Evening star., 1902-05-06
ADJUSTMENTS.

dy, both IRE spOnsible and Irresistible in its
mirth. is the offering at the Columbia Thea
ter this week, presented by the Harry
Corson Clarke Company. The beginning of
the second week of the farce-comedy
ganiZation was marked by another great
big house. The success of Mr.. Clarke and
his players has been such that it was de-
clded to extend the engagement over next
week. when another Broadhurst ''gleeful
plenttude' will be given in the shape of
Why Smith Left Home" Farce comedy
In the springtime seems about the best
antidote for tired feelings ever devised and
last nights audience fairly held its sides
from laughter. The star of the company
Harry Corson Clarke, is admittedly at his
best IN character work and this week his
play of the gay old Mr.. Pennie in Sydney
Rosenfeids happy comedy, His Absent
Boy, is certainly a yerificaton of the
claim put forth in Mr.. Clarke's name. His
character work is not new to Washington
ians, however, and In a sense the audience
knew pretty well what to expect With
Mr.. Pennie as the vehicle the comedian set
a pace that proved mighty pleasing to the
piaygoers His Absent Boy is one of
those impossible farces that start one
laughing. and by their utter nonsense keep
the smile in evidence throughout the even
ing. Absurdties follow each other so
thick and fast the laugh muscles have no
time at all to relax. The feminine contin-
gent comes to the front this week in great
style, and were it not for Mr. Peunie the
masculine portion of the organization would
be badly outclassed. Florence Robinson
Lottie Alter, Laura Almosiuo, Louise Bry-
aut and Helen Ware all do their work ex-
ceedingly well. Harry G.. Hockey is about
the best of the male cohorts, and his hen
pecked Mr. Burney is done in realistic
style that must have appealed to any man
In the audience suffering a like fate. In
addition to his straight comedy work Mr.
Clarke gave unmistakabe evidences of his
versatility last night. In the second act
he sang comic song In a fashion that
called for an encore, while in the third act
Miss Ware sang a ballad written by Mr.
Clarke. The stage setting was elaborate
and tasty and the production smooth
one throughout.
LAFAYETTE SQUARE OPERA HOUSE.
The audience last evening at the Lafay-
ette was evidently aware that this is the
farewell week of the Bellows Stock Com
pany s season. The greeting accorded the
members of the company they made
their appe arance on the stage was unusual
ly hearty and long continued. Some un-
familiarity with the lines was generously
overlooked, and all good points were prom
erly applauded. although the play, as a
whole, dragged somewhat. "One of Our
Girls, Bronson Howard's comedy drama
Is the play selected to terminate the season
Drama seemed to outweigh the comedy ele-
ment last evening. Through an encounter
with swords, one young man was painfully
wounded. and duel occurred out Of
sight of the audience-made necessary by
the hero, so to speak, striking the villain in
the face with the herones glove. There
were one or two character parts, however
that induced laughter. "One of Our Girls
depicts the visit of an up-to-date American
young woman to relatives in France. Her
American ways prove revelation to the
French folks. The young woman's French
cousin, through an arrangement perfected
by her parents, is married to a vilIainous
nobeman, although she is In love with
another man. OF course, many complca-
tions arise, with the ending as usual, salts
| "a ip,
cast as the American girl, and might be
expected, meets all requirements. Rather
Inc Clinton is the unsophisticated French
damsei Julie and Mrs. Barry is excel
! lent as jules mother John r. Sullivan has
a heavy rOle-that of the vilainous noble
| man. White Whittlesey is bashful army
| officer. who wins the love of the American
girl Charles Wyngate is a serious young
! man who unhappily, is in love with the
| wife of another man. Frederic Sullivan has
congen.al character part. The other roles
are capably handled by William Redmund
| Myron Leffingweil Joseph Kaufman and
Harry Herfurth. "One of Our Girls seemed
| to please the majority of those in the
| audience last evening. and when that result
| Is attained little else need be said
CHAsE's NEW GRAND-Manager Chase
| is open to congratulations for the excellent
! program he has selected for this week at
| the New Grand. From the rise to the fall
| of the curtain there is nothing but the best
| of acts. and, although two of them have
! been frequent visitors IN this city, they are
! so good to easily bear repetition. On ac-
| count of its beautiful setting and really
| good singing. the little American japanese
musical comedy, "Miyo San," is entitled to
| the most consideration. although the ridicu-
| lous sketch of Harry Foy and Florence
! Clark was the greatest laugh producer. In
| "Miyo San Adolphe Mayer, Laura DEMO-
I Florence Tyler and Helen Bracket were
heard in solos. duets and quartets, the more
difficult numbers receiving unstinted ap-
| plause for the manner in which they were
| handled. The sketch introduced by Harry Foy
| and Florence Clarke is by Will NJ. Cressy
! and is entitled I'm the Spring of Youth"
| 1t tells of a hotel where the waters Of the
! different springs of generosity youth, ath-
/ letism, love etc, can be had, and to this
| place Is shipped an old uncle with lots of
money. The transformation of the broken
| down man to an athlete is unusually funny
| and when he partakes of the other waters
the humor is infectious. In the wind-up
the uncle drinks too much water from the
spring of youth, drop of which takes of
| a year of his life, and as the curtain goes
down, a monkey is gamboling where the
old fellow had gone off to sleep a minute
before. The sketch is undoubtedly one Of
| the best the vaudeville boards as a
laugh producer, and as it suits the eccentric