this weeks bill affords so much
genuine pleasure TO the audience The La
vans, comedy acrobats, are all that their
announcement asserts of them They are
very amusing and their athletic feats are
OF the most difficult sort. Besides, the
male La-Van-he is not given a Christian
name on the bill-has croak which he
must have plucked out of the origina,
chorus IN the Frogs of Arstophanes" 1t
Is noVeI outside the harbor of Athens The
performance closes with the three Renos
the golf boys and Mysterious Doll
ACADEMY OF MUSIC.-If London Life"
is anything like the melodrama bearing the
title 1t is impossible to conceive how the
several million people of that rnetropolis
manage to exist. Or let it be hoped that
the dangers pursuing the hero and heroine
nrn
the English cousins are not so bad as
painted. London Life" was put on at the
Academy last night. 1t is a talky melo-
drana, lacking in that thrilling action
full of "Ha-has. So you defy me! Have a
carer and You threaten me! Look to
yourself, my pretty birdl' Not until the
last scene is there struggle of any kind
thick and fast Prettily staged and well
acted as it is, London Life" would be an
excellent melodrama If it were rewritten
and whipped into modern shape. At pres
ent 1t is but conglomeration of hackneyed
meIodramatic phrases, culed here and there
and thrown together. The story is anti
quated, dealing with the daughter perse-
cuted by a stepmother There is the
mothers sacrifice of her child, when to save
Its life she sends it to the father who has
turned her out of doors. All the stock aud
stereotyped situations and circumstances
are brought to play. The villainess believes
her paramour faithless. With what fine
Spanish passion she Kisses: Have a care.
stephen Granger. If find you are playing
me false for another woman, my revenge
viii be as strong as my passion is now, for
l love you and you are mine" 1t bores
stephen Granger. With Gillettean sang
froid he pushes her aside: ''Drucilla your
Spanish blood makes you unreasonable -
Heavy applause greets this. The heroine
gaunt and haggard, goes to her father,s
house to see her child. The stepmGther meets 8
her and says: "Fhe child has no mother
She believes you dead. I have taught her
So" "Ah my child my child. She believes
me dead?" Yes, Mrs. Maxwell. it is my
turn now and I bid you leave this house"
The villain is about to be foied bv Happy
Jack who is a dear, lovable fellow, al
ways getting the raw end of things, but a
hero of life's battles for all that. Says
HaDny: Hal 1t is my turn now, Stephen
Granger. You are PLAYING with marked
cards. but I hold the trumps. Through me
Gadvs and her child were separated
through me they shall be reunited" or
course. all ends well and Jack marries the
heroine. The people in the play are all
exceptionally clever from Augustus Cook,
as "Jack." who Is well-known in Wash
ineton. down to the drunken man. who
hasn't the dignity of name the pro-
gram. Lillian Lamson is the villainees and
a verv handsome one she is. too. The old
man could hardly he blamed for letting her
twist him around her finger. She won ap-
plause from those who appreciated clever
work and hisses from others whose facul-