Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-22

character with force and dramatic effect
Phoebe Strakoseh made her bow to a Wash
ington audience in the title role and was
hardly satisfactory. Her voice Is clear and
powerful in its upper register, but Its me-
dunn and lower tones appear weak and un-
certain. Even In her upper tones there is
Strideney that CRATES upon the ear except
where she is singing with the chorus. Her
facial contortions while singing are painful
to witness and her Interpretation lacked
genuine emotion, sentiment and passion
Mr. Prtngle made an impressive Ramphis
and gave the music of the high priest with
full rich voice and impressive defamation
Winfred Con- was pleasant surprise &c
those who only remember him in light
opera. He has improved in his meth
cd and he sang and acted the part
of Armonasro in excellent form. The
opera was splendidly staged, the cos
tunes and groupings of the large chorus
being attractive and artistic, and the ballet
credit on the stage manager, Mr.. Edward
Temple. Tonight Faust will be present
ed, with Mr.. Homer Lind. Washington
baritone, in the part of Valentine. The
other characters will be taken by Misses
Van Studeford and Kate Condor, Messrs.
D'Aubique and Clarence Whitehill.
COLUMBIA THEATER-Louis Mann and
Clara Lipman demonstrated last night that
they do not need the French farce. In its
present form, "All on Account of Eliza is
a rollicking and thoroughly innocent bit of
pastoral humor. Now and then it takes a
plunge into pathos, but the shower baths
do not last long enough to destroy the
genial warmth of the occasion. The play
is put together from the odds and ends sup
posed to be scattered about the dramatist' s
garnet. A patch here, little securing
there and an occasional button sewed on
makes any ancient plot good as new.
So long as the labyrinthian Tilt of Louis
Mann's dialect sounds through the CONVEX
Of VinYna
animates the picture the piece itself does
not matter 1t does not call for scrutiny
1t is neither comedy, melodrama nor farce.
1t is just funny. The amount of action that
is gotten out of the story of a city girl
named Eliza who is teaching school in a
country town, and who is hated by the wo-
men because she is pretty, is terrific. 1t is
difficult to realize that this hullaballOo is,
as the orchestra reminds us with strains
from "Blllee Taylor at the close of each
act all on account of ELIZA" Louis Mann
has never been funnier than he is in this
play as the German dog fancier and
pres dent of der poord of trustees He
works as conscientiously with his character
as II he We're playing role from the clas-
sizes, and he is far from being deficient in
those very small bits Of seriousness which
intrude here and there. The show reminds
the auditor very much of pieces in which
Hoyt delighted to satirize the narrowness
which rural communities sometimes de-
velop. A number of the minor characters
kept the house in a roar of laughter from
the beginning till the end of the perform
ance. The popularity of Mr.. Mann and
Miss Lipman was shown by the fact that
almost every seat in the theater was in de-
mand. "All on Account of Eliza" Is one of
the most satisfactory laugh-makers on
which the talents Of Mr.. Mann and Miss
Lipman have vet been employed.
LAFAYETTE SQUARE THEATER.-The
Lafayette Square Stock Company's produc-
ton of THE Charity Ball. a drama in
four acts by David Belasco and Henry c.
De Mile, filled that house last night. The
fourteenth week Of the present manage
ment returned to the enthusiasm that mark
ed its early career, both in the strength of
the play and the applause with which 1t
was received. The Charity BALI has plen-
ty of scope in 1t for strong emotional work
as well as sufficient humor, supplied by
both mellow age and by youthful fancy.
The story Of the play Is well known and
the strongest scene. in which John Van
Buren,, rector Of st. Mifdred's brings back
to sense of honor his profigate brother,
Dick, was cleverly handled and rewarded
by several curtain calls. Eugene OrmOnde
gave dignity to the former role. and John
T. Sullivan added to his repertoire another
frst-class villain. The applause which this
scene evoked was shared by Percy Haswell,
who was Ann Conger, and Alma Kruger
as Phyllis Lee. The latter had a trying
part and again showed her ability In emo
tional scenes. Miss Haswell had a role into
which she fits as daintily as usual and
where womanly virtues toward the poor
and the distressed she most loyably por-
trays. Incidentally it may be remarked
that she was particularly well and becom-
ingly dressed, as WERE indeed, others of
the cast. Grayce Scott is a new and &C
ceptable addition to the company this week.
As Bess Van Buren,, tired of dolls and ready
for beaux, she was quite Irresistible. Action
was never dull while she was about. Louise
Macintosh Mrs. Camilla De Peyster was
a most bewitching widow. The blind moth
err as played by Agnes Maynard, also a
newcomer to the company, clothed the part
with gentleness to which a musical voice
added great charm. Robert Rogers as
Judge Peter Quincy Knox was the hero OF
most of the humorous situations, and re-
sponsibe for nearly all the laughter the
play provoked. This speciality, however,
was shared by Mr.. Charles Wyngate as
Alec who did the youthful lover to per-
lection. John DAILY, Murphy made the
church organist a character study Of i'm
portance. Hal Vantyne, Frederick Sullivan,
VIM Colney and Katherine Field have
small roles. A charity object lesson in the
person of Cain, wee ragamuffin, Is played
by a clever juvenile Margaret Howard. The
proceeds of last nights performance are to
20 to the Garfield Hospital, but the play Is
worthy of full houses every night and matt
nee.
something might be done to hasten the
action or shorten the waits between the
acts. so that the audience could get home
before midnight.
CHASES NEW GRAND.-The bill at the
Grand Opera House this week presents sew
eraI old attractions which have made good
in public favor and one new feature
which promises to take high rank as a
vaudeville attraction. This latter is J. z.
Dodsons character sketch, entitled Richie
lieu's Stratagem.'' 1t is an elaboration Of
an episode in the Three Guardsmen," pre-
senting a dramatic incident in the life of
the famous, many-sided prime minister of
Louis XIII of France. 1t is one Of the
very few vaudeville acts with plot worth
going into. A young woman Of the cardi-
nails court hears Of conspiracy among
the Huguenots to take Richelieu's life and
warns her patron of the fact. The leader
Entrusted with carrying out the plot turns
out to be a young nobleman, the girls
lover When he presents himself at the
palace she is shocked at the discovery Of
his identity and tries to protect him by
misleading the cardinal as to his Identity
But the old ceurtier sees through the dis
guise and prepares to defend himself as
best he can. His guards are absent and
he determines to use the girl as a foil
q paipst his enemy When the HupuenOt