Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-17
AMUsEMENTs.

Mr.. James A. Herne's latest production,
REV. Griffith Davenport" is more a hope
of things to be than an immediate triumph.
That its form last night was not that in
which 1t will be finally estimated was shown
by the fact that the performance ran till
almost midnight. There is a redundancy
of material which last night refused to
fully resolve itself into an artistic whole.
Mr.. Hernes work, both as an actor and as
stage director, is notable for its fine at
tention to detail, it's close valuation of tri-
fies in producing effects. His superiority in
this phase of theatric endeavor has ac-
companying disadvantage. He necessarily
concentrates his attention on each scene
as an Independent quantity and loses sight
Of the complex relationships which arise
among the characters of any play which
makes pretense to plot. The play deals
with events Immediately preceding and dur
ing the late civil war. When topic is of
such vital interest as that handled in Miss
Helen H. Gardeners novel, from which Mr..
Herne takes his piece, the mind will not be
content with series of character sketches
whose close seems to occur at the bidding
of the clock rather than because of the
artistic prophecies.
The production is, pictorially. delight.
Home life in Virginia before the war is de-
picted with the sympathy of the student
and the delicate diScernment of the artist.
1t is when Mr.. Herne is unfolding a pam
Drama of daily event and gliding the COM
monplaces of life with poetic interest that
he is most admirable. The c.-sh of affec-
ton and patriotic principle between father
and mother and between brother and
brother forms stirring suggestion of pos
sible stage events and when this is COM
bined with slavery complications it is not
surprising that the piece tumbles into melo-
drama now and then. The "atmosphere"
is very rudely disturbed in several in
stances, notably by the hideous suicide of
a slave who cuts his throat rather than
do kind of work he dislikes, and by the
presence of a maniacal woman who fits
into a hospital scene like a very obtrusive
specter. The play starts like Uncle Toms
Cabin mellows into a Shore Acres" mood
and finishes at a SHENANDOAH or Held
by the Enemy pace. The characters are
beautifully drawn, and the players in nu-
merous instances are notably excellent
The gentle amiability of the Rev. Griffith
Davenport was depicted with the skill
which only Mr.. Herne can bring to bear in
delineating such roles. And throughout
the caSt-a cast so large that only the most
skillful stage management prevents it's be-
coming unWieldy-are to be noted splendid
bits of portraiture. The people all seem
real, and in order to follow out to a con-
clusion all the lines of interest which their
Introduction opens. Mr.. Herne would have
to make his play at least a week long and
present it Chinese fashion. Miss Helen
Hunt Gardener the authoress, Joined Mr.
Herne on the stage after the last act, when
tomary speech. Both very gracefully ac
knowledged the enthusiastic kindness
which the audience had manifested.
COLUMBIA THEATER.-The popularity
of the French Maid Company was tested
again in Washington last night and stood
the test favorably. The Columbia Theater
held large audience and an appreciative
one to welcome the return to the city of
this spnghtly troupe after an absence of
but three of four weeks. 1t is certainly a
great compliment to a company to receive
such an ovation upon second visit as the
French Maid people were given last ght.
After all, the demonstration of the audi
ence was n tribute to the skill and ability
of the actors and not to the play itself.
which is but a rather fragile thread upon
which to string a number of entertaining
specialties, affording opportunity for the
display of vaudeville talent possessed by
those taking part in it.
The performance is bright and lively, pre-
senting a number of pretty girls. catchy
music and songs, some skirt dancing,
wee bit of high kicking and plenty of COM
edy, boisterous only in spots, and the spots
not extensively numerous. One must be
something of a prude to find anything OBJ
jectionable in the performance, and must
be of melancholy turn of mind, indeed,
II not caused to laugh by the drolleries OF
some of the actors.
The French Maid impersonated by Ida
lene Cotton. is vivacious character, as
might be expected, and the young lady does
good work in the role heretofore taken by
Marguerite Sylvia, Ollie Redpath and Anna
Held. The best male comedy parts are car
ried by Mr. Charles H. Bigalow, as a waiter;
Mr.. Hallen Mostyn, a sailor; Edouard
Jose, as a gendarme, and George Honey, as
the French hotel keeper. Mr.. Bigelow real
ly furnishes a large proportion of the life
of the play, and is excruciatngly funny
throughout. Mr.. Mostyn puts a touch of
real talent in his impersonation of the
sailor and Mr. Honey seems to live rather
than act the Frenchman.
Miss Anna Held, although not taking the
title role, as she did during her last visit
here, is still lin it, to large extent, and
does turn in the last act In her charac-
teristc and inimitable way, singing the old
sCrgs and displaying some new jewels. She
also sang couple of new songs, which took
immensely.
Those who took part in the choruses and
dances deserve word of praise for con-
scientious work. They were Misses Valeria
Douglas, May Toriani, Florence Pemberton,
Isabelle Demar, Helen Welch, Lillian De
Crosse, Wilma Gilmore Mabel McKenna,
Maria Peterman, Jessie Nelson, Bessie
Montgomery, Louise Hope, Belle Lovejoy
Mabel Harte, Maud West and Herr Au-
gustus Sohlke, grotesque dancer.
NEW NATIONAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Hoyt can generally be depended upon to
put up a good show, and when one paws to
see his offerings that one will come pretty
near getting his moneys worth. Such is
the case with the latest Hoytian effort to
be seen in this city, and which began a
weeks run of fun and riotous pleasure at
the New National last night. While pos
sessed of no more plot than the light opera
of the period. the scheme of working In
clever vaudeville acts is SO well woven as
to keep up just enough interest to make
the performance agreeable. Hoyt's char
acters are generally well drawn and the
genius he displays in naming them has be-
come one of the bright features of the
stage of today. In "A Day and a Night in
New York" which was produced for the
first time in Washington last night before
an audience that showed its appreciation in
unmistakable outbursts of applause and
laughter, he gives his gay old commodore
the brave cognomen Lyon Hart" The
commodore's son, who has been brought I'D
in the church, but who has his pater' s
sporting blood gushing in his veins blood
which bursts forth into complete mastery
before the play is over, has the frigid title.
Marble Hart" The old seadog's wife is
called 'Fuchsia," and al the bottom of the
program IS a diagram of the joke: 1.-The
| fuchsia,' 1t says, lis flower called by
| some people bleeding heart" So much for
| the different styles of Hart. around whom
| the action centers. The other characters
! have appropriate and amusing names to go
| by. The first act of the play is a stage ''in
| full operation one might say Here sets
| the manager and his trOupe who resort m