Evening star., 1901-05-11

With the spring doing the best in its
power to rival the splendors that the
scenic artist can create, and the traditional
feathered songSter, not to mention the
street piano, engaged in active rivalry to
the vocalists of the mimic stage. there
might easily have been excuse for
greater falling off in theater attendance
than occurred this week. The musical COM
edy season encountered strong opposition
in the arrival of the circus and the engage
ment of THE Casino Girl" Anything
which comes with the George w. Lederer
trade mark on it is sure to command fol-
lowing. The Lafayette Square Stock Com
pany gave a very creditable performance
of Miss Hobbs" and Chases took turn
at the condensed legitimate drama, with
''The Littlest Girl" and tIn Washngtons S
Time" as the leading features of it's bill
The Academy had thriller in From Scot
land Yard and Kernan's had what is con-
ceded by experts to be one of the poorest
shows that ever broke into variety thea
ter of good standing.
The musical comedy productions now in
progress at the Columbia Theater are re-
garded by their promoters as something of
a test of the question of prices. j. c. Duff
who is associated with Messrs. Luckett &
Dwyer in these productions, was opposed
to a reduction in prices for the musical
comedies arranged for, on the theory that
the public would take it for granted that
the original performances could not be du
plicated or even approXimated at less than
a winter schedule. The Runaway Girl
had practically the same production that
made during the regular season, and the
management announces it's purpose to
make its presentation of THE Geisha"
quite as ambitious as the original.
Among the notable attra ct ions to come
are the Skinner Robson-LeMoyn produc-
tion of ''In a Balcony" and the n. G. Good
win production of '"The Merchant of
Venice Years ago the summer season
was regarded as the almost exclusive right
of the frivolous and fantastic 1t was then
that the negro minstrel entertainer held
his most potent sway. OF late, however,
the tendency has been to devote off time
to the serious drama, and in some instances
that of the Browning production, for exam
ple-the offerings have been of the highest
artistic and literary quality Mr. Skinner
Miss May Robson and Mrs. LeMoyne are
all players who command such respect as
to leave no doubt as to the efficiency of
presentation in which they are associated.
The Goodwin production of "The Merchant
of Venice" will be scarcely less interesting
for both the star and his wife are such
favorites that their efforts in any field
command close attention.
Edwin Arden will conclude his season with
Maude Adams this evening ami will come
to Washington next Monday to begin prep
aratlons for his first appearance on May 20
as leading man of the Lafayette Square
Stock Company. Mr.. Arden has had q long
season with Miss Adams. playing Meter
mich" in "L'Aiglon," and he would naturally
like to take a brief rest before resiIming
acting However. the week of rehearsals
next week will be the nearest approach to
rest he will have before the end of June
He will make his first appearance with the
Lafayette company a week from Monday
1t had been intended to have him first ap-
pear as Romeo to the Juliet" of Percy
Haswell, but the unfortunate accident, in
which the actress received a dislocated
shoulder makes it impossible for her to act
any more this season. Therefore, as the
play could not well be given without a
Juliet" the famous love tragedy will be
abandoned for the present, though there is
possibility that it may be given during
one else specially engaged to play Juliet"
For his first appearance Mr.. Arden will be
cast for Capt. Swift in the play of that name
used by Maurice Barrymore about a dozen
years ago The play IS a strong acting
drama, and, Edwin Arden said the other
day, while passing through Washington
with the Maude Adams company, ut Is
such a great role and one enjoy acting so
much that / am willing to play Capt.
Swift for nothing" Mr.. Arden. it Is need
less to add, will not be put to the necessity
of acting a whole week for nothing more
substantial than his own satisfaction. He
is the highest priced leading man ever en-
gagged for Washington summer stock
company, according to Manager Frederick
G. Berger.
An interesting feature Of the production
of "The Magistrate" by the LAFAYETTE
Square Stock Company will be the first
local appearance in number Of years OF
William Seymour, the stage director of the
house. Mr.. Seymour will appear in the role
of Cis Farrington,' a youth Of nineteen.
whom his mother passes off as boy Of
fourteen. Mr.. Seymour was an actor of
distinction before he became well known as
careful and artistic producer Of plays, and
1t is curious coincidence that sixteen years
ago he created this same role when The
Magistrate' was produced for the first time
in America. This was in 1856, and Mr.. Sey-
mour was then with the Boston Museum
Stock Company. In those days plays which
had been successful in England were COM
peted for by various American organiza-
tions. and the entire acting rights in Amer
lea were not sold at once, as ia the case
now. Consequently various organizations In
turn obtained the privilege of acting such
plays. The Boston Museum Stock Company
was the best known organization of players
in the United States. 1t secured with Au-
gustn Daily the first rights to 1.-THE MagIs-
trate,' and presented the piece stimuli
taneously with Mr.. DAILY at his New York
theater with such success that each year
thereafter until the stock company finally
failed it presented THE Magistrate" as one
of its annual spring revvals OF successful
plays. Mr. Seymour is much interested in
his former role, and this appearance In
front of the scenery will doubtless be the
only time this season he will act. Stage
directors are usually heard Of, but never
seen.
Henry Norman. who makes his appear
ance at the Columbia next week in THE
Geisha," tells this story on himself, Ac-
cording to Mr.. Norman, he was bred in a
family given to unusually rigid reIie1ous