Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-09
AMUSEMEHTs.

7. D. Frawley powdered his hair. me1lowed
his voice to roman tic key, and played the
part Of the high-mindedl husband in The
Wife" That he played 1T we'll goes With
out saying, for he has the happy faculty
of measuring his own powers judiclously
and nothing that he has done has proved
disappointment. It is seldom that an
actors knowledge ofsstage values is so &C
CITRATE as to enables him to preserve his
own part In due proportion to the entire
scene. Mr.. Frawley, however, seeks to
make no more of character than the play
demands. His productions are remarkable
for their evenness. and his own work holds
the quality of unaffected sincerity which is
so convincing when 1t is undertaken by the
right actor. The play has an old-fashioned
quality which the audience at the Columbia
Theater last night found highly agreeable
1t was in the characteristic Belasco and
De Mile vein with domesticity in high life
as the theme and confession by fire.
light In the third act as the chief episode
The Wife provides good opportunities
for a number of players. Those often tire
some people. the young man and the young
woman who spoon promiscuously about the
stage. were imDersonated by Mr.. Alfred
Hickman and Miss Georgia Welles with
dash and gracefulness. which made them
welcome figures whenever events called
them to the stage. They preserved the
sprightliness expected in such characters
without the mawkishness which so fire.
Quently Jars on the nerves of less impress
sicnable spectators. Miss Welles is as I'M
affectedly graceful could be, and Mr..
Hickman pursued the methods which he
has recently adopted methods which make
him seem less statuesQue, more human and
altogether more interesting. Few actors
have shown such improvement In the same
space of time as Mr. Hickman has during
the engagement of the. Frawley Company.
Mr.. Godfrey Stein had thoroughly con-
genial character part and acquitted him
self with the skill which has given him an
enviable reputation among Washington
theater-g oers. Mr.. Stein has few superiors
In his especial line. and his performance
last night was one Of the bright bits of the
production. Mr.. Charles w. King was also
liberal contributor to the comedy ill.,
tereSt.
Mr.. Harrington Reynolds was the hand
some man of the occasion. He is an actor
OF obvious experience and discretion. easy
in gesture and with the air of good breed
ing and the faculty of wearing good clothes
which go to make up that rare bird, the
stage drawing-room hero Miss Mary Van
Buren played the part of the woman whom
disappointed love has moved to vengeance,
and played it admirably. Miss Selene John
son was good as the heroine in tears. Mr..
Frank Matthew plucked victory from the
jaws of defeat He was the villain. The
part was one Of great responsibility and
the explanation made by Mr.. Frawley at
the close of the third act. to the effect that
he had taken the part at the eleventh hour
In an emergency, was a matter of simple
Justice to the actor and to the audience.
Despite his pafpable lack of study and con-
sequent nervousness, he pulled himself to-
Sether before the conclusion of the play in
manner which won him a rousng round
of applause, The incident was calculated
to impress the general excellence of the
company, for there We're times when the
scenes depended largely upon him. and with
a less thoroughly able corps of players his
lack OF familiarity might easily have pre-
clpitated panic. But no such thing occur
red. and what Threatened to be
lzlng influence turned out to be a renewed
assurance that the organization is to be
depended upon by its public whether con-
ditlons be adverse OF favorable.
The play is of the class which exhibits A
company to advantage. both as to it's re-
sources for comedy and serious acting and
the company is splendidly equipped to take
full advantage of these opportunities.
NATIONAL THEATER.-Mr Wilton
Lackayes Charles O'Malley'' furnished
entertainment and interest to a good-sized
audience at the National Theater last
night, Which showed many expressions of
appreciation of the companys efforts The
play, which was originally produced in this
city a year ago. is an interesting story
with some strong and exciting situations
Its characters are well drawn and its dja-
logue bright and Outlines witty. Mr.. Lack
aye himself makes d winning Irish lad, and
there is contagion III his smile and good
humor. By following Lever the dramatist
has put some witty passages into the play
and branching off upon his own account
mas added some meiodramatic touches
which are in strong contrast to the roIlick-
ing hghtness of the Irish scenes. Thus Mr.
Lackaye is put to rather severe test in
exploiting the lights and shadows of char
acter which fall to his part, but he does
the work in an exceedingly graceful and
effective manner. He was called before the
curtain at the end of each act, and after
one act was compelled to make a speech to
his admirers who had assembled to give
him welcome to the place of his birth
In the last act there is duel scene of a
SURFING nature which brings the play to
an interesting climax. O'Malley has
been the victim of a plot by a brother Off
Ger, through which he is likely to lose
sweetheart, honor and life. AS a last straw
he has an opportunity to fight duel with
the plotter, his sweetheart as stake They
are alone together in a room and then ii
transpires that this is but another trick
of the schemer. Upon pretense of comparing
lengths, he obtains O'Malleys sword and
breaks 1t in two, after which he calmly
announces his intention of killing his an
tagonist without further ado. A desperate
struggle follows, in which chairs and tables
are overturned, the young dragoon making
brave fight for his life and finally snatch
ing a sword from a suit of armor in the
corner, he kills the plotter after an exciting
passage at arms.
The play is well staged and the company
includes several persons of good ability.
The cast Is as follows: Gen. Sir Terrence
the English army, Mr.. Joseph Whit
ing; Col. Sir George Eastwood of
the 9th Dragons, Mr.. J. Palmer Collins,
Maj Monsoon of the Sd Foot, Mr. Jnsnrb
keefe; Capt, Charles Hammersley Of the
lst Life Guards Mr.. Joseph Kilgour; Capt
Power of the 9th Dragons. Mr. Menifee
tombstone; Lieut.. Charles O'Mallev of the
Irish Dragons, Mr. Wilton Lackaye; Lieut.,
Sparks of the list Dragons Mr.. Arthur
Maitland; Lieut. Scott of the 10th Hussars
Mr.. d. M. Lumsden; Lieut. Durant of the
10th Hussars, Mr.. A. J. Lyman; "Count''
Sonsidine. famous Irish duelist, Mr..
Claude Gillingwater; Mickey Free. O'MaI-
ley's servant, Mr.. Matthew Ballard: Iucv
Eastwood, the colonePs daughter, Miss
Agnes Rose Lane; Mrs. Blake, the generals
wife. Miss Olive May; Dora Power the
captains sister, Miss Alice Evans: Judy
Mccain, a mystery, Miss Madge Duffea.
ACADEMY OF MCS1C.-Willfams and
Walker in "a Lucky Coon" Were the at
traction at the Academy of Music last
night and, of course, the fun was fast