Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-11-03
MUSIC

of such opposition as the electoral struggle
between Mckinley and Bryan. But the
elimination of the Sothern production from
the field of competition gave the other thea
tiers a share of patronage which they would
not otherwise have enjoyed, and made
showing in the box offices, which, consld-
ering the political excitement, was more
than creditable Manager Fred Berger was
very much in evidence with his Bachelor
Romance Company at the Columbia and
his stock company at the Lafayette. 1t Is
very unusual to see one theater advertise In
: the program of another. but the Lafayette
program this week has been liberal in ex-
toIling the merits of the Columbia's attrac-
ton The Columbia program did not re-
ciprocate. Mr.. Berger has, in addition to
his stock company and Tim Murphy,
number of organizations on the road In Sol
Smith Russel'S more successful pieces. IL
he continues to enlarge his interests, he
runs some risk of being stigmatized as
syndicate.
The inability of Sothern to appear was a
great disappointment. for the interest in
his Hamlet was sufficient to controvert the
theories that Shakespeare is unpopular, re-
CARELESS of the star who may undertake
the performance. Mr.. Sothern has popu-
lar following such as few actors can boast.
And, in addition to this, he has won pres
tige with the more booksh element of stage
patronage by his steadfast ambition and
his excursions into artistic heights which
were none the less commanding because
they at times induced a certain rarifica-
ton in the atmosphere of the box office.
Mr.. Sothern seems to be especially unfor-
tunate in getting his productions before
Washington audiences The postponement
of his engagement in The Sunken Bell
occurred only last season. 1t is hoped that
the National Theaters bookings can be
rearranged a to give theater-goers here
an opportunity of seeing him In Hamlet
before the season closes but 1t Will prob
ably not be before spring He is still CON
fined at the hospital in Baltimore. and has
Cancelled his engagement at the Montauk
Theater. Brooklyn. which was to have begun
next Monday Most of the members of his
company have returned to New York.
There is a vacancy in the corps of super
numeraries at the Lafayette Square. Few
greater destructive geniuses than one of
the extra young men have made their APP
pearance since a youth won fame by fir
ing the Ephesian dome The entire struc
ture of skillfully devised stage effects was
threatened by this ambitious player. who
finds his career temporarily interrupted
But. his blunders are attributed to stage
fright, there is hope for him. Stories of
great actors who went utterly to pieces at
their first appearances are common. Sol
Smith Russell once conffded to Joseph JEFF
ferson that he had never quite recovered
from the danger of stage fright. We'll
Mr.. Jefferson rejoined, you wouldn't be
an artist if you had"
The second weeks production by the
stock company again brought John T. Suili-
van and Blanche Bates forward as the re-
sponsible quantities in the company. Miss
Bates played, as Is her wont, with great
fervOr and little repose. Her ardent tenn
rapidly of utterance and to sacrifice the
effects which are often to be attained by a
simple pause. Mr.. Sullivan has had the
good fortune to be cast for parts which are
clGgely in accord with his professional tenn
permanent and experience. and he VIII have
to do something pretty bad to shake the
popularity in which he has established him
self. The scenes in which he and Miss
Bates are concerned show a finish and vigor
worthy of the best stock company perform
ances that Washington has seen.
One of the acts presented in vaudeville
| this week deserves consideration as a legit-
innate dramatic production. "A Stolen
kiss" as performed by Wright Huntington
! & Co., is delicate creation of comedy and
| sentiment which both regards ingenuity
of plot and cleVerness of dialogue is far
above the ordinary Sketch" Its interpre-
| tatioI. by Mr.. Huntington and his capable
! assistants is of character to enhance the
! refinement of the work, which both as to
authorship and performance, is model
| specimen of its kind.
| Tim Murphy was popular amateur en-
tertainer in Washington long before he be-
| came a professional In addition he was
and still is capital caricaturist. At the
| time of the New Orleans exhibition the
| patent Office compiled an exhaustive series
| OF drawings showing the progress of the
| various mechanical inventions. Murphy
was one of the freehand draugh tsmen
whose duty it was to add the human fig
| ures and other artistic details to the draw
! ings as they came from the hands of the
mechanical men. 1t was during the Blaine
| Cleveland campaign, and he took great de-
| light in putting the candidates to all sorts
| OF odd jobs. Blaine in shirt sleeves and a
| straw hat, would drive a reaping machine
and Cleveland, in wooden shoes and come
| dy trousers, worked a cheese press.
The authorities, of course, frowned upon
his work. and it was always. when detected
returned for correction More than one got
| past the censors, however, and appear in
| the exhibition screens in the corridors OF
| the model room. Had they all gotten
through the collection as a whole would
have been far more entertaining though
| not so dignified. During office hours when
| the foreman's back was turned, Tim would
| throw off the cares of duty and, mounting
| drawing table, deliver stump speeches
and give limitations of famous actors. tc
the intense delight OF his fellow workers
and outrage of discipline and good oroer.
| Mr.. Murphy's temperament is artistic
| He never knows where his collar buttons
are when he has a quick change of cos.
| tune, and in the excitement of gearing 6
| Eewly Numbered shirt, which he never doe:
| until the last minute, he is filed with the
conviction that it is a Boxer conspiracy OF
| the part of the laundryman to ruin him il
the eyes of the public About five minutes
before the overture he gets in his dressins
| room and the rush begins. He says hi
] likes it. The excitement brightens him up
| II he had to wait around before the play
| began he would go to sleep His appear
l ance as he makes his initial dressing room
| entrance from the street is strikingly CD
| posed to that of David Holmes a few min
| utes later. when he goes upon the stage
| 1t is a change from a rakish Wild Yves
sombiero, forid vest and light overcoat
with flowing drapery to the battered sill
tile. cotton umbrella and baggy trouser
of the recluse.
Although Mr.. Murphy is old enough t.
have a latch key. he Is like a dutifuI son
ever ready to hearken to the advice of hi
father. Mr.. Murphy pere always has ,
goodly store laid up for Tim when he come
to Washington, and administers it to hin
In allopathc doses between the acts. The,
are brotherly pair. Mr.. Murphy's siste
has been critically Ill during his Washing
ton engagement, and the actor has spen
most of his time when not on the stage q
her bedside. He has had a trying week