Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-23
ADJUSTMENTS.
NEW NATIONAL THEATER.-


as good a cast and with as brilliant an ar
ray OF costumes and scenery as the mana
gerial cash drawer can supply. In this case
the cash drawer was equal to liberal
draft, for, despite the studious scantiness OF
some Of the costumes there is wealth OF
f1nery constantly on display. 1t has long
since become impossible for an habitual
theatergoer to form a positive opinion on
decorum In stage attire. Fashions IN MOD
esty change on the stage as they do on
the street. and curves which were primly
concealed from one generation are paraded
without conjunction before the eyes or
the next. 1t must be said for 1.-The De-
fender that despite it's audacious pic
turesqueness there is no deliberate suggeS-
ton in the lines or In the action.
Plot, THE Defender" has none; music,
some, and girls plenty. There Is some
talent, toe, IN the company. For instance.
there is Alexander Clark, who is funny all
the time he is on the stage. Mr.. Clark
has not been very much hailed as a com
ing comedian" but nevertheless he has I'M
mistakably arrived. If he can keep UP the
comedy pace he sets in this piece he may
attain success, even unto the glory of serv
ing a Broadway music hall at a salary
which makes legitimate stars turn pale with
envy Nature. when she denies man the
doubtful gift of good looks, sometimes COM
pensates by making him funny. Mr. Clark
has long legs, bald head and prominent
nose, tnestima BILE gifts to one whose mission
II is to make the average patron of musical
SoihcuS laugh LII ADDITION ne mas gen
timely humorous quality which forces a
laugh and redeems what would seem coarse
ness In performer who was not absolutely
sure of the good will of the audience. Mr..
Clark Is one Of the men who will be waited
Tor another season.
Emma Carus Is a friend of long standing
among theater devotees. Miss Carus has a
voice which Is wonderfully strong without
pelng marsh, and figure which, though
not petite, Is well worthy Of the skill which
the modlste has bestowed upon the resplen-
dent yet tasteful gowns. When she sings
coon song she best ows on it wealth of
emphasis which makes every point tell, and
hsr dancing Is Of the easy, spontaneous sort
which makes intricacy of step less a con-
sideration than the personality and anima-
ton which pervade Ii Miss Carus permits
no moment to lag while she has the center
of the stage
Yacht racing Is, of course. the theme, and
there are some suggestions of satire which
DO not get beyond the program. One of the
Characters is designated as Sir Thomas
Ieaton, who longs to lift the cup" Before
the hrst act Is under way, however, the
plot has gone glimmering. and there Is no
EFFORT to present anything but series of
rollicking specialties. which awaken one
laugh after another An enormous amount
OF cleverness has been unscrupulously APP
propriated from THE Defender by less
pretentious productions; but it still has
novelty of It's own. enough and to spare.
The company La very large one, and the
stage pictures are in some instances ex-
traordinarily beautiful The finale Is reached
amid dazzling maze Of colored paper rib
ands, which circle from all parts Of the
stage in iridescent profusion. 1t is a most
effective bit of stage gorgeousness. The
piece is of less Importance than the man
ner in which it. is done. There are evidences
of Its stay in New York in the shape Of
persistent flow of trivial localsms. which in
a piece designed for general consumption
can scarcely command appreciation
The Defender is in position to guar
antee laughs. and will no doubt enjoy
throughout the week the enthusiastic ap-
proval which it won last night.
COLUMBIA THEATER-The Liberty
Bellies. A score of liberty bellies caroled
and danced at the Columbia last night to
the accompaniment of applause from a
theater full. There was no condition at
tached to their Endorsement. AS far as the
women, were given full liberty to disport
themselves in Washington playhouses at
their own pleasure.
The play Is a pot pourri of specialties,
songs and much dancing, sprinkled with
occasional touches Of dialogue. With this
last named commodity Washington became
fairly familiar last year and accepted 1t as
an incident to the real attractions Of the
performance But the specialties and other
features were then given hearty approval
and 1t Is not unlikely that this year the
immortal pink pajamas, the well-known
scene in the dormitory OF a girls boarding
school, and the futter OF lingerie which
pervades all three acts would carry the
performance If everything else were omit
ted. 1t is unnecessary to go any further
into details. The Liberty Bellies, as they
exploited themselves here a year ago, are
back again in town, and they have a host
Of supporters here.
Harry Gilfoil remains with the company
His limitations of everything In the known
world of sound-from a beginners solo on
the flute to the sharpening of a carving
n he rct Iietj, o.
the show. His associates vary from the
first presentation of the play sufficiently to
give it an Independent interest without al
tering its character. Chief among these Is
Miss Violet Dale, who bears herself with
much grace, is exceptionally good to look
upon and sings one or two songs which do
not affront such personality. Katie Roo
ney fills the part of the stage-struck girl in
spite of diminutive figure. Messrs John
Gilroy, Harry Linton and J. C. NARROW sing
the secondary male parts with success par
tlcularly MIR. MARROW, who appears as Capt.
Hiram Ketcham Of the wheeling vessel,
Polly Ann: Among the school girls, with
whom the future of the performance really
rests, were the suffering girl, daintily, i'm
personated by Lottie Stavely the paiama
girl, played by Lillian Austin and many
others, who were applauded so generously
that their song Of the Lesson Book threat
ened to keep them on the stage until mid
night.
no doubt be difficult matter to convince the
large audience at the Lafayette Theater
last night that Eugenia Blair is not en-
titled to high encomiums as an actress
This was her first appearance In Washing
ton after an absence of four years, and she
seems to have been particularly fortunate
on her return to the capital city in her Sc
lection of 'ZaZa" as the medium through
which to display her histrionic abilities
The story of "Zaza" is one that cannot
fail of exceptional interest so long as love
and sacrifice remain leading factor in
human existence.
Miss Blair portrayed the character of
Zaza In thoroughly creditable manner
The varying emotions Of the music hall
girl. changing from the gay to serious, and
back to the coquettish, were depicted COM
pletely and naturally. In the emotional
scenes-her interview with Demands little
daughter in the third act and the breaking
off of her relations with her lover in the
fourth, the climax Of the pece-she was
undoubtedly at her best. Miss Blair was
literally applauded during the presentat ion
of the piece, and received numerous cur
tain calls at the close Of acts two, three
and four. Alanson Lessey, as Bernard
Dufrene. gave an excellent performance
He has a most pleasingly modulated voice
and an attractive personality, and in addi-
ton to his physical fitness for the part his
acting and Interpretation were highly ac-
ceptable
The roles of Madame Dufrene and Flo
rianne. a music hall girl, were essayed by
Miss Eleanor Montell, a strikingly hand