The Washington times., 1902-01-07
Columbia Thentre-s.Thc Henrictta,r
by Bronson Howard,

.
The Rev: Dr. Murray Hilton. Joseph 2. keefc
Watson Flint. Roy Atwei
MusgraVc. :......---.........Ci .Ciiarles Il. Gilbert
Hose Van Aistyne. .Estelle Carter
Agnes Lockwood. 0od...--....-.....-.-....M Mary ketliy
Lady Mary Tre!awnoy- Laura Thompson
Ladies and gentlemen" said Stuart
Robson, bowing, Il thank you for asking
me to make you a speech / haven t
been making audience speeches for a long
time now. / think it somehow takes the
actor out of the character and all that.
And I don't think l should have said
anything TO you on this occasion-only-
well. this is the fiftieth anniversary of
my appearance ON the stage, and
But this was as far as Mr.. Robson got
The Columbia audience clapped and
cheered ard smiled and told each other
he was a grand old man. entirely, and SO,
bowing and looking very proud, Mr. Rob
son backed of the stage. Before this,
there had been the consummation of q
conspiracy. The members of The Hen
rietta' Company had prepared 4 surprise
for the chief. They picked out the finest
loving cup they could find and carried
it to his dressing room when he was at
dinner
So there was a little something extra
about this particular performance of an
evergreen play, and throughout the four
acts there were more thoughts in the
mind OF Mr.. Robson than had TO do with
the lines and actions of BERTHE the
Lamb. As for the play, it is so old
that it is almost new. To a great many
in the house it came rs a novelty. To
others it was a welcome revival.
The Henrietta is a strong play. No
one who reads the stage news needs TO
be told that. 1t might be made very
weak play in the hands of actors less
capable than tho3e in the cast of the
Daniel Arthur production. The old Crane
part-Nich0las Van Alstyne the bluff
hearty old operator who makes a fortune
minute and does the David Harum
act from the Wall Street standpoint
is played by Maeisn Arbuckle, whose pre-
miere as a star in The Sprightly Ro-
nance OF Marsac" many Washingtonians
VIII remember with pleasure. Well, the
little play by Mollie Elliot Seawall didn't
last, but this may have been because it
was just bit too high for the tastes of
the New Workers. Anyway, Mr. lAbuckle
is back in Washington, and in a part
that fits him down to the ground. He
has the figure, the righteousness. and the
SpfiSftiinesS TO carry of the lighter situ-
ations. And in the more serious moments
he is equally at home. The finale of the
third act, where he discovers that it is
his own son who has been plotting to
ruin him in a money way, is as forceful
a bit as any manager or audience could
ask for.
'As for the star-well, he was Just
Stuart Robson, that's all. His deliciously
drCn drawl, his unexpectedly developed
nobility, his success in the market-these
things are part OF stage history, and
night as though he were two-scorc years
younger than he really is. He was, in
brief. BERTHE the Lamb.
After the performance Mr.. Arbuckle
was waited away-sounds funny TO use
the word waited in connection with this
plump young gentleman-by Major J. X
Rcdington. DR.. William King and Jules
A. Bemonet, his camp mates on the oc-
casOn OF St. Lawrence River outings
As for Mr.. Robson, he took his loving
cup and went TO bed for he can't gallivant
around like the youngsters. He didn't
leave word what he was going 10 think
about. but the chances are he contrasted
the half-century triumph OF last might |
with his initial performance in Baltimore. |
when ne played in a weird production |
written as an answer to Uncle Toms |
Cabin" and was so bad he WAS discharged |
after his first performance.
Matinee performances OF THE Henri |
ella are scheduled for Thursday and |
Saturday.