Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-28
EASEMENTS.

NEW NATIONAL THEATER.-'"The
Cuckoo is, as its enterprising promoters
have assured the public, a merry bird. 1t
IS also a wiser bird than many persons
have been disposed to credit it with being.
The French farce has been so conspicuous
~ before the public that II has become
legitimate and proper subject for satire.
In order to thus utilize It, it was necessary
to meet the French farce on Its own
ground. and introduce the same characters
which have aroused so much objection.
Mr.. Joseph Holland plays the part OF the
wicked person who is lying in walt to
wreck a home. The character is amusing
because of its coId-blOOded contrast to the
ordinary castles-in-Spain wo0er. The ro-
nance Of an elOpement IS analyze and re-
solved into its garish and commonplace
elements. The man who runs on with a
friends wife while the friend Is trying to
run away with another mans wife Is mat
ter Of fact and human, and at the same
time amiable and engaging. If The
Cuckoo" depended on its satirical quality
for its popularity 1t would appeal to but
few. The rather trite complications upon
which the comedy is based are worked out
with ingenuity and result in numerous
hearty laughs. The last act is especially
hilarious, the unraveling of the Complica-
lions being skillfully managed as to be
interesting and dlverting until the drop of
the curtain Mr.. Clayton White is edi
ton de luxe of the conventional farce hus
band who insists on tying a bandage over
his own eyes while he Is being deceived.
Mr.. White was a slight disappointment in
the first act. owing to his hurried and
slightly 1ndistinct utterance, but in the last
act his work was excellent. Miss Amelia
Bingham played the part Of the wife who
is compromised, and who can admire the
bold bad friend immensely so long as he
wears his evening clothes and looks hand
some. Miss Bingham is a lady OF artistic
ability and personal attractions. Her
work IN THE Cuckoo" places an important
item TO her credit in an account of the sea-
sons successes. Charles BOwser's part illus
trated the democracy of life as il is shown
in farces He made the role Of servant far
more entertaining than some of his social
superiors, including representatives of the
nobility itself.
The Cuckoo unquestionably treads upon
| delicate ground and calls for much philO-
| sophie liberation when II claims approval as
| a satire. Its lines are above the average
| of composition In this field. 1t IS too much
! 70 ask author to be epigrammatc If he
| is simply grammatic he Is achieving much
Properly cOmprehended THE Cuckoo" is
| something of an antidote for the doses Of
| French farce which the public has been
| getting, although IT IS pretty strong medi-
! cine Regarded from any point of view It
should he welcomed the last of very
| extraordinary flock.
| LAFAYETTE SQUARE OPERAHOUSE.
Arizona" by Augustus Thomas, was
given It's first presentation to a Washing
| Square Opera House. There was large
! and representative audience present, and
| the reception accorded the play was pro-
| nounCed in It's cordially. There was gen
| erous applause at the good things all
| through the four acts of the play, and a
| curtain call at tho end of each act. There
| was abundant evidence that ARIZONA will
| prove financial success in Washington,
| as well as scoring a success in an artistic
| point of view.
| As its name indicates the scene of "Ari-
| iona" IS laid IN the far western territory
of that name. Mr.. Thomas in his lines,
| and those who assisted him in the scenic
! presentation, have succeeded admirably In
| infusing what is termed atmosphere in
| the production. One IS transported easily
| and naturally to the environment of the
adobe hacienda of the Cattle King nesting
| way up In the foothills Of the mountains
| where cowboys, in picturesque costumes
and with the inevitable six shooter lounge
| about in that thoroughly careless way that
| gives the air of breezy independence to this
peculiar product of the plains. Then there
Is the frontier military post, In which Mr.
| Thomas has again been successful in catch.
ing the true spirit OF the American soldier
| and a good picture Of his life on the west.
| ern plains. The plot OF the play is con.
| structed on the love affair of three or foul
| persons eliminating IN a tragedy in the
| third act, whereby the villain loses his life
| Col. Bonham of the 18th United States
| Cavalry has married the attractive daugh
ter of Henry Candy, wealthy ranch own
! The wife Is younger than he by severa
| years, and sometimes pines TO see some
thing of that eastern civilization of which
she has only heard through the CLOWNS
accounts of Captain Hodgman. a dissatis
fled INSCRIPTIONS army officer. who take!
every possible opportunity TO encourag,
| the young wife's unrest and dissatisfa ctio1
| with her lot This finally eliminates II
| their determining TO elope. Their scheme
| Is frustrated by a young lieutenant VIII
| manages to fall under the suspicious O
| the colonel instead of the real villain Thi
officer. Lieutenant Denton, is found in tn
| boudoir of the COloners wife under sucl
| circumstances as TO lead to his arrest OF
n charge of theft. At the colonels man
| date he resigns his commission In the arm,
and seeks employment on Canby's ranch
where he succeeds in winning the unstinte,
admiration of the old Cattle King and tn
love of his younger daughter. Then come
on the Spanish-American war and tn
young lieutenant decides to go out at tn
call of his country for troops. Again Colo
mel Bonham, his wife, Captain Hodgman
in fact, all the principals. are gathered u
at Canby's ranch. Lieutenant Denton /
still under the jealous suspicion of his for
mer colonel The atmosphere at III
ranch becomes more and more hazy 70
Hodgman- He has a heated altercatio
with Lieutenant Denton, in which severa
shots are fired by those in the scene an
Hodgrnan falls fatally wounded. Denton