The Washington times., 1902-04-08
The Mask and Wig Club Entertains a
Large and Fashionable Audience at the
Lafayette-"Quo vadis" at the Colum-
bia-Other Attractions.
NATIONAL-"The Widow Jones" COM
edy farce in three acts, by John j.
McNally The cast:

May lTWln commenced neT HTSI annual
farewell engagcment-so far as Washing
ton anyway, is concern ed-last night at
the National Theatre. The house was
filled with people who like the sort of a
show that the hefty Miss Irwin usually
provides. and the star herself was in fine
fettle for turning out laughs.
The announcement that Miss Irwin
would retire from the stage at the end
of the present theatrical year and devote
the rest of her happy life to living in
Oriental splendor on the money she has
been able to save from her theatrical
trips around the country is not true. Miss
Irwin at the time this announcement was
made was seTious-she was never more
so in all her life. and perhaps so far as
the general public was concerned this
was the only time in her career when her
humor was not appreciated.
The idea of May Irwin emulating Patti.
and trouping around the length and
breadth of the land for a farewell. seemed
TO please the theatre going people of the
United States immensely, and it made
but little difference that the comedienne
d
her hest. play. The Widow Jones'" with
which to say good bye 10 her patrons
and followers. The farewell idea was look
ed upon as huge joke by everybody, and
Miss Irwin was considered funner than
ever before, with the result that the the
atres in which she appeared were entirely
too small to hold the people who wanted
to see her joyial self and listen to her
Groom coon ditties.
Another Farewell Tour.
And by the time the first few mont tbs
of the farewell business were over the
actress decided that after all she had bet
ter have another au revoir tour. So all
admirers of the fair. frolicsome, and frail
May Irwin will haii with genuine pleasure
the news that there is to be another fare
we'll tour next season.
The snug manner in which the chief
role of THE Widow Jones' fits Miss Irwin
almost calls forth the simile OF the paper
on the wall. anyway il is a mighty good
fiji. and no dramatist but John j. McNally,
who fashioned the farce. has been able
to take the measure Of the comedienne so
we'll
New Coon Songs
There is enough plot to interest any
body who cares for typical May Irwin
show; the lines may be a bit trite now.
but when they were first penned they
fairly sparkled. and much of the lustre
remains yet; and. best of ALL the piece
gives Miss Irwin a capital chance to sing
some of her best coon songs. Last night
she had couple of new selections of this
sort. in addition to some of the old fay-
orites, and these latter came in for fully
as much Of the applause as did the new
ones.
The company is. on the whole, about as
good as ever assisted Miss Irwin in the
presentation of one of her evenings OF
fun. Hans Robert makes a good substi-
tute for John Rice and gives a perform
ance altogether better than one might ex-
pect, having in mind the past work of this
capable young actor. Jacques Kruger
Roland Carter Chris Bruno, Florence
Reed-a daughter of the late Roland
Reed-Mabel Florence. Helen Dunlap, and
Mabel Russell contribute very materially |
to the success OF The Widow Jones"
THE LAFAYETTE-"Ol King Cole"