Evening star., 1901-10-16
ADJUSTMENTS.

COLUMBIA THEATER.-Last night was
one Of exalted expectation at the Columbia
Theater. Clyde Fitch has by repeated
achievement established a reputation as q
Playwright which makes first production
OF his work an event of great interest In
the theatrical world. The extensive social
acquaintance of Elsie de Wolf and other
members Of the company made the assur-
ance Of friendly audience which Washing
ten invariably extends to a new production
in this case doubly sure. The sponsorship
of George w. Lederer for the enterprise
carried conviction that the production
would be complete and sumptuous. No au-
dience was ever more sanguine in it's hopes.
1t was there not merely to be pleased. 1t had
made up its mind to be delighted. 1t had
great storage batteries charged with thun-
ders of applause, only awaiting the spark
of interest to reverberate. The electric
thrill was not lacking. The applause was
liberated, and in calculating the time con-
sumed by the performance a generous al
lowance must be made for the many cur
tain calls and other demonstrations of ap-
question.
1t is Mr.. Fitch's mastery of technical
detail that makes his work exceptional.
He selects subjects and characters which
can be scrutinized at close range and re-
produces them with a fidelity which calls
for craftsmanship of the highest order, if
not for absolute genius In this play Mr..
Fitch has scored another success in a field
dfstinctively his own. He has studied mod
ern society with the same attention that
the classicist bestows on periods Of remote
antiquity The word success" however.
must be ventured only with due regard for
the development and revision which may
occur after an initial performance. Last
night the brilliant company-one of the
most brilliant this city has ever seen-play-
ed always competently, but at the same
time with a caution which amounted al
most to repression. There is not member
of the cast. from Miss de Wolf to the hum
blest subordinate, who did not realize with
fine efficiency the character whom the au-
thor sought to portray.
Mr.. Fitch dainty caterer that he always
is. serves the dramatic menu OF love, ha-
tired Nand perfidy with kid gloves. His
hero wears no plush and plumage, and the
ins1d1ous SANDER is more potent weapon
In the hands of villainy than the rapier or
the poison chalice. He has heretofore
dramatized wedding and funeral. On
this occasion he occupies his attention with
christening, the chief dramatic episode
being the protest of man who unjustly
distrusts his wife against permitting their
child to bear his name. The theme has en-
ployed the efforts of some great writer's of
fiction, and the interest in Mr.. Fitch's work
depends chiefly on the modern and local at
mosphere with which he surrounds 1t. 1.-THE
way of the World'. from this dramatists
viewpoint is the way of broad and easy de-
scent, where suspicious are easily lodged
and where the presumption against inno-
cence is almost overwhelming. 1t IS the
way OF hollow 1ns1ncerity, where hatred is
masked in smiles, and love must be ever
wary of the imputation of guilt. 1t is a
cynical but finely wrought concept Of So
ciety. Will society approve the picture?
1t is question which may figure with
some significance in the plays career If
Mr.. Fitch were as reckless in his reflections
on the distribution of wealth as ne Is in
considering the distribution of morals. he
ciat
social aSitator. But his sorrows are only
a tragedy of butterflies who flutter through
life as through summers day
The man of the story is citizen who
feels his responsibilities as such and Is
moved by an effort to meet them by min
Cling in active politics. The moral, if. the
story has one, is that a man whose lot is
cast in such a sphere must neglect all
other duties in life in order to safeguard
the reputation of his wife, not only from
the perpetual attack of SANDER but from
her own trivial indiscretions. However, the
piece assumes to mora1iZe but little The
picture is placed before the auditor with
palnstak1ng accuracy, and he is left to
draw his own conclusions.
MISS de Wolf was sincerely welcomed
last night. Her performance showed the
power, discretion and repose which only an
artist can display, and the womanly dig
nifty which cannot be counterfeted but must
be innate. Miss Bloodgood also gave
splendid performance of role such as
could be successfully interpreted only by
one whose natural associations are those of
ease and refinement. The part of the hus-
band whose faith in his wife was almost
destroyed was played with great discrimi-
nation by Frank Mills. This role displays
Mr.. Mills as an actor of the first quality.
He has fine Intellectual personality and
at the same time powerful and convinc-
ing method of expression.
Vincent SerranO made a most plausible
villain, and Harrison Hunter portrayed a
character of wholesome sympathetic inter-
est with great naturalness. Throughout
the cast there Is strong personality rhe
types are conventional, yet each character
displays splendid individuality. Much of
the skill In preparing this piece for the
stage was shown in the selection of COM
pany, for the playwright has not given the
actors many notable speeches with which
to win applause. Some of the most effec-
tive scenes move almost in silence, and the
players are in turn called upon to dominate
the stage and convey the authors meaning
only by look gesture. The company is
one of the most generally competent that a
society drama has offered in long time.
So much of the interest depends on the
precision with which little touches of real
ism are introduced that even after allowing
for one or two rough places the smoothness
Of the production was remarkable. The au-
tnmobile scene in the first act and the fire.
works display in the last were both highly
ingenious. 1t is an adage that great plays
are not written, but rewritten, and it Is
quite probable that Mr. Fitch's further at
tention to this production will materially
enhance its already favorable prospects.
THE CLIMBERS. THE Climbers"
Clyde Fitchs new comedy, comes to the
New National Theater next Monday night,
with Wednesday and Saturday matinees.
Last season it was given at the Bijou
Theater, New York, by Amelia Bingham
and her company for some 200 nights. The
play treats of the social life of today. 1t
begins with the return of frivolous widow
and her three daughters from the fashion
able funeral of the husband and father.
The real grief of two daughters, the
thoughtlessness of the widow and the
younger daughter make a novel picture.
1t is soon found out that the husband had
died bankrupt and that the son-in ?-law,
the husband of the heroine, is dishonest.
The subsequent developments are evolved
with extreme cleverness by Mr.. Fitch.
Miss Bingham staged the play with a law
ishness that has won the admiration of
the public. Among her associates in the
company are Robert Edeson, Frank Worth
ing, Ferdinand Gottschalk, James Carew,
Minnie Dupree. Ethel Winthrop, Madge
Carr Cooke, Bijou Fernandez, Alfred Fish
er, Florence Lloyd, James Bennett Stur-
gis, Henry Warwick, Marian Gardiner,
Maude Ream Slower, Edward Moreland.
Harryn Wright, jr., Lillian Wright. The
sale of seats and boxes for the engage
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