Evening star., 1900-05-01
ADJUSTMENTS.

NEW NATIONAL THEATER-There
was natural sense of agonism toward
The DegeneraRs," presented for the first
time In Washington at the New National
Theater last night. The title is glaring
effort to trade on word now recognized as
of the vocabulary which verges on the for
hidden. After the good people of Newark
n. J., had made such a demonstration as
to cause the company to cut the town from
its list, speculation arose as to what there
could be in the piece to raise such commo-
ton. There We're shrewd hints that the
acting of the chief parsonage in the cast
would be about the most reprehenSible fea-
ture of the performance. for Mrs Langtry
has never been regarded as anything more
than distinguished amateur. But the
chief objection is in the title. which any one
may read on the bill boards without trou-
bling himself to pass the portals of the
theater.- II is safe to assert that there was
not a really friendly auditor in the house
when the curtain went up. If there was at
the start some manufactured enthusiasm
this is intended merely an insinuation
and not a direct charge-it was no more
than fair. for some one had attended
with the obvious purpose of kissing the
play The house was icy during the first
act; out before the evening was over the
audience had unreservedly cast its opinion
into the balance on the side of applause.
After the second act il useless to at
tempt to hiss. After the third the applause
Iangtry, lucky gambler that she Is had
made another big winning.
She has equipped herself with some gowns
by Worth and a play by Sydney Grundy,
sailed forth for pecuniary conquest and
found success. 1t IS difficult to say which
has fitted her most skillfully-Worth or
Grundy- of the gowns, let those who have
learned the mystic vernacular of dry goods
assume to speak. Oh, for the fluency of a
floor walker in a department store to give
voice TO those rhapsodtes in siken tints
ana 1eWeied gleamings! Yet the milliner
was outdone by the playwright David Re-
lascos much-advertised achievement with
Leslie Carter was scarcely greater with
Grundys success in fitting the oft-derided
player with piece In which she seems sim
cere and sympathetic as well as beautifu1
The first act merely introduces the charac-
ters, and sorry lot they seem If morals
demand that morbid types and Illicit amours
De pdnsned from the stage, then let the
play be at once scratched from the list of
eligible entertainments. In palliation n
must be noted that the types are no more
morbid than are to be found in the Ibean
plays; that the intrigues are frustrated and
marriage arranged for the hero and
heroine, by which they may 1--we. il NOT
hdpplly' at least decorously ever after The
SOL, the roue, the debauche are all on exit
bl1on Yet in each the penalties and not
the Pleasures OF irregular life are made
conspicuous Into this environment Of So
ciSt4 talnt comes young girl, whose tnno-
cence exercises a purifying power and
clears the atmosphere as sunshine clears n
mist She Is sWeetly unconscious of her
own power for good, and by her nassive
presence wholly changes a condition which
meant domestic misery and social disgrace
10 those about her. Surely no melodrarnsa-
tist mas ever offered more beautiful or
convincing picture of virtue triumphant
Leaving the question of propriety In a
choice of theme to take care of itself and
considering it simply a literary work,
Mr.. Grundy's play must be unreserved!y ap-
proved for the force and simplicity of its
situation. the probability of its characters
and the ease and brilliancy of its language
Mrs. Langtry's work as an actress is dis.
tnciIy good; SO good. indeed, as to oblit-
eratc the impression which she has never
sought to change. that her celebrity has
been attained by her advertising off the
stage rather than by her work upon II
cred serious In her art her playing of Mrs
Trevelyan' would be accepted as @ most
promising achievement.
The company did not Impress favorably
at the outset. but improved on acouaIn-
tance. Frederick Kerr had perhaps the
most important position in the supporting
cast as the Duke of Orne, who, at the
conclusion of the play, SO adn,ires Mrs
Trevelyan's sacrifice in assuming the bur-
den OF 4 scandalous situation to save the
reputation Of foolish young WIFE that
ne marries her He played the part easily
and naturally Nowhere in the cast could
the fault OF over-acting be complained of
George Grossmith, tr., Is immensely clever
In low comedy way. although he has but
41ttIO " up- <fltcl inc l!uTu act there
We're numerous curtain recalls, and Mrs
l.angtry. with characteristic defiance of
conYentionality. responded to a demand for
speech. Il thank you." she said, for
your kindness to me. tho play and the COM
panE / am very much Obliged to you
1t was very pretty and simple and femi-
nine, and the incident could not fail to win
friends. Possibly there is a disposition to
be over charitable toward The Degener-
ates" because of tho fearful things 6eonle
had been led to expect But it has the
advantage of being written by a bratny
man Its topics, however distasteful they
| may De, are at least discussed with the
dictton of q scholar and not with the "a.
| baldry of the buffoon
Remembering the bad name which pre-