Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-20
ADJUSTMENTS.

NEW NATIONAL Observation-Disclosures
Frietchie. presented by Mr.. Charles Froh-
man and chaperoned by Mr.. Clyde Fitch,
was center of admiration at the New Ma
tional Theater last night. Miss Frietchie is
so sweet young woman that there need be
no cayilling about her antecedents: no
question whether she is of the Frietchies
who were related to the Longfellows or the
Frederick town Frietchies. AS a matter Of
fact there is a strong suspicion that the
lady belongs to the literary new-rich, and
has adopted name to which she has no
right by pedigree, and associated with her.
self certain family stories Just as people
buy pictures to hang up In their fresh
plastered ancestral portrait galleries Mr.
Fitch Is an incorrigible vandal. Neither
poetry, history nor fiction are sacred to
him. His achievement in pushing this dear
old Union lady off her pedestal is surpassed
only by his success in destroying the last
vestige Of reputation to which "Sapho"
might have wished to cling as a work of
art, If not of morals. The selection of I'll
ties which invite conservative attention and
intellectual respect and then exploiting goods
which have little or nothing to do with the
titles has become a great and growing in
dustry. But as Miss Marlowe saws in the
scene where she quotes Shakespeare land it
Is no dlsreSpect to Mr.. Fitch to remark that
this Is one of the best scenes in the play)
a rose by any other name would smell as
sweet! The brave girl whom Miss Julia
lIilptISO!ldlcS SO SWeetlN is none
the less to be loved because she bears a
name which excites suspicion and invites to
controversy.
The character does not command Miss
Marlowe'S highest talents, but 1t presents
her in one of the most attractive phases
of her personality And as the crowd goes
out there are echoed from feminine lips,
whose dictum on matters of heart-interest
1t would be treason to dispute. such COM
ments as, Wasn't it beautiful 1T was
perfectly lovely.' and kindred criticisms
whose spontaneity leaves no possible doubt
as to their candor. The first applause fell
the evenings ceremonies by playing
Dixie. The curtain arose on a street
scene In Frederick; an ingenious scenic
ccntrivance and a pretty reminder OF
the part which the front steps play
in the social scheme of youth. A wonder
full lamp inside the house threw light from
any desired portion of the stage whenever
the front door was opened, and permitted
the audience to gaze on Julia Marlowe in
old-fashioned garb with a red rose in her
hair; charming enough to defy the laws of
optics as well as the traditions of literature.
There are two stirring incidents in the
play; one in which Barbara wings the sharp
shooter who is about to kill her betrothed
and the other in which she is shot by d
jealous neighbor boy; a youngster who
drifted into the plot rather unceremonious-
ly and who like all intruders made no end
of trouble.
The death of Barbara's lover. admirably
played by ]. H. Gilmore; the subsequent
assassination of Barbara herself as she
shook the Union flag in the face of Jack
sons soldiers, and the necessity under
which the aSsaSsin's father found himself
Of condemning his own son to death by or
ders from Jackson, all combined to give a
tinge OF melancholy to an occasion which
at first promised to be cheerful II not hi
larious. The troubles of the play seem to
come all at once. some of them like thun-
der claps from clear sky The sympa-
| thetic auditor will not see why the play
| producers, who had taken everything in
| their own hands, should have insisted in
| killing the lover and then following with
| the slaughter of Barbara herself, imme-
| diately after everything had been SO
cheerful and promising. 1t seems almost
| like case for the grand jury. The play IS
likely to cause doubt whether 1t is a
| strangely serious comedy or an exceedingly
| frivolous tragedy.
The piece was finely presented. the at
| tention to detail being close and the pic
| turesque characters well realized. Miss
| Marlowe was greeted with the approval
| which always awaits her, and applause was
| distributed through the various scenes In
| such manner as to prove the general eff
| cheney of the cast The audience filed the
| theater and was unanimous in its approya
| of the star and in its sympathy with the
| heroine she portrayed. The piece was a
| constant and delightful pictorial revelation
\ concerning times and people who are nea,
/ enough to be understood and yet far enough
away to be interesting.
| COLUMBIA THEATER-A keen interas,
| always attaches TO the launching of q
| theatrical star, of whatever magnitude
| Last night. at the Columbia, this tnteres
| was divided between Miss Mildred HOLLAND
| and the medium in which she has chosen
to make her first stellar appearance i