Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-19
Cor1INC ATTRACTIONS.
New National Theater.

Paul hester succeeded aQmlrdDly IN re-
producing in his dramatization of Charles
Majors novel. when Knighthood Was in
Flower" to be seen at the New National
Theater during the coming week, for the
second time this season, that important
essential environment which gives SO much
delight to the spectator and much nat
uralness to a play. The keynote is struck
in the first act, and indeed in the first
glimpse afforded the spectator as the cur
tain rises. The scene Is Windsor Park,
near the boat landing on the Thames. Wis
tas of forest and river are disclosed, and
from the depths of the woods comes the
music of hunters horns. The court
fool and his attendants dancing the
quaint morris dances which were SO char
acteristic feature of popular amusements
during the, reign Of Henry VIII. Other
May day merrymakers are prancing on
hobby horses. The scene is one of inno
cence and whole-souled gayety. The atmos-
phere of liveiness and good cheer is main
tanned throughout the first act of the play.
The second also affords Miss Marlowe a
score of delightful comedy opportunities in
her role of Mary Tudor.
The loves and sacrifices of Mary Tudor
and Charles Brandon form the motif of the
play How the princess refuses to obey her
brothers command that she marry the
aged King of France. and how she and
Brandon are involved in great trouble as
result of her determination to wed the man
of her choice, is swiftly disclosed in the
first and second acts. The third transfers
the leading characters to the great room of
the Bow and String Inn at Bristol. whittier
the princess and Brandon have fled, with
the intention of taking ship for America.
and thus escaping the wrath Of kings and
the penalties Of exalted station. But they
are captured by troop of the royal guards
and torn from each others embraces. Bran
don to be exied and Mary to be welded to
the King of France. She becomes the mon
arch's wife in name only, however The
lost nP hn not ~ M q ha mn
ending and an exquisite tableau, which dis
covers King Henry. surrounded by a great
array of courtiers, receiving back to Eng
land and to his favor his truant sister. This
stage picture Is one OF the most elaborate
attempted by any producer of plays this
| season. either in this country or England,
and, what Is more to the point, Mr.. Hester
has written for 1t some really exquisite bits
Of dialogue upon which Miss Marlowe Law
ishes the finest qualities OF her many-sided
art.
Her Mary Tudor Is a vixen. but she is
not vixenish always. She manifests tender
ness and lovableness when her heart is
stirred. She has a will of her own, and ever
knows the way to enforce her determine
ton to have the man Of her choice. come
what may. In the first act she Is terma
CANT, eager to see II she really loves; in the
second she Is in fortunes Of doubt as to her
lovers fate: in the third she risks all to
run away with him. and when 1t Is neceS-
sary to marry Louis Of France to save
Brandon she does that with the courage of
a true heroine. After her royal husband
departs this world she sets about to regain
the man who IS all in all to her. By re-
course to a promise. won through pretty
wit. she obtains her hearts desire. Miss
Marlowe is said to make an exquisite Mary.
and to have created q character which will
be memorable addition to her gallery of
dramatic portraits.
During Miss Marlowe's engagement at the
New National there will be but one matt
nee, that Of Saturday.
Columbia Theater.
So popular an actor as William Morris is
sure to enlist a wide range OF interest in
this city in every part which he under
| takes, and when he appears at the Column
bia next week as Richard Carewe. in the
Knickerbocker Theater success, when We
Were Twenty one" that interest will be
more than doubled This will be Mr.. Nor
ris' first appearance here in two years, as
he has not been seen in Washington since
his farewell In christopher. Jr.," at the
head Of his own popular stock company
during the summer of 1900 AS he made
himself a great favorite with our theater-
goers at that time, his return to the stage
where he made so many successes will
prove Of unusual interest to his many
Washington friends. Since his last visit
Mr.. Morris has become an actOr-manager.
Morris and Hall, the firm with which he Is
associated, have number of companies on
will appear in when We Were Twenty
one." The play tells the story Of a
youths infatuation for concert hall singer
and his rescue by self-sacrihcing love. The
orphaned son of one of five old and fast
friends. he was committed child by his
dying father to the affectionate care Of the
surviving four. One of these-Richard Ca
| rewe-has acted as special guardian, and
sharing the latter's home we'll are an
estimable lady in the capacity Of house
| keeper. and her lovely daughter Phyllis.
! The daughter and the ward are engaged
| to be married as the result of well-meant
Vaccination. but there Is an absence of
love on either side. Such is the situation
when the play begins. and the story Is car
ried forward by the boys infatuation for
| the FREELY. as she Is called, a confusion Of
correspondence, due to two Dicka-b0ys and
guardian: a self-sacrtf1cing assumption OF
a compromising compact by the elder, and
eventual explanations, leading to renun-
citation Of the earlier attachment and awak-
ening Of the youth to his folly. and the dis
covery that the daughter has all along
loved the middle-aged bachelor guardian.
The incident of when We Were Twenty
one Is ingenious and the dialogue Is bright.
$500
Chase's Theater.
Captain Woodward's performing seals and
sea lions in their astonishing .'circus Of the
I sea" will continue to monouofize attention