The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1902-03-25
ANNIE RUSSELL In
FlTCH'S new PLAY
"The Girl and the Judge" IS
a Delightful Comedy.
STAR IS GIVEN AN OVATION
Mrs. Gilbert, Too, Comes in for Large
Share of the Applause of the National
Audience-"Jane" at the Lafayette
Sandow Displays His Strength at the
EmpiTe-Other Attractions.
NATIONAL-"The Girl and the Judge, -
d comedy in four acts, by Clyde Fitch.

NATIONAI-"The Girl and the Judge -
I. comedy in four acts, by Clyde Fitch.
George Buckingham Chartris. go. .Orrin johnson
Stanton. John Glendnning
Brown. Randolph Mordecai
key ikenstein. Arthur Schwartz
Mmiircd Stanton Annie russell
Mrs. Stanton. Harriet Otis Dellenbaugh
MS. thartris. Mts- EllDert
Mrs. Brown. Mrs Mckee Rankin
MIS-. ikehstcin. .Mathilde 'ottreis
II the excellence of modern dramatic
art consists of naturally depicting the
dramatic scenes and incidents Of life the
Clyde Fitch play, THE Girl and The
Judge which came to the National Thea
tire last evening. comes very near to being
a great play. Some one has remarked
about Mr.. Fitch that he generally takes
an olive in his cocktails, meaning that
in constructing his dramas he usually
employs soupcon of sensationalism. The
remark is true concerning THE Girl and
the Judge for there is an element of
sensationaiism in it, but it is used SO
naturally that it comes as a logical Sc
quence of the story that is told.
Perhaps it is due to the very excellent
acting of Annie Russell and her fine sup
porting company that the play seems to
be SO real, but be that as it may, last
nights performance was one of the most
entertainingly natural plays that has been
seeen in Washington this season.
A Dramatic Kleptoma1iac
Reverting to the subject of sensational
ism, Mr.. Fitch. in THE Girl and the
Judge" has used theme that in the
hands of most persons would have proved
an impossible one to handle. He is noted
for constructing plays around subjects
that would cause any less courageous
dramatist to hesitate. He has heretofore
dramatized a wedding. funeral and a
christening. In this instance he has made
a play of theft, the act of a kleptoma-
MAC, but he has treated the subject so
well and has caused his characters to
move through the incidents so realistic
ally that the play seems to be more
real picture of life than story of the
stage.
The action of THE Girl and the Judge"
moves naturally and logically to the
climax. which comes exactly at the right
time, the third act, and the interest is
sustained to the end. The opening act
shows the office of a Western judge
young and handsome man. His secretary
and his office man move naturally
through the preliminary incidents. SO
naturally that one could easily fancy he
was Witnessing the occurrences that hap
pen every day in judges office. The
principals arrive-a man and wife and
their daughter. The parents seek a sep
aration the wife claiming her husband
to be a drunkard. the husband simply
saying that he cannot live longer with
his wife. Despite all the entreaties of
the judge and daughter, the parents de-
eide to separate, while the girl and the
judge proceed to fall in love at first sight
The second act takes place in the apart
ments of mother and daughter. The
judges mother. played by dear old Mrs.
Gilbert, pays them visit. and having
carelessly laid her diamond pin on a
table, the girls mother yields to her
weakness of kleptomania and appropriates |
it. after aiding in the search for it when |
the loss becomes known.
An Unusual Scene.
The third act discloses the olive The |
curtain rises on a darkened stage Mother |
and daughter are in bed, the girl sobbing |
She tearfully accuses her mother of hay
ing stolen the pin, but when the latter
strenuously denies the charge she be-
lieyes. and then confdes to her mother
that she has become engaged to the Judge
A lend ringing of the door bell is heard;
a mans voice demands to see the mother
and then, terrified beyond control, the
poor kleptomaniac admits the theft
You have stolen my happiness, moth
cr," remarks the girl: good night
desPairirgly she adds, and the
curtain descends.
Only the two-mother and daughter
ppear on the stage during the scene,
cut the accusation, the confession Of the
iweet young girls love, the terrified ad-
mission OF theft on the Fart of the moth
ar. make a dramatic scene so tense that
II is startling in its realism.
In the last act Mr.. Fitch ingeniously
to straighten out matters. and
Ill ends happily, as il should. 1t is. per-
maps. not a great story for a play, but it
Is handled so cleyerly that it makes one
II the best dramatic offerings OF the sea-
son.
Miss Russell's Splendid Work
Annie Russell. who plays the girl-she
Of the winsome, sweet, demure, and I'M
emotional character, as every critic has
ieclared-has never appeared to better |
advantage. There are no thrillingly emo
ional scenes in her part, but she is re-
luired TO portray the whole gamut of hui
nan emotioDs-tender affection. deep and
hameful sorrow. fearful suspicion, awful
lnguish, resigned despair. and eXultant.
oyful love in the end. She meets these
requirements in every instance, and there
$ not a moment while she is on the stage
hat she does not act most naturally. In
Mss Russell's line of work she has not |