Evening star., 1901-03-19


produced last night at the Columbia by a
notable cast, "Unleavened Bread" presents
a striking commingling OF comedy and
pathos, with the stress upon the former.
The pathetic side Of the story comes to one
in after-thoughts; the stage holds comedy
only, although through the vale of laugh
ter is seen the really serious side of the
theme
Woman is pitted against woman and two
distinct classes are drawn. This Is adroIt-
ness in the playwright, for in serving the
satire 1t Is necessary to place the leading
feminine character in a most unenVlable
light Her career through the four acts
of the play is dotted by the accumulation
of three husbands. the final curtain falling
just as the third is about to be consum-
mated, mercifully sparing the audience the
narrowing details of what must have hap
pened to the last acquisition. This woman,
Selma White, is presented as a cold, selfish
creature, ambitious to attain social emil
nence once she reaches New. York, while
she would hypocritically have others be-
lieve she cannot countenance the f1imsy
nothingness of that set. In the first act
she is shown as club woman, with
loud and boisterous companion. She re-
turns from a convention in Chicago to find
her husband has been unfaithful, the act
concluding with her departure from his
house. His repentant sorrow and re-
proaches for his wife's neglect of their
dead little girl give first touch of hard
ness to the woman-this modern woman
of push and progress who will not be kept
is engaged in breaking the heart of the
artistic, but poor, young architect whom
she has taken as a second husband. his
career is ended between the third and
fourth acts. In the fourth she betroths
herself to the governor of her native state
after forcing him to break a promise in
order to be elected to the United States
Senate. This difficult, unsympathetic, al
most cruel role, is admirably handled by
Elizabeth Tyree Consistent and heartleSs
throughout she plays against the sympathy
of her audience, against the finer. char
acters of her associates. 1t is a trying
bit of work, but in it Miss Tyree wins
triumph. With one exception the other
types of women presented are those whom
all loye to look upon and admire and they
in part compensate for the hard lines as
signed Miss Tyree. Eleanor Robson is a
very beautiful and effervescing Flossie Will
liams, a social butterfly, whose sincerity
wins the hearts eoldly turned from Selma
Her rebukeito the latter was an effective
piece of acting and won hearty applause.
E. j. Morgan has the role Of Littleton, the
architect, and renders it with fitness ac-
cording to his usual high standards. The
men, as rule, are but incidenta1s of the
play, it's story being carried almost entire
ly by the feminine contingent. George
Fawcett and Morton Selten are excellent
is up to the Liebler mark, and the pro-
duction Is under the direction of Leo Dit
richstein, who was mainly concerned in
the adaptation
LAFAYETTE SQUARE OPERA HOUSE.
1t is mere repetition to announce week
after week that the Lafayette Stock Com
pany has scored favorably. The latest Of
fering is Moths" adapted from Ouida's
novel bearing that title. 1t is announced
as romantic comedy, but should be
described as a drama. The staging is as
elaborate as though prepared for use
through several seasons, instead of only
six days. The first act shows scene, at
Trouville, France. Among the incdentals
are fountain of running water and a
view of the sea by moonlight. The fourth
act is laid in Poland. The whirling snow
and whistling wind wede sufficiently realis-
tic last evening to warrant the audience in
imagining that the temperature had ac-
tually dropped. The story of worldly
mother compelling her innocent young
daughter through misrepresentation to
marry rascally prince; the brutal treat
ment of her by the latter, and finally the
killing of the prince in duel the conse-
quent situation, making it plain sailing for
the young woman to marry the man she
loves, is a recital sufficiently strong to hold
attention. The most exacting work falls
to Miss Percy Haswell as the wife of the
prince, and to Mr.. John T. Sullivan as
the prince, although the others in the cast,
Mr.. Ormonde, Mr.. Wyngate, Mr.. Murphy,
tosh and Miss Maynard, are all kept un-
usually busy from the initial rise of the
curtain to its final descent, the latter oc-
curing shortly before midnight. 1t is
OI
bers of the company in detail In Moths
the creditable standard heretofore estab-
llShed is maintained.
CHAsE's NEW GRAND.-A one-act COM
edy adapted from the French was the
means employed at Chases New Grand
Opera House last night to introduce to
Washington the eminent baritone Homer
LIND, whose performance of "Gringoire,
the Street Singer" is handsome realiza-
ton of the lofty prophecies made some
seasons ago for vaudeville. Good actors
have applied their talents to one-act plays,
and opera singers of note have sung bal
lads and even attempted lyric productions
with limited cast of singers. 1t remained
for Mr.. Lind to combine both the musical
and the dramatic In piece which retains
the atmosphere of the classic and at the
same time makes a frank and unaffected
bid for the applause of the public which
demands to be amused. The story of Grim
gore, the street musician who by his SIM
pie ballads baff1ed the intrigue of the court
is cleverly condensed into a half hours
entertainment So brisk is the action and
SO pleasing the music it contains that it
does not sseem to require even this short
time Mr.. Lind was at his entrance greeted
with the applause due him as a singer of
reputation, and the demonstration was re-
peated with interest after each Of his songs,
especially the song of the razor in which
he exposes to the listening king the busi-
ness of the court barber. The dialogue
which Willard Holcomb has used in con-
the point. The element of humor is some
what lacking the only attempt being the
eagerness of Gringoire for full meal be-
fore he goes to the gallows. The piece has
a cast of characters above the usual run
of supporting talent for the vaudeville pro-
duction. Everett King. who staged the
piece, and most efficiently, too, played the
hard, crafty, but weak Louis XI with in
telligence: Miss Sumner, Helen Ashley and
Charles Stowe portrayed with discretion
the minor parts. The rest of The bill
al the Grand this week includes much that
il received with indications of great ap-
proval. Isabelle Urquhart, formerly emf
nent in light opera, and J. b. Haviland
presented Even Stephen" an amusing
sketch. The five Olracs gave an acrobatic
act which displayed unusual agility, with
lightness Of movement, accompanied by a
burlesquing Of the usual airs of the pro-
fessional acrobat that was highly amusing.
The Razarfs exhibited feats Of legerde-
main and "a disappearing mystery" FL
seeta danced on her toes. Janet Melville
and Evie Stetson sang amusingly.~ Coon
songs were rendered by Seeker Wilkes and
Sc eker, and a dozen biograph views evoked
applause.
ACADEMY OF MUSIC-One man killed
NI