Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-10
ADJUSTMENTS.

NEW NATIONAL THEATER-"When
We Were Twenty-one''-there is a DREAMY
dawdling cadence in the title which sug-
gests something of II. V. Esmond's previous
plays. But the suggestion is warranted
The play has all Mr.. Esmond's delicacy
and refinement and with it a good, sturdy
vein Of sentiment which takes right hold of
the heart and squeezed the tears from it. He
who can see the devotion of Dick for the
scapegrace whom he has undertaken to
| rear. the heart-breaks which the boy causes
and the final reconciliation, without she'd
ding surreptit!ouS tear should get him to
an oculist. There Is something amiss with
his lachrymal glands And the love story
the little subordinate tale of girl who
gave her heart TO man who could not be-
lieve his own good fortune-served to min
gle sunshine with the showers. Mr. Good
win has chosen to discard his 'aurels as a
laughmaker and enroll himself among the
cohorts of legitimate comedians In this
play he gets entirely away from the sug-
gestiOn that he is obliged to watch himself
lest he make the audience laugh too heart
ily- He has long since realized his ambi-
ton to make the public take him seriously
Yet those who know him of old cannot
help fee ing a pang of resentment that he
should quel the rollicking humor which
first taught the people to wait for him and
to welcome him. Miss Maxine Elliott is a
beautiful woman, and actress whose
methods never fail to convey an agreeable
impression. She shares with Mr.. Goodwin
the charm of personality. Intuitive grace
seems often to supply the place of tech
ngue. just as Il spontaneous flow of spirit
seems to invest commonplaces with bumor-
Gus or pathetic significance in the case of
Mr. Goodwin. Henry Woodruff is a young
man with blond hair. light suit of c othes
and an air of cubbish Solf-satisfaction
which moves the auditor to dislike when
| he first comes on the stage. One does not
realize at the outset that this is all in the
NAV and that Mr. WpnIrlIff'c bn
Imp. requires him TO be the sort of young
chap who impreSSes the disinterested OBJ
servers unfavOrably simply because those
near to him have loved him too much and
| spoiled him. There is surprise when Mr.
Woodruff begins to do something more than
walk through the part. And long before
the eVe!ting is over the surprise becomes
admiration and THE Imp is sharing the
app ausc even with Mr.. Goodwin himself
II IS a good. solid story, with honest SEN
| fiment which is strong that even the
prude forgets to hold up protesting hands at
the Cprinthian Club scene, in which
'Dfck proceeds to negotiate for the af-
fectlonS of ''Ffrehy'' in order to expose her
true character To The Imp AS matter
| of fact. il is as bad as anything in ''Sapho"
| but it has legitimate dramatic purpose
| and Is presented as the means to an end,
| and not mere exhibition of vice for
vices sake. The east is a good one clear
| through. Thomas Oberle who had scarcely
| a dozen speeches, managed to impress his
| work rs capital bit of character delinea-
| ton and all the other members of the COM
panS gave a fun and gratifying account Of
| their greater or less opportunities The
| play is not great, but it is good Whether
\ the merits Of the performance justify an
! increase Of prices is a question of cold COM
| mercialism and not of theatrc art
| COLUMBIA THEATER-On the occa-
| sion OF the first performance of ..The
| Amer in this city fortnight ago MIR
| Frank Daniels in response to a curtain
| call remarked. in substance, that he is a
member Of Comic Opera Comedians Union.
| No =; that the union does not permit any
| comedian to make speeches. except in GER
| tain territory; that this territory is allotted
TO Mr.. De Wolf Hopper, and for that rea-
| son Mr. Daniels refrained from recitIne
| THE sent-Minded Beggar.'' This was
| then considered the best thing in the show
| II continues so. After an absence of week
| Mr.. Daniels and his company have re-
| turned to this city and at the Columbia last
| evening opened a second engagement In
| The Amer. The present engagement is,
| to all 1ntents and purposes, a continuation
/ of the first. and the comments both as to
| the splendors of the production and its de-
| fclencles. apply with equal force now. The
| members of the cast are the same and their
| parts are interpreted just as they were two
| weeks ago. when the company played to the
| extreme limitof attendance at each perform
ance, From a business standpoint the re-
| turn has already proved a good move The
| house was well filled last evening, and the
| indications are that there will be few, ii
any, vacant seats at any time during the
| week Daniels has a firm hold on the
| Washington theatergoers. His slightest
move causes laughter. and If people want
to laugh and do laugh It Is not necessary
to proceed with an analysis Of the WHY'S and
| wherefores. The audience last evening
laughed heartily and applauded everything
| Daniels has established himself as a reign.
ing favorite, and 1t is Daniels and not the
opera that the people go TO see. And In
| addition to the chunky little laugh-winne,
they find scenery in limitless profusion and
costumes OF rainbow radiance with good.
looking young women to wear them.
NEW GRAND OPERA HoUsE-"Th.
Girl With the Auburn Hair" was relied or