Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-02
AMUsEMENTs.

NEW NAI1oNAL If1EAl
ney of the Wells is a wonderfully inde-
pendent bit Of writing and play pro-
duction. 1t Is p charming series OF pictures
and the curtain Is lifted from the mysteries
of the theater of years ago with a candor
and a wealth of knowledge such as would
be possible only in the case of some such
student Of his material as Mr.. A. w. Pine
TO. The performance opens with numerous
promises of excellence. These promises are
not all fulfilled, but such as are kept are
realized with such completeness and art
istic force that the production becomes not
merely meritorious, but memorable.
The story is of Rose Trelawney, a favorite
actress, who marrfes a young man out OF
her sphere of life, offends his family by her
manners and returns to the stage to find
that love has left her nature untitled for
the shallow, insincere approximations upon
which her success and her subsistence de-
pend. Its telling pays small heed to the
demands of the gallery for situation and
climax, and even the ordinary concessions
to a general audience in the way OF rapid
action are made in rather grudgtng man
ner. The author handles his characters in
his own way, seeming content to make
them mastery pictures of human nature
and letting the mechanism Of plot largely
take care of itself. The simplicity of the
theme promised classic, but the treat
ment, delicate and beautiful as 1t is for the
most part, fails to establish the complete
symmetry of events and characters needful
for an enduring masterpiece. The charac-
tiers were interesting and charming but
they were individuaiities whose relation
ship to the story We're only incidental The
episodes were life-like and full of pathos or
fine humor, but they asserted themselves
as distinct happenings rather than as por-
lions OF a harmonious whole. 1t cannot be
gainsayed that the probabilities of life have
been intelligently portrayed, but too many
Of the probabilities of life are sadly COM
monpace and difficult to reconcile to an
atmosphere Of poetry
There is no display type nor place Of dis
tinction in the cast of characters. Every
one of the people is study in personality.
The influence of a veritable Charles Dick
ems seems to manifest itself in the presen-
tation of the types Of humanity in Tire
lawney of the Wells" There are many
touches of caricature, but they are dis
creetly bestowed and serve to vitaliZe with
out degrading. They were the kind of
characters which lnger in the conscious
ness like old friends 1t is not easy to for
get the impulsive little blonde soubrette so
the jealous heavy man, with his cynical
and dersive ''Ha!' as impersonated by
William Courtleigh; the trick-mulish low
comedian, by Charles Butler; the self-as-
sertive green grocer, by Mr.. John Findlay;
the vivacious leading lady, by Hilda Spong,
nor the old-timers, by George C. Boniface
and Mrs. Charles Walcot. 1t is the hold
which these people take upon the attention
of the auditor which makes the last act of
the piece shock instead of satisfac-
tory conclusion.
They have become lovable in spite of their
Saucher1eS, and the auditor Is asked to turn
his back upon them and be content in the
assurance that the gentle Rose Trelawney |
SO winsomely acted by Miss Mary Manner
ing Is to be happy ever after. They are ex-
pected to be glad in the fortunes of the
young playwright, Tom Wrench, CNr
Grant StewarD, who is about to establish a
new school of the drama which will leave
ms old associates without even the meager
Joys which they had so bravely been trying
to make the most of. And all this to recon-
Gle conditions to the feelings of Vice Cham
cellor Sir William Cover, KIT Roses
lather-ln-la law, whose symptoms of genial
1ty are nlpped in the bud just when they
should most generously expand Mr.
Charles Walcot played the vice-chancellor
very ably.
Mr. Pinero cannot be accused of having
SHOWN what would not in all probability
occur in real life. He has lived I'D to the !
proposition which his playwright enun- |
clates IN the first act; he has discarded
sounding artificialities of diction and man
ner and caused his people to talk and act |
like real men and women
But Trelawney of the Wells" does not |
demonstrate that this method whatever
may be Its status on the always debatabIe |
ground OF high art, is the proper Way to |
send an audience home happy 1t is to he |
hoped that the public who listened to Tom
Nrench's epoch making play did not miss |
Gnu sSiHpdthlZe with the old favortes |
Whom his ideals displayed as did the an |
dience at the National Theater last night |
Inc happiness of Rose Trelawney and her |
lover and the success of the struggling and |
deserving author Gid not wholly common
safe Tor the realization that their triumnh |
doomed old associates to wander welcome
leSs thereafter among managerial haunts |
curtain calls We're frequent last night |
w ME the sympathes might not be wholly
satisfied, there could be no lack of anne
cation for the delicate sentiment and the |
skllltul portraiture which make the nro-
duction unique. H |
COLI MBIA THEATER-Chock full of |
irresistible fun is ''All the Comforts of |
home at the Columbia This is the latest |
offering of the FraWley companv ana IL |
last nights pleased audience NAV no taken |
as criterion it will prove one Of the most |
popular. If ever farce was lively and FIJI |
u actlon mat farce is on at the Columbia |
never for a moment is the interest allowed |
TO lag. With a rush, slap, bang the NAV
goes merrily on. Odd and comical charac- |
ters are introduced IN abundance and there
Is Is, every variety OF fun and complication. |
through four acts of utter but entertaining
nonsense the audience is carried on a laugh |
ing Journey There are queer doings on the |
stage, something new and unexpected bob |
ping up every minute From the rise of the |
curtain in the first act the fun begins One
by one the characters are introduced each |
entrance being marked with much hilaritv
All the Comforts of Home" is q farce in |
every line, in every action. The plot is as |
thln as tissue, but no one cares for that |
The characters are impossible, but they are |
amusing. The scenes are likewise out Of |
the ordinary, but they are diverting and lift !
one out of the everyday hum-drum affairs
of life Appealing to the risibilities of the |
people, the farce is q decided success Last |
night the audience was the largest of the |
past two weeks The evening was most en- |
Joyable. A farce is intended to make one |
forget troubles and everything else The |
stage folks keep the audience busy with |
their play-trcubles in "All the Comforts of |
Home, and interest is maintained in WON
larnlHrlt q 6 q hat IriQ lna,