Evening star., 1902-01-14
ADJUSTMENTS.

NEW NATIONAL THEATER.-H is
safe to say that If all the people who do
not admire William Faversham as an ac-
tor were to stand up and be counted, they
could be placed in a very small room. And
these people after consulting and compar-
ing notes, would decide that they were mis-
taken and had been thinking of some other
man. Mr.. Faversham's popularity has
been won by the Sincerest sort of work.
There is a manly frankness about what
he does, which inevitably wins approval.
Had it been Mr.. Favershams fortune to
establish himself as the first and original
exponent of the modern Don Caesar de
Bazan, the character would have higher
artistic footing in the minds of the pres
ent generation. Gerald du Mauriers ver-
sion of the piece is a most satisfying bit
of craftsmanship, with wealth of gen
uine wit in the lines and a touch of orig
inality here and there which livens the
plot without destroying the integrity of
the old story.
If such a thing is possible. Mr.. Faver-
sham is at a disadvantage by being too
honest in his work. Don Caesar is ro-
mantle fantasy; transcendent type or
chivalry, who is not expected to walk with
mortals Mr.. Faversham evidently has a
sense of humor There are many conces-
sions he would doubtless make to the sigh
ing plauditS of the matinee idolaters and
to the lustier approval of the gallery. if
he were not afraid of laughing at himself.
His Don Caesar walks with his head well
up in the air; but his feet are firmly on
the ground, and it is something of a dis
appointment to the overwrought imaglna-
tion to find this creature of frills and brag-
gadocia transformed into simple,
straightforward gentleman who is valiant
and generous merely because it is his ma
ture to be So But what pleasure it is
to the intelligence that longs for a sane
and wholesome strain in the romantic
drama Mr.. Faversham does not lend him
self readily to exaggerated types of ideal
ism. His genius is for the plausible. His
Don Caesar is a good, genuine fellow. de-
void of artifice; more Anglo-Saxon than
Latin. Mr.. Faversham has sacrificed much
opportunity for fine effects in male mil
linery, by costuming the part in the sable
elegance of true Spanish grandee.
The audience was hearty in its approval
of the performance, numerous curtain calls
being given ct the end Of the second and
third acts. Miss Julie Opp plays Ma
rita" Miss Opp's personality would lead
the auditor to expect triumphs for her in
the domain of the Statuesque and repose-
ful, rather than in so ardent and romantic
a type as that of the beautiful gypsy sing
ing girl. 1t is to be regretted that the
very important role of the king could not
have been as well played as the part of
the prime minister was played by Edwin
Stevens. Mr.. Stevens was admirable in
every scene, his work being thoroughly in
harmony with the stars disdain of the
lends so much temptations. Claire Nc
Dowell played the part of Pedro Don Cae-
sar's protege, with excellent dramatic ef-
feet, and Snitz Edwards infused a passing
of comic opera into the produc-
tion which was amusing without being un
duly obtrusive.
COLUMBIA THEATER.-San Toy, mu-
sical comedietta with Chinese stage set
tings. made it's annual bow to a Washing
ton audience at the Columbia last night.
It's reception was warm and hearty. To
those who had seen the play before it
seemed to have gathered additional charms
and to those who saw it for the first time
there seemed to be no lack of interest.
There is very little of plot in the play. San
Toy is the daughter of a Chinese mandarin
who is in disgrace at court and who makes
the daughter dress and pose as a boy to
prevent her being summoned to the en-
perors harem. Her identity is finally dis
covered and she is hailed to court, where
she outwits the aged emperor and finally
marries her English lover, a captain in
the British army. "San Toy was written
to please; and it does so. 1t would be hard
to tell just why this is a fact, but an i'm
pressive fact it is nevertheless. The ap-
probation of the audience last night was
most pronounced. Modelled on the plan of
t he "Geisha,' the play is more remotely
but none the less strongly reminiscent of
Mikado.' 1t would scarcely be fair, how
ever, to make analytic comparison between
these two productions. Each would suffer
perhaps. Each has contributed immensely
to the pleasure of the theater-going public
and judged simply by that great measure
of merit, success, San Toy must be con-
sldered as being in the tmertorious class.
The play as presented at this engagement
PRODUCTION of up-to-date illusions in it's
most popular, semi-topical numbers.
Of the cast Samuel Collins of course car
rleS off first honorS in his Interpretation of
II yhn yr-itl
gram, but who seems to be sort of fac
totum for Yen How, a Chinese mandarin
in disgrace. Mr. Collins caught the fancy
of his audience last night to the extent of
many encoreS. His Chinese Soldier Man
song made decided hit.
Mr.. Melville Stewart who does the part
of Captain Bobby Preston, has a good
stage presence and a tenor voice which is
far above the average. He also scored
success with his audience George K For
tescue, who is Chinese mandarin of ample
physical proportions, made most amusing
impression. Miss Paula Edwards, who has
the role of an English lady's maid, does the
part naturally and gracefully. Her singing
and dancing both gained her renewed
plaudits from the friends she has won by
previous appearances here. Her song
Rhoda and Her Pagoda,'' was encored to
the limit. Sarony Lambert Introduces some
Chinese emperor. Harold Wizard, as Sir
Bingo Preston, British consul at Pynka
Pong, was very droll.
The stage settings and costumes are more
than usually brilliant and artistic There
is a host Of pretty girls and altogether.
San Toy affords an evening of very
piquant amusement.
LAFAYETTE SQUARE OPERA HOUSE.
The Bellows Stock Company is again the
realm of the society play where it is ad-
at it's best. Last night an alto
gether clever performance of Lady Winde-
meres Fan" was given. The capable work
of the players in the stock organization
was given the usual background of partcu-
larly lavish stage settings Mr.. Bellows
has the knack Of designing effective stage
scenes and the pictures presented week
after week at the Lafayette are models Of
and completeness. Seldom,
indeed has the stock company been more
cast as a whole than in the epi-
grammatic play Of poIiteness 1t is a source
of regret to some extent, however, that the
action of the play devolves principally upon
four people and consequently many of the
favorites in the Lafayette contingent are
seen but little. The stellar honors of the
week have really been given over to Kath-
crime Clinton, although 1t may be lese ma
jeste to say so. She has been cast in the
character of Mrs. Erlynne" and it is
about her that the main interest centers
She has the effective lines and all that
there Is of the heroic in the entire assem-
blage of British peers and peeresses In
whom the play abounds. Miss Clinton is
quite pleasing, but is hardly mature enough
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