Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-24


E. H. Sothern 10 appear in what promised
to be a beautiful production of THE Sunken
Bell" Mr.. Sothern's decline in health
makes an important addition to the for
midable sick list of the present season.
His indisposition is thought to be only
temporary. The avowedly frivolous forms
of entertainment held full sway. 1t was
week of fluffy skirts, volatile humor and
epheneral melody. The Man in the Moon
goes out of existence tonight in a blaze
of glory. There seemed to be q determining
ton on The part of the management 10
get as many people on the stage as there
were in the auditorium. The result was
that every corner of the house was crowd
ed. The big show gave satisfaction, and
there seems to be no reason for its closing
beyond the fact that it Is obviously so cost
ly production that what would ordinarily
be good business is. in it's case. insufficient
to pay current expenses. Most of the
principal members of the company go d.
rectly into rehearsal for the new Casino
piece, "a Casino Girl
Three Little Lambs proved to be a
genuinely clever affair, rather more subtle
than the ordinary production Of its class
1t had not been receiving much encour-
agement until 1t came to Washington, but
1t had good audiences through the week.
And for those who weary of satire, g1ddy
dances and songs about nothing in particu-
lar there was plain. old-fashioned melo-
drama in Devils Island" which seems TO
be about all that is left to keep the Ameri-
can public reminded Of Captain Dreyfus.
The billboard blazonry outside the Grand
Opera House this week proclaimed new
entries in the lists of polite vaudeville. The
program offered under the management of
the D. A. r. was a difficult one to describe.
Precedents fail. Years ago there was
coarse, ordinary variety show known as
THE Adamless Eden'-but that was an as
semblage of ladies whose diamonds were
paste and whose toilettes had been econom-
ically purchased from costumers at space
rates. 1t would be gratuitous offense,
both to the organization which held the
boards and to the polite traditions which
the New Grand has effectually estab-
lished to neglect warning that such COM
parsons do not hold
Perhaps a more appropriate prototype is
to be found in the old play MAN zelle,
which many years ago made tour of this
country with the dashing soubrette All
NEE in the principal role. In that piece
the scene was laid in theater, and mem
bers Of the company were distributed
through all parts of the house. When their
cues came. they arose wherever the stage
manager had stationed them and deliver ed
their lines from private boxes, orchestra
chairs or dress circle, as the case might be-
The invitation which the popular soloist eX-
tends the audience to JON in the chorus
while she waves both hands with patroniz-
ing grace to keep the throng from singing
out of time is something in line with this
same idea: but in this weeks bill it was
carried out with more spontaneity and on a
grander scale. The costumes were fine, and
while the members of the organization dis
dained all terpschorean fiippances, they
read their lines intelligently and were es-
pecially capable in depicting the various
human emotions, such as ambition, hatred,
anger and remorse- few marches would
have added to the picturesqueness; but per-
haps they would have been out of place.
The monologue was the style of entertain
ment most in favor, although there were
some spirited ensemble passages whose
brisk repartee was lost in the rapidity of
the action and the generousness of the ap-
plause- The yocalfzation was varied. A
member from the stage would start a so
prano speech; another would rise from the
center Of the auditorium and take UP the
theme in meZzo-soprano, while others on
the outskirts would embellish it with con-
vincing cadenZas of robust contralto. The
performance was entirely free from what is
with proper disapproval described as
''horse-play The nearest approach to the
conventional "siap-stick'' was the gavel
which the leading lady welded; and she
with admirable self-control, refrained from
hammerlng ANYTHING except the table in
front of her. The occasion was in every re-
spect a consistent one; even the critics were
of the feminine gender and, as occurs with
such sad frequency, they succeeded in hav-
ing their pest intentions misunderstood and
In getting themselves occasionally disiked
Some Of the performers were even tempt ed
to forget all obligations of slsterhood and
exciaim In whitening accents, $50 there!"
The prompter was much in evidence
few dress rehearsals might have been adj
vantageous in bringing out the exact pur-
pose OF the production. 1t seems to be more
than anything else a burlesuue of that
well-known play, "Aristocracy" Despite
| certain histrionic DEFICIENCIES the engage
| ment has helped the theater to serve its
purpose as an educator 1t has not only
thrown new light on a unique phase Of
Americas social life. but 1t has brought a
number OF charming and intelligent person.
alities to public attention. Manager P. B.
chase, who has been far away in Mt Yer
non. Ohio, all week, announces the Behman
Show as the new Grand's next attraction.
Any lack of solid dramatic quality this
week Is evidently to be compensated for
next. when two productions, about whose
| merits rumor leaves small room for cues
ton, will be offered. Richard Mansfeld's
performances are always expected with
pleasure and full confidence, while The
| Only Way has behind 1t the interest which
attaches to the French revolution as a his
| toric event, to the story which by many is
considered the masterpiece of a master
novelist, and to Henry Miller whose ascent
to eminence as an actor has been steady
and sure. The Strakosch Opera COMPANY
| will offer some of the good old music
| whose charm never dies and whose meas
ures invite the skill Of the most ambitious.
And melodrama will. of course have its
| fling. this time with the patient and myste-
| rious Chinaman as its inspiration.
The strange case OF "sapho" promises tn
| become historic. In New York the play ha a
| produced a case Of hysteria which threat
| ems nervous prostration. Some Of the COM
| ments lead to the inference that the earb
which Miss Nethersole wears as she an
pears In the first act has been made more
| scanty than 1t was IN Washington. The
management may have relied a little too
| far on the axiom that denunciation on the
score of immortality means advertising and
big business and over-reached themselves.
| 1t is to be doubted whether in their most
audacieus moments they contemplated any,
| thing quite so serious as an actual arrest
| A mere bombardment Of words does little
| damage in the box office, and 1t Is to be
| doubted whether Miss Nethersole's man
| agement was at all averse to sermonlzing
| Mr.. Marcus Mayer is no shrinking violet
| to wither In the glare of Puritanic scorn.
| The Cincinnati Times Star says that Mayer
| played for police Interference while the
| show was In that city, but failed. 1t is
hardly clear why when they arrested the
managers and Miss Nethersole they allow
| ed Mr.. Clyde Fitch to remain uncast for a
place in the farce. Mr.. Fitch was not con-
tent with being immoral; he was Inart,stic.
Like nearly all recent conspicuous sue
1 ceSSes of native origin tsSa nho,, ,.,oa ,1o,,s