The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-09-23

geticaIly spTinging
,--,..-.-.. $1,000 up and down on a
81 ''-''''i- wire mattress for
: the sole purpose of accentuating the
gect that she was attired in pink pa
jamas, Miss Close appealed more
strongly 10 she critical portion OF the
audience than any % her feminine as
/ sociates.
She sang several songs-or to BE-
more propeT-she spoke them, while
/ she accompanied herself on the piano
/ There was more daintiHess and grace
and clevernesS displayed by Miss Close
/ during the few moments she was seat
ed at the instrument than in the com
binsd work of the other young women
OF the company. and she, above every
one else. was singled out to make a
{ large sized success when the production
reached New York
This prediction was more than real
+ lied. for the metropolitan reviewers
+ praised her quite extravagaHtIy for
what they described as the most ar
Iisttc contribution TO a musical enter
tainment that Gotham amusement pa
irons had enjoyed in many a day.
Miss Close IS from Brooklyn. Her
I father is q minister, and, of course, she
/ had 10 overcome the usual parental OBJ
+ jections 20 her appearance in front Of
/ the fo0tIigh1s-
/ But her talent has lifted her 10 an
/ enviable altitude in the show world,
and she is accounted one OF the big
/ features OF The Liberty Bellies" per
Torrance this year
New York last night witnessed the
first American production Of The
Country Girl. the English musical
comedy that has been the most sub
stantfaI success Of recent London sea
sons.
The piece was given at Days The
alter, and the metropolitan critics agree
/ that Il possesses all the charms Of
san Toy and The Geisha." the ear
lfer works Of the authors Of The Coun-
I try Girl"
William Norris scored a very dectd-
ed hit in the chief comedy role. and
Minnie Ashley. recalled for her dainty
work in san Toy THE Runaway
( Girl" and several other Of the import
! ed musical comedies. returned 10 the
stage after an absence Of over a year,
/ and Immediately regained her former
/ popularity with Daily audiences.
What the story og The Country Girl
/ is all about doesn't matter much, as long
! as opportunities are furnished for pretty
women and pretty songs.
! There is the impoverished son OF a
/ ruined country gentleman who rents his
/ estates TO parvenG who hopes by his
newly acquired peacock feathers to send
( his son 10 Parliament.
Both young fellows have been making
love 10 two girls Of the neighborbo0d,
/ one Of whom eventually goes 20 London
/ and becomes an unsuccessful actress
About election time all return to the
/ Devonshire town. the impoverished youth
now a commander IL the navy and the
parvenu a fuII-fedged Parliament mem
Der With them come a pseudo RaJah
and a cafe-au-lait princess. There are
mistakes and cross purposes and q gen
eral tangIing Of Identities and court
ships.
Eventually all meet at a fancy dress
ball. where complications increase until
Godfrey ChaIloner. the impoverished
young naval officer, finds himself wealthy
by the sale Of some supposedly worth
less tin mines and is able 10 claim as
his bride the sweetheart OF his former
years, who. until the last moment, has
kept her identity from him.
As Il is contrary TO the glamour Of
comic opera TO marry off a parvenu hap
PLY, the younE Parliament leader is per
mitted 10 pursue his butterfly existence
alone. while Nan. the country girl with
whom ne has fiTJed, is content to re-
sumo her life as Of yore in the Devon
shire village
Pinero's latest play, Iris" will be
presented at the Criterion Theater. New
York tonight.
The drama has had the benefit OF a few
Cleveland and several other cities. but
the actual test Of the merits OF the
work =gilI occur tonight. Iris made a
mild sort Of success last spring in
London, but failed Of any great popular
ity because Of the sadness and the IN
pleasantness of the story.
The chief figure Of the play is a wo-
man whose life ends unhappily. wo-
nan whose love Of luxury proves her
moral ruin.
iris is q young widow, loved by two
men-oue rich. the other poor. She
loves the latter, and ne wants her to 20
10 America with him. but instead, she
decides TO live IN poverty until his re-
turn from this land Of tabled riches
During the American fOrtune-sesker's
absence Iris falls prey 10 the rich
suitor, and when the lover returns. he
scoTuG her
Virginia Harmed VIII enact the THU
lar role. and viii have the assistance of
a number of good players.
The principal male part viii be looked
after by Oscar Ascbe. who came 10 this
country especially for the production of
Iris" Mr.. Asche is the leading man of
Beerbohm Trees company, and in his
own land is accounted an unccmmonly
capable actor
Since Frank Daniels departure from
Washington last fall with Miss Sim
plicity." he has made several changes in
the piece, all Of them, Of course. with
the IDEA Of Improvement in briiIfance
and in the elabOrateness Of the produc-
ton.
One Of these changes has to do with
the first entrance OF Miss Grace Orr Nv
ers, the prima donna. who, it will be re-
membered, plays the part Of the Paris
ian countess. Clara de LoinviIIe. and
who afterward DISCUSSES herself as Miss
Simplicity"
Miss Myers who used to walk on de-
mGrely for her first entrance. nuw makes
her appearance in e beautifully wrought
sedan chair Mr.. Daniels thought that
10 simply walk on was not a sufficiently
striking mode Of entrance for SO fmport-
ant a persOnsge as Claire de I,oinviIIa
and. after some study. he decided 10
send her upon the stage every night in a
luxurious coupe drawn by 4 sOauEipg