Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-19

| be was to make in the artistic world he
| might have been consoled for his lack of
| political importance. In discussing Bern
| haldts performance there is no ignoring
| the fact that she Is Il complete mistress Of
| her art and that she had the benefit of
| personal communication with the author of
| the play. These circumstances compel the
! play patrons who regard the Maude Adams
production as superior to Bernhardts (and
their name is leg.on) to make a very bold
stand, indeed and declare that the play
has been bettered by its translation into
Engl III and by its performance by English
speaking ac.orS. The mere poSs. biitty OF
such con, entIon reflects the CHEST credit
on the translator of The play, LOUIS N. Par
ker. 1t is very polished production of it's
kind. instinct with the fine literary spirit
which characterize his plays, sometimes to
the exclusion of a vigorous dramatic quail
ity. The points to he noted in favor of
NJ SIS Adams production as an attract on
for an American audience are that it is in
the language of the soil and that it was
produced after careful study of the org
NAL, so that any oppor, unities for improve
ment which might exist could be taken ad-
| vantage Of
The Bernhard performances ran to Il
wear.some length. and The stage set nSs,
| although beautiful. were not sufficiently 50
| to compensate for the consumption of time.
| The masquerade scene was finer than that
| shown in the Maude Adams production, but
| the picture of the field of Wagram suffered
from a tendency to Observation-Disclosures. The
| hut at one side of the stage destroyed the
sense of vas perspective, and the intro
| ductiCn OF real ghosts was scarcely 50
artistic aS the simple appeal to the sense of
| hearing, with the rest left to the magma
| ton of the auditor. Bernhard could not
| forego her rights to the center of the stage.
| In the mirror scene she gazed across an
| amount of space too great to permit the
| close. horror-struck scrutiny which the
| duke made of himself. When she tainted
| she was still in the center. as close to the
! footlights as the drop OF the curtain would
| permit. The pathetic heap into VIII Oh
| Maude Adams duke tumbled at this scene,
| when his strength failed him just at the
| door, constitutes picture long to be re-
membered. The Bernhard IL Aigion" was
| not on the whole as peculiarly satisfying
| production that of Miss Adams. BUT"
| (tO quote from one of the most notable
| declarations in the play), it was a wonder
| full and beautiful exh bition of art, and
| would have been accepted full realiZa-
ton of all possibilities had not MIR. Froh-
| man been forehanded in exploiting an
| American version of the play.
| There were dukes and lords and princes
| at the Columbia Theater. too. but of Il
| different style from those pictured by Ros-
| tand. Miss CHASER was accredited with 4
| personal success in "Sweet Annie Page"
| before she came to this city. The welcome
she received here was hearty that 1t did
not permit the intrusons of any distinc-
| items between the star and her play.
| Whether 1t for Miss Glaser's sake
| alone not, there is doubt that the
| public liked the performance, and they came
| to see it afoot. in horse cars and In car
riages Miss Chaser made her debut In one
| branch of her art on Monday night. 1t was
| her first appearance as curtain speaker
\ 1t was formerly a custom to request speech
\ es only from men, but Washington AUDI!
ences have developed the habit of demand
| ing little talks from women, and IL must
be confessed that the results have been so
charming in many cases that there is All
| excuse for the practice. Miss Chaser was
| placed before the curtain on Monday night
! against her expectations, and almost be-
| fore she knew what had happened to her
| She made very pretty effort. however,
| and on Tuesday was ready for them. She
| delivered d tiny Grafton which deserved
| to have a pink ribbon tied around it and
| given place beside the trained mementos
Of commencement day.
| There have been other actresses from
abroad to travel through America accom-
panied by a retinue of attendants. shaggy
| little dogs and the like, but it has re-
| manned for Madame Bernhardt to distance
| all her competing sisters in elaborateness
| of suite. For her farewell tour Of the
| states she has brought over the odd little
| French equipage which she uses in Paris
| for afternoon drives on the Bots. During
| the week it has attracted quite a deal of
! attention on the streets of Washington
| Bernhard Is fond of riding out, and has
! had many delightful tours about Washing
| ton in the vehicle which has such Paris
| ian atmosphere In its unusual lines and
| style 1t has also been employed in con-
| veying the actress from her hotel to the
! National Theater for each performance
| Wherever she goes this season the car
| riage will form a goodly portion OF the
, company's excess baggage. Nine Bern
hardt has not gone to the extent of bring
| ing her private horses along, however, and
| in each city visited arrangements are made
with local iiveryman for furnishing the
necessary steeds and a coachman familiar
| with the best thOrOughfares.
| The carriage has all the appearance of
| being victoria with the hood of ham
som incloSing the main seat. The driver
box ST in position usual with the VIC
| torian style. The running gear is yellow,
the wheels having heavy rubber tires. A
large share Of the interior decorations of the
| hood are mirrors. where the distinguished
| ctress may gaze in admiration upon the
| charms Of face and form that have bid de-
| f1ance to Father Time and utterly routed
his forces.
Those persons at the National the present
| week who were attending their first
| French performance were undoubtedly
| startled to hear an outbreak of thunderous
| rapping on the stage floor Immediately fol-
| lowing the overture by the orchestra. The
| first burst of rapid knocks was succeeded
by three distinct blows upon the unsus-
pecting boards, delivered evidently with
| some massive mallet. AS the curtain Of
| the first act began at once its upward jour-
| ney, and there were no more knocks, the
| meaning Of the uproar behind the footlights
| a few moments previous was understood.
| 1t seemed as though the stage manager was
| acting as presiding officer and calling the
assemblage to order with the aid of huge
| gavei Those in the audience familiar
| with the stage methods of Paris, however,
| knew that the first raps were calling the
| players from their dressing rooms beneath
| the stage, and that the subsequent series
| of three were intended as signal for the
curtain. The rap. rap. rap was heard
! before the rise of each curtain. To Amer
| leans the method seems primitive, when
| electric bells are so convenient and nominal
| In cost.
"Aida," the inaugural bill of the opera
season. which begins next Monday night.
| will be a noteworthy performance In that
1t will introduce four distinguished Eng
| lish singing artists who are new to Wash
inpfop audiences Miss Phoebe Strakosch