The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-21
THE week ON The RIAL4O
Mrs. Langtry's The Degenerates"
Worthy of its Title.
"Brothcr Officers" Replaces .My
Lady's Lordr mt the Empire, md
poned Production of ..Broadway to
Toxic Goes on ut the New York.

course of a long and more or less eventful
career have seen frank play 81 frankly
discussed as is being The Degenerates, -
with which Mrs. Langtry began her Ameri-
can season last Monday at the Garden.
| THE Jersey Lily''-why she should be
called that is hard to imagine-and her past
history have been rather rudely described
by great majority of the local critics,
! even the venerable William Winter print
ing some things that her admirers must re-
| sent, while Alan Dale has limited broadly
at language the use of which would have
| prevented the maj, subscribers of the
Journal" ever receiving that particular is
Winter and brighter ones than Mr. Cohen
| have followed their lead with a torrent OF
! what hardly could be termed abuse, but
| certainly approaches that mark very nearly.
| Without Judging of the propriety of
what has been said concerning Mrs. Lang
| try and without debating that PERSONS
right to be on the stage at all, it is posi-
bic to remark that THE Degenerates" is
| another of those hectic. tiresome dramas
| in which New York appears to delight
| The plot, which may have been cabled you
| from England. has nothing to do with the
| biography of the star herself all reports
| TO that effect being mere press agents
twaddle. 1t does deal with a certain Mrs.
| Irevelyan, whose exploits have been OF
| such nature as have admitted of her lord
and master procuring a divorce The re-
suit OF the union, daughter named Una.
| is at 5chool, and the mother contrives to
amuse herself by an intrigue with a Sir
William Samaurez. Lady Samaurez, hear
ing OF the affair, quite properly becomes
resentful, and quite improperly proceeds
to go and do likewise In the mean
while. Una has returned and her girIish
Innocence and purity determines Mrs. Ire
velyan upon an entirely new method of
living. Learning that Lady Samaurez is
about to elope with an Isidore De Lorano,
she visits the house OF the man in the
case. arriving Just as her former rival,
Disguised with the coarse speeches of the
lover, is leaving. While the three are dis
GUESSING, Sir William comes and Lady Sa
maurez hid. The husband makes a great
row and Is preparing to ransack the prem
ises when Mrs. Treyelyan. who has oc-
companied the woman. sacrifices herself
and walks into the apartment. An eccen-
trio peer afterwards offers to marry the
reformed "rakess," and all ends as it
usually does in plays.
Sydney Grundy the author of the piece
has succeeded admirably in reproducing,
in his dialogue. the poor wit of society,
but such stuff is dreary in a drama. and
The Degenerates" often gets very tire
some As must have been observed the
story is wholly conventional and. while
sundry Of the situations are strong, the
methods used are cheap and tawdry The
Offering. for the main part is well acted.
Mrs. Langtry is not cleverer than when
laWa h.
culiar grace and earnestness that make
her frequent lapses almost pardonable.
Ethel Henry, beautiful girl, is charm
ing in the role of Lady Samaurez ard
Lucy Miner is a sweet, unaffected Una
Leslie Kenyon is effective as the black
guard De Lorano, and Julian Royce is a
passable Sir William. The remainder of
the long cast do excellently with the ma
terisl at hand.
On Tuesday evening "Brother Ofic. rs
a superior play was perfectly played by
the stock company at the Empire. Briefly,
the comedy tells the tale of Lieut. John
Kinds, V. C., sort Of rough diamond who
has sprung from the gutter and eventually
is set down in the centre of sweildom. He
learns manners from experience. while his
fine nature proves OF service TO all deserv-
ing persons with whom he comes in con-
tact during the course of the performance
William Fayersham made the hit of the
production by his work in the part Of the
Lieutenant. while Margaret Auglin, Ju-
seph Wheefock, jr.. and the various we'll
known members of the organization all
were good. believe that the presentation
viii have profitable rru.
After many postponemeDts and delays
Broadway TO Toxic" the elaborate out
put Of Louis Harrison George v Hobart,
A. b. Sloan, and Reginald de kOveu. is to
be given its premiere tonight at the New
York Theatre. AS il has been described
10 me. the extravaganza has rather COM
plicated and amusingly fantastic plot, in
which are entangled a supposed mummy
of Cleopatra and other interestingly i'm
possible characters. The action OF the
skit begins in Long Acre Square and ends
in a japanese temple. The cast, which I
have detailed before. is a long one and
includes many celebrities. among whom
are Otis Harlan. Joseph Sparks Ignacio
Martinetti. Joseph OFT. Fay Templeton. Jo-
sic Sadler Alice Judson and a score OF
lesser lights. ] shall incorporate a criti-
cism Of the offering in my next letter.
Flotow's ever popular Martha" is this
weeks bill at the American, where the
Castle Square Company is singing with / $
ordinary excellence 10 the ordinarily large
audiences. The work is well staged and is
interpreted by combination. the princi-
pal members OF which are Adelaide Nor
wood Maude Lambert, w. II. Stewart.
Reginald Roberts. Frank Moulan and
Grace Dean On next wednesday the
troupe is TO celebrate its G5Gth perform
ance here by producing the much talked
about "A Basso Porto fer the first time
on any stage. Sterling silver vases also
will be given as souvenirs.
There will be many important presen-
tatioBs Monday evening next. Olga
Nethersole. whom William Winter has
dubbed the plous" reaches Wallack's
with Clyde Fitchs "Sappho.' and Annie
Russell leaves the Lyceum to new come
dy which Is to follow her. THE Belle OF
New York will be revived at Manager
Lederer's house for a fortnight. after
which period Harry r. Smiths extrava-
gauza, The Casino Girl" will be done
there Through this week Frank Daniels
and The Ameer," were at wallacks;
Maude Adams and The Little Minister
at the Criterion; f. j. Morgan and Ben
Hur at the Broadway; Nat Goodwin,
Maxine Elliott and THE Cowboy and the
Lady at the knickerbocker; Blanche
Bates and Naughty Anthony" at the
Herald Square; William Gillette and
Sherlock Holmes" at the Garlicl1; Anna
Held and "papa's Wife at the Manhattan;
May Irwin and Sister Mary" at the Biiou;
Mary Manneriug and The Manoeuvres OF
Jane at Days; Adele Richie aGd Three
Little Lambs at the Fifth Avenue; Robert
billiard and Wheels Within Wheels" at
the Madison Square; Annie Russell and
Miss Hobbs at the Lyceum; Chris and
the Wonderful Lamp" at the Victoria;
Little Red Riding Hood at the Casino:
Tho Gunner's Mate" at the Grand Opera
House: The Village Postmaster at the |
Fourteenth Street, and " Way Down