The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1901-08-27
AT THE THEATRES.
fhe Hond TO RUM Attracts an
Appreciative Audience


Inc season at the Academy of Music.
uhoer the local management of Whitman
osSood' was ushered in most auspiciously
idst hisht with new melodrama, THE
Road to Ruin as the attraction. An
audience that completely filed every
available bit of the theatres seating and
standing space applauded the play with
zest that clearly indicated Just what
was thought OF the many thrilling scenes
OF which there was superabundance.
and it is doubtful If any piece of a sim
iiar character that has been seen on a
washington stage for some time has pos
sessed a more generous share The au-
thor OF the play, Theodore Kremer. has
written for popular success rather than
Tor any lasting fame. and in this en-
deavor he Is distinctly successful He has
introduced about everything that can
easily be imagined that a young man
might encounter on the road to run. but
at the same time he brought in a comedy
element that is very relieving.
one OF the sensational features of the
performance is a reproduction of the
badger game. which is first tried with
considerable comedy success on a young
Hebrew from the wilds of New Jersey and
later in the scene on the hero of the
piece, with the inevitable victory for the
good young man. There are, besides this
incident. several murders, a number of
supposedly lifelike Representations of the
white light district of Gotham's famed
Tenderloin district, an escape from the
Tombs prison, and stage effect showing
with considerable effectiveness the dan
gers of a quicksand. If the amount of ap-
plause and cheering INDUCED in by the
audience at the Academy of Music last
night may be taken as criterion of the
real merits of The Road to Ruin" then
it will undoubtedly prove one of the big
successes of the new theatrical year.
The supporting company was. as a rule,
good. The chief figure is a woman pro-
grammed as Wanda Wheeler. desperate
woman. The role was well played by
Grace Wolvin, who looked sufficiently Sc
ductive to lead a stage hero to ruin, al
though she persisted in steadying her
nerves by frequent draughts of ssarsapa-
rilla and evidenced a lack of experience
in the art of cigarette smoking Yet her
performance was an intelligent one and
was characterized by an attention to de-
tail that will make it a notable contribu-
ton TO the list of theatrical adventuresses.
Irving Southland played Jack Morton, the
young fellow who was slipping along the
downward path, and Florence Gale was
the Bertha Dean who brought him to a
realization Of his folly. Both played their
parts WELL as did Lee Daniels, the villain
of the play. who was villainous enough
from the standpoint OF the audience to
warrant their kissing him every time he
ventured before the curtain with the rest
of the company in response to the en-
thusiastic applause of the assemblage. A
very ingenious maid was Louise Beaton.
and her comedy work with Harry Wal
tiers, the young Hebrew. was genuinely
good She Is remarkably handsome
young woman, and while at times she
evidences an unfamiliarity with life be-
hind the fo0tlights she is much superior
to the average actress who is seen IN
similar roles in pieces of the kind Other
members of the organization who scored |
successes were Ernest Mack, Frank Al
len. Joseph West. Harry Stuart. Emma
Salisbury and Emma s. Southland. The |
scenic portion of The Road to Ruin" Is
uneommonly elaborate.
Last nights was tie second perform
ance of the melodramt on any stage ana |
there were a number of minor troubles |
experienced but they were not so great |
but that a few more performances viii /
tend to eliminate them, and when the |
production is running smoother The |
Road TO Ruin will be pace maker for
other meIodramaS. There Will be natl |
nees today, Thursday, and Saturday.
Kernan's-"The Innocent Maids"
Two large audiences were exceilently |
at Kernan's yesterday by |
1.-THE Innocent Maids, a burlesque or |
ganization new 10 Washington The COM
pany is one of exceptional strength. par
ticulariy in the chorus and that portion
of the bill known as the olio, which in
PRODUCES a number of well-known vaude-
Vile people who have heretofore appear
ed in the regular vaudeville houses of the
The chief entertainers in this
line are the Carl Dammann troupe, whose
acrobatic work is of such a high charac-
ter that the troupe is easily leader in
its class. Bennett and Rich are two other
well-known vaudeville people who contri-
butte to the bill with their very popu-
lar act. AT Camp in the Philippines"
Turing which they introduce a number of
new illustrated songs.
The rest Of the olo is furnished by Con-
stance Window, who sings number of
songs very cleverly; Bartell and Morris,
who have an amusing musical comedy:
Madden and Jess. two Irish comedians of
considerable ability; Annetta Yale and
Rose Carlin two sprightly young women,
who sing and dance to the evident enjoy
ment of the audience. The customary |
opening and closing burlesques are EMIT
ed "A Wooden Woman" and "A Lottery
Ticket
There will be the usual daily matinees
Turing the current engagement of The
Innocent Maids" company at kernan'S.