Evening star., 1902-04-29
ADJUSTMENTS.

Two Flags is an established favorite
among novel readers. Blanche Bates, Burr
Mcintosh and Eugene Ormond are estab-
lished favorites among playgoers. 1t is
strong combination at the New National
Theater this week and it is small wonder
that enthusiasm ran high last night.
The success of the performance does not
depend on the merits of the play. The
plot is merely an amalgamation of old junk
that has been hawked about for years. The
play opens with a forged will and villain
who cheats at cards. 1t progresses to the
point where the hero makes a clandestine
visit to say cold farewell to an old flame
and is discovered by his sweetheart 1t
finishes with a heroine breathing her last,
surrounded by loving friends and a sympa-
thetic audience. There is something very
deceptive about killing the heroine in the
final scene. After seeing her suffer and expire
an auditor feels that he would be asbrute
should he venture to condemn. One would
almost soon criticise funeral The only
comment which seems appropriate is some
thing to the effect that it is artiStic and
many a playwright has benefited by this
charitable, desire on the part of a play
goers to say something friendly and sooth-
ing in the way of last words. Despite its
lachrymose ending, Under Two Flags Is
a roaring meodrama. 1t is rescued from
the domain of popular prices only by the
human intensity of a single character, "Ci-
garette,' and the efficiency with which that
role is played by Miss Bates. 1t is difficult
to call to mind another player who could
do the performance justice. She displays
keen vivacity of temperament whose edge
is never dulled Mirth, despair, love and
hatred flash through her personality with
lightning swiftness, and so strong is her
magnetism that the auditor follows her
with complete and unresiSting sympathy
through all her changeful moods.
When melodrama is presented for the
consideration of audiences accustomed to
patronize attractions which charge the
maximum scale of prices it is dangerous to
allow an Illusion, once established, to fall
ter. The waits during dark changes were
depressingly long last night. and the speech
that was inconsiderately demanded and
properly refused would have been more to
the purpose than the trained animal exhibit
ton which was attempted after the curtain
was raised in response to the enthusiastic
applause of a delighted audience after
Cigarette is carried up the mountain on
horseback The lack of discrimination in
this and In some minor details was far re-
moved from the standard established for
Belasco productions. One of the most en-
joyable things in the performance was the
work of Burr Mcintosh, who plays the big,
blunt and devoted soldier-man to the life
Mr.. Mcintosh is always himself but that
self fits to nicely some of the most agree
able characters that fiction can devise. Mr.
Ormonde was accorded reception just as
In the old days when he was the cherished
and bouquet-burdened leading man of
local stock company He played the role
of the lover in a manly and self-contained
manner, realizing the part humanity and
as well as picturesquey. The
scenic effects are so elaborate as to fully
Justify the enthusiastic descriptions which
preceded the production here.
COLUMBIA THEATER-It has been a
good long time now since the playgoers of
Washington were Informed Of the multi
tud1nous things that occurred to one Jones
during an eventful evening In his career
horse
Last night at the Columbia Harry Corson
Clarke and his own company presented this
funniest of the Broadhurst farces. The
telling of What Happened to Jones' fell
on appreciative ears, and a more happy,
more enthusiastic audience has seldom filled
the r street playhouse. 1t was a laugh
from beginning to end and 1t was with a
great deal of satisfaction and pleasant an
ticipation the announcement was heard
that the engagement of the company is to
be extended over next week, when His Alb
sent Boy, another comedy of the first wa
ter, is to be presented. On the stage of the
Columbia Harry Corson Clarke is truly at
home, for 1t was there, several seasons ago,
that he scored some of the biggest sue
cesses in the long list of character parts
he has essayed. AS member of the Fraw-
ley Stock Company he became acquainted
with the Washington theater goers who
watched his work with personal interest
and gratifying approval. TT seems like
being at home again." said Mr. Clarke last
the loud calls for a speech, "and it is GER
tainly good to play before such an audience
of friends The evening was one Of en-
joyment throughout. The program maker
calls What Happened to jones' a ''hilari-
Gus sufficfency." To the audience last night
this seemed not to be the case The play
goers seemed to relish the humor tod much to
ever have sufficiency of it. and the three
acts Of the comedy seemed eli too short.
with such fun as was going on behind the
1oothghts IT was apparent the audience
would have liked to remain till midnight
and past Aside from this thorough enioy-
ment of the farce itself, there were many
other pleasant features of the evening In
Mr. Clarke's company are a number of
Washington players, chief among them be-
ing Lucia F. HuXford the daughter of
Major W. P. Huxford, recorder general of
the Loyal Legion, well known in social and
military circles She was fairly inundated
with flowers during the second act
AS Jones, Washington audience saw
Mr.. Clarke In his nearest approach to
straight part. He handled the lines In a
manner that added greatly to their original
humor The company is a very clever one,
and the performance was as smooth as
could be desired. H. G. Hockey, as the
sporty old professor of anatomy, does de-
cidedly clever work, which is also true Of
Frederick Murray as his brother, the
Laura Almosnino, Helen Ware and Louise
Bryant are included in the feminine con-
tingent Of the company. and are happily
cast.
LAFAYETTE THEATER.-A latter-day
Rosalind, an up-to-date Parthenia, a-but
there are many characters combined to
make the creation portrayed by Lillian
Lawrence in the guise Of Lady Ursula
Darlington at the Lafayette this week.
Anthony Hope has drawn many delightful
pictures of feminine piquancy, from the
fiirtatious Dolly of the dialogues to the
fascinating Osra, who won the hearts Of
many gallant men. Each conception is
distinct and. If not wholly original, its
elements are composed in a novel way Lady
Ursula and her adventures as put upon
the stage make demands upon the imagina-
tion. One cannot accept them in the mat
ter-of-fact spirit in which the modern real
istic play is swallowed. The incongruities
and improbabilities are too strong But
with the imagination employed and in sym
pathy with the story, Ursula and her
downy little sister, her masterful brother
the boisterous Dent and the stately and
inexorable Sir George become realities and
the adventures are followed with eager in
terest. The piece is most creditably staged
The period of the play is in the latter part
of the eighteenth century, and a commend
able effort has been made to avoid anach-
ronisms. Longer time than usual had been
allowed for rehearsing the play, and as a
result the performers were tter-perfect in
their lines. Last nights gathering at the