Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-04-06

world, at least the one superior to all 9TH
ers. This one. in his opinion, is the Vienna
Surg Theater. Herr lConried, who should
be well acquainted with that playhouse.
spoke in glowing Terms of the dressing
rooms, the carriages which the manage
ment provides for the PLAYERS the splendor
OF the mouse and the opulence of all its
appointments. If that is the criterion
for The Theater' and the standard by
which its achievements in behalf of art Is
measured, 1t is a very poor one. There is
In Berlin shabby little house called the
Doutaches Theater. 1t Is a venerable old
fashioned playhouse Its coIors are dull
ana Its seats are not very comfortable.
Ihere sare no carriages and no separate
dressing rooms for the players. And still
there are many highly intelle .tllal players
and playgoers who think this little house
among all those of Europe deserves the
title of The Theater' Why? On account
o.. those most wonderful performances
which are given in that shabby environ
ment. Why does not Herr Conried tell us
something about the artistic achievements
OF that playhouse of which he speaks so
raptIrously? Does he really think that
good performances are a natural conse-
queEce of there being FIVE as he calls them,
stage managers? A German proverb Son
that subject reads. Many cooks spoil the
pofFldse furthermore, why does not Herr
Conried give his American audiences q
proper idea of the German stage manager?
IhoSe i've men are not what is understood
by the term stage manager at all. In this
country they would be called stage direct
orS or producers and have those functions
which men like Mr.. Humphreys and Mr..
Presbrey have here. In Germany the func-
tionary corresponding to the English or
American stage manager has nothing to do
but watch Tor cues and send the actors
when their cues come in 1t is a we'll
known fact that the bureaucracy of most
of the court theaters in Germany is very
great impeachment to the development of
art and the artistic achievements of the
hny ia frp17,
proving any kind of model for the loftiest
artistic achievement. Only of late when
Herr Paul Schlenker. a former newspaper
man, was made director of that theater,
dld 1t become moderniZed and fertile in the
direction of artistic work. Mr. Conried COM
plains of the naiyety of the American au-
dlenceS, and prefers the German thinker.
In my estimation the naive audience is
the pest TO play to, not only for effect. but
because 1t is the most responsive. 1t is
true that the German audiences want more
for the brain than do the Americans but
Is 1t not the most beautiful privilege of
the stage and of the actor to come into
contact with the heart as well as the brain
of his audience? To get large amount of
money from an emperor to cover all eX-
penses irrespective of box-office receipts
Is certainly an ideal position from the
standpoint of manager. but as in this
country the audiences are naive enough to
subsidiZe the theaters on their own ac-
count l think there is no need of emperors
to keep really good theaters and produc-
lions afioat.'
One of the most pretentious vaudeville
productions attempted is 1.-The Pageant of
All Nations" 1t is B. F. Keith's enterprise
and has run all the season until the pres
ent time at his palatial Boston theater
There will be forty attractive young wo-
men in brilliant marches, patriotic tab
leaus, artistic groupings and intricate mill
tary movements, coupled with magnificent
costumes. elaborate electrical effects and
rare color combinations. 1t is in three Sec
items, the first Of which is the pageant
proper. The second is the Gypsy Scarf
Dance and the third Is the Red Hussar
Drill. In the first the Standards of Ameri-
ca, England. Scotland, sIreland Japan and
France and other nations are each sup
ported by four handsome girls in military
uniforms. who make splendid display.
Thu scarf dance employs sixteen perform
ers, in which some striking figures are
worked out. The third section contains the
drill after a,,o which it. named concluded
stage furnishes appropriate music.
COMING ATTRACTIONS.
NEW NATION al. THEATER.-N. c.
opportunity to tkoss Eashingtonians who
missed seeing thu admirable performance
Were Twenty-ones as presented at this
theater last season, Of repairing the omis-
sion. They begin "a weeks engagement at
the National Theater Monday night. These
players can always count upon q large
personal following. when We We're
Twenty-One" is a blending of tears and
laughter, and there are few last acts that
hold the spectator with sympathetic grip
as does the affecting scene between Dick
ha
tain The love episodes of the play are
delicate and delightful comedy, and Miss
Elliott has never done finer work that her
Phyllis Ericsson. There is charm of bon
homie about Mr.. Goodwins performance
of Dick Carewe that is Irresistible. Sur
rounding Mr.. and Mrs. Goodwin will be
found such well-known players as Henry
Woodruff, Neil O'Brien, j. r. Crawford,
George E. Bethany. Frank Wayne, L. q.
WoOdthorpe. Arthur Garrels, S. NJ Hall,
+. j. Byrd, Ethel Brandon, Gertrude Gheen.
Kathryn Morse, Gertrude Tidball, Florence
Haverleigh, Mrs. ]. r. Crawford and 9TH
ers. Matinees will be given on Wednes-
day and Saturday. This will be the last
opportunity afforded the many admirers
of Mr.. Goodwin and Miss Elliott of en-
joying their performance for at least two
years. as they will spend all of next sea-
son IN London, presenting When We
Were Twenty-oue."
COLUMBIA NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., the
new play by Augustus Thomas, author of
Alabama . I'm Mizzoura" and "Oliver
Goldsmith" was first presented in Wash
1nston last season. Beginning on Septen-
Der 10, Arizona" ran without a break at
the Herald Square Theater until January
8. Previously ARIZONA" had achieved a
remarkable run of Ito performances at the
Grand Opera House in Chicago and a sue
cessful engagement of forty performances
at the fremont Theater in Boston Now
direct from these metropolitan successes.
to which Philadelphia has also contrib
uted, the entire original company comes
back to Washington, appearing at the Co.
!umbia Theater for a weeks engagement,
beginning next Monday evening. "Ari-
zona," as the name implies has for its
locale the picturesque territory which bids
fair to soon become the youngest in the
sisterhood Of states. The characters of
the play are ranch folk, Mexicans, cow
boys and tho officers and soldiers of the
18th United States Cavalry, stationed at
Fort Grant. In the Arayaipa valley. The
play cannot properly. be called q melo-
drama nor yet a comedy drama. Dainty
light comedy there Is in abundance. and
as pretty love story as was ever penned
interw1nds with the crimson thread of
another which but narrowly escapes a
tragic ending. Arizona Is distinctly
American. Messrs La Sheiie and Hamiin
have organized q notable company for the
production Of Arizona in the PRINCIPAL
cities OF the country. Among tho we'll