The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-20
AT THE THEATRES.
The Nnt,onaI-"sherIock Holme

National last night. when William Gillette
presented his dramatization Of one of DR..
Conan Doyle's unpublished Sherlock Holmes
stories The occupants of the down stairs
portion of the house may have enjoyed the
thrills and sensations Of the play fully as
much as rhe more democratic young gen.
tlemen who crowded the gallery benches.
only they did not express their approval in
quite so demonstratve manner. Above.
Sherlock Holmes brought to mind the
good old days of Cap Collier and his con-
temporary. Old Sleuth, with their innumer-
able harbreadth escapadss. while the or
chestra patrons recalled Emile Gaboriau.
Edgar Allen Poe. D'Ennery, Boucciault,
other creators of polite detectives in books
and on the stage.
There is no getting away from the fact.
Sherlock Holmes is a thriller, pure and
simple such a play as one might look for
in popular price theatre, only the differ
encc is a nero matter of clothes and good
English and excellent scenic and light ef-
fects. The piece has more nerve-racking.
-quickening situations than dozen
average plays. OF the success of Sherlock
Holmes there can be no doubt. Last
nights audience applauded without stint,
and the manifestations of keen relish were
almost innumcrable. The gallery occupants
seemed to enjoy particularly the one big
scene of the piece, In which Holmes
smashes lamp in den of thieves with
chair. and then places his lighted cigar
under the window to mislead the assassins
while he quietly escapes with the heroine
in the darkness. This proved great stu
alton for the young gentleman upstairs. and
he showed his appreciation and thorough
approval by prolonged applause of the vo-
ciferous variety.
The whole play seems rather incongruous,
for we have Mr.. Gillette with his down.
stairs art as the central figure in howl
ing detective melodrama, piece that ap-
peals with especial force to the habtues OF
the topmost seats. The author actor, as
he goes through his various scenes and
notes the many evidences of appreciation.
cannot help but recall the Barnum adage of
the desire Of the great American populace
for humbuggery.
sherlock Holmes" early introduces the
audience to the home of James Larabee,
crook of the flash order. Larabee and
his wife are holding young girl Alice
Faulkner. prisoner. She wants TO be
revengcd on nameiess aristocrat who
has betrayed her sister, and has some
documents which are supposed to incrim-
mate this titled but nameless parsonage.
I-arahee wants these papers for purposes
of blackmail while Sherlock Holmes de-
sires them for his employers. We are
later introduced to a butler. French
maid. professional safe-breaker to Prof.
Moriarity, past master in the art OF
crime, who has it in for Holmes and
numerous other gentlemen of the criminal
craft. No matter how villainous things
have been spoken of and done in the first
act the second witnesses the plotting of
the NEST blood-curdling crimes imagin-
able. The poor butler is to be sand-bag
ged, Sherlock Holmes Is to be lured to
his doom and garrotted. But during all
these exciting times Holmes takes life
right merrily and calmly proceeds taking
hyperdermics and cocaine, smoking his
brierwood pipe. and diyining the schemes
of Moriarity and his associates as fully
and as completely as if they had all been
told him in advance OF course, after all
manner Of stirring incidents in which
the detective comes victorious. he es-
capes from the clutches of the villains
with the fair Alice, with whom. during the
action of the play. he has fallen in love.
1t is a star piece most assuredly. and
outside of the principal actor no one has
much chance. Mr.. Gillette. in his make
up. greatly resembles the detective as
pictured by DR.. Doyle. Splendidly repro
Guccd are the physical attributes of the
original Holmes Persons who are familiar
with Mr. Gillette's acting will find him
much the same as in hts previous plays.
and will enjoy his latest effort fully as
much as any of the others. No other
player whose name can be readily called
to mind could portray the imperturbaole
manner and the languid attitudes of Sher-
lock Holmes as well as does Mr.. Gillette.
OF the supporting company Olive oliver.
OF last summers stock company at the
Columbia, is fitted to perfection with the
role of an adventures. Her work is ad-
mirable throughout and she was given
quite an ovation last night. Maude Fealy,
who plays Alice Faulkner may add to her
claim of being the youngest leading lady
of the native stage the fact that she is
one of the very best. She has youth, good
looks full, pleasing voice, an adequate
conception of her part, and an intelli-
gence that is something all out OF the or
binary for her years. And what other
leading lady possesses all these elements
of worth? George Vessels plays Prof.
Noriarity with much force, and is easily
the best of the male support Henry Nc
ArdIe's Billy is capitally done, while
Ralph Delmore. Ruben Fax, and George
Honey contribute much excellent work to
the performance.
Mr.. Gillette's arrangement of lights at
the ends of the acts is both novel and ex-
tremely effective. The only matinee Will
be on Saturday.
One of the conventional arguments OF