Evening star., 1902-04-08
: ADJUSTMENTS,

pSiIoi VI Siu Mig SOlS at the
Lafayette Square Opera House last night.
The entertainment is so absolutely uncon-
ventional that it has commended itself to
the casual amusement seeker well as to
the friends and relatives of the young men
who are acting OUT upon the stage. An
abundance of fine costumes and stout
hearted determination on the part of every
member of the cast from prima donna to
spear carrier, to do his level best went far
to insure the success of the entertainment.
1t had the vitality, the hilarity and the in
definable charm of youth, that season when
all things are possible. The performance
had been prepared with a care which would
do credit to any of the professional organ
lZationS presenting extravaganza.
The audience last night was very large,
and unstinted in it's approval. Indeed. 1t
is only fair that the theater should give
these young men a hearty welcome, for
their performance makes it clear that they
have been devoted students of current at
fractions. Some of the most striking fea-
lures of the conspicuous successes are in
geniouSly dovetailed into the show, and the
result is a melange which takes no chances
on becoming tiresome. The words are cev-
erly adapted to the various melodies by
William Ernst, and some of the original
music by Charles Gilpen, the stage director,
would justify more initiative experiment
than he has chosen to indulge in.
so far as the acting was concerned, it
was a great, good-natured college lark, Syl-
vester J. Deehan showed marked mimetic
ability in his burlesque of Sothern in IF +
Were King" and Warren Frederic Martin
being remarkably clever Pandora in
The Princess" The entire organization,
principals and chorus, worked with will,
and, with the assistance of a well-directed
orchestra, whiled away a number Of hours
most agreeably.
The audience was evidently most amiably
disposed. and the performance took on
that especial eXhilaratiOn which comes
when a large assemblage is thoroughly
willing and anxious to be amused. AS a
social occasion the production was nota-
bic event, number of people prominent
in Washington official life being present as
we'll as number Of visitors from Philadel-
phia.
Tonight The Little Pilgrims will re-
sumo it's run at the Lafayette.
COLUMBIA THEATER. .-Stanislaus
STANCES dramatic version of "Quo Vadis''
was presented to an audience of good size
at the Columbia last night. This is the
third presentation of the play in this city,
and Washington theater-goers are quite fa-
milar with the plot. The Ursus of J. Mont
gomery Irving is perhaps the most artis-
tically done part in the performance Mr..
Irving is fortunate in having a form of
such athletic mold and well suited to his
part that his dramatic task is more than
half filled in his figure. Fred f. Beane as
Chilo Chilonides, a Greek cynic philosopher
gives consistent Interpretation of the
part, although the dramatst's conception
of the character is scarcely in accord with
of this kind by the ablest historians
Adolph Jackson's Petronius was fairly we'll
done. 1t is about the most easily inter
preted part in generally difficult play.
Thomas M Hunter, who is the Nero of the
play, has difficult part and measures up
to his task tolerably we'll Charles Sutton,
who as Vinicius has the star part in the
cast, is scarcely up to former standards set
here. Carline Rohr does the part of the
empress with some force and grace. Miss
Emerson as Lygia is scarcely up to rea-
sonable expectation. Grace Hanson does
the secondary part of Eunice, slave, very
well indeed. The ladies of Nero's court
are all a trif1e stout. and If they faithfully
portray the real thing as it was in Neros
time some vendor of anti-fat remedies could
have reaped a fortune in Rome.
NEW NATIONAL THEATER. - The
power of one rolypoly woman with a mo-
bile mouth and expansive, infectious
smile, to captivate a large audience of rea-
sonably intelligent people with string of
arrant nonseHse is illustrated in the case of
May Irwin. Miss Irwin is the show. There
is the suggestion of a laugh in tWitch of
her mouth, prophecy in the twinkle of her
eyes and fulfillment when she talks. She
is funny because she was born that way.
The Widow Jones' is the name of the
play, but that is neither here nor there.
The title of the play is subterfuge to give
her entry upon the stage. Once emerged
from r. L. f. she is the whole thing. She
sings, of course. 1t would not be May Ir-
win without a coon song. She gives the au-
dienc. some of the old favorites and few
new ones that Immediately became favor
ties. When she sang the audience de-
manded encores, and when encores were
refused tried to drown the business of the
next turn with appeals for more song. 1t
is only fair to say that Miss Irwin is get
ting a little stingy. She does not give the
audience enough of her own specially. The
company includes number of pretty girls
with good voices to join in the chorus.
Hans f. Robert is with the company and
was welcomed by his friends in the au-
dience.
CHASE'S THEATER-A strong bill is
provided by Chase's Theater this week.
Gentleman James J. Corbett ex-puglist,
later actor and present raconteur is the
head and front in point of interest at least.
Mr.. Corbett makes a pleasing appearance
in evening dress against a background of
crimson plush. He tells a number of clever
stories in a decidedly clever manner and
is withal rosy and good -natured that
one is forced to believe that it was only the
direst need of the purse money that ever
tempted him to raise his hand in anger
against his fellow-man. Sisson and Wal
lace are first on the bill, with a comedy
satire. entitled My Wife's Presents" They
manage to extract a measure of fun out Of
the overworked material of mother-n-law,
absent and confiding wife and cork pop
ping soubrette whom the coltish husband
has met at a bal masque. The Sander Trio,
from the London Hippodrome, give a clean
cut OF muscle ana agility the
flying rings. They are easily at the head
Of their class Little Elsie is her usual
clever self and half dozen stage celebr-
ties besides. whom she initiates admirably,
including Edna May, Pauline Hall, Fay
Ta,npleton and Jess Dandy the Hebrew
impersonator. Elsie can afford to travel
on her merits. Her dimlnutive title is not
only outgrown, but unnecessary. The Trou-
bador Four are eccentric vocalists, who
sing ''old homestead and way down
south melodies in sweet voice Their
comedy work is not what 1t might be and
their music is marred by the mixing, but
much may be forgiven them for their gen.
eral excellence. George Felix and Lydia
Barry appear in THE Vaudeville Craze"
an irresponsible tumble of nothing in par
ticular, in which Miss Barry sings some
taking songs and assists Mr. Felix in cut
ting up" which he does to the limit Hickey
and Nelson are not to be outdone by Felix
and Barry. as they proceed to prove In
their acrobatic twisted and tangled turn
If they overlooked anything in the knock
about line 1t was not apparent to the au-
dience. The program concludes with Hill
and Silvainy. whose trick cycling Is of the
unusual. The spectacle Of gentleman riding
down a stairway on a single wheel hands
off, and holding a young woman above his
head, is one which brings a feeling of re-
lief to the onlooker when it is safely over.