The Washington times., 1903-12-06
Captain BarringtOn'S" Chances
of Turning Out a Winner at
the Box Office Considered
Good But" Says the Wise
One in the Front Row, They
Might Be Better" and He
Tells You Why.
BY MATTHEW WHITE. JR.

I p Captain harrington" turns out
eorkinz winner at the box Of
fee, there need be no scarcity of
plays for the students at the En-
pire School of Acting. I understand
that Mr.. Sargent has in the past exper-
fenced some trouble in obtaining ma
terIaI on which his young hopefuls may
try their steps. but with prominence
given to the fact that Richman's We
hicle was once known as THE Tory
Guest" and was originally brought out
at one Of the Academy Of Dramatic
Arts Thursday afternoons, Wouid-be
playwrlghts, whose name Is legion. viii
surely throng the corridors TO the
schools Office.
Alas, though. there is no very cogent
reason why this play should catch on.
It is fairly good in spots, but nowhere
strikingly brilliant. IN its earlier por-
tons il is crude and tedious in the ex-
IRENE. And just now. Revolutionary
themes are in almost as bad odor for
stage purposes as are dramatized
novels.
The whole thing is frightfuny the
atric- You never forget for one min
ute that Richman is playing two roles.
and while ne Is of the stage you are
mentally totting 20 the progress he
has made at such and such minute
in his exchange OF costumes
Richman Deserves Success.
And yet Richman deserves success.
He has certainly worked hard enough
10 achieve il. 1t seems a pity that when
he IS ready 20 spring himself on the
public, that public is not in just the
mood 10 receive him with open arms.
while ago I was inclined 10 think
there was no good reason for the eau
ton Of those managers who declared
they would not bring a certain show Of
theirs into New York on account of the
poor season.
If the show is good, I said 10 myself,
why should the fact that there have
been a number Of failures insure d
fiasco for this venture2'
But there seems TO be sense I'm the
caution. Let the people. get 1t into
their heads that dramatic disaster is
in the air and they are ready 10 pick
flaws where otherwise these might es-
cape observation. And TO have one male
star like Arthur Byron succumb To "a
play of she Revolution on the Saturday
night before Charles Richman began in
another OF the same period on Monday.
was. to say the least ominous.
His Leading Woman.
Mr.. Riehman should be set upon a
pinnacle for one thing he has done lie
has surrounded himself with an emil
nentiy capable company. and seems
perfectly sincere in wishing 10 give them
as much chance 70 be applauded as him
self
Miss Suzanne Sheldon. mis- leading wo- /
man. won all sorts Of hOnors as HUI
guette with Sothern when he first pre-
scented II 1 Were King. and her Ruth
l-angdon I'm Captain Darlington is a
trying role capitally portrayed
Miss Sheldon Cwho in private life 3
Mrs. Henry Ainley. having married
Maude Adams leading man in the
spring. is an American, but has play
ed much in London. In fact, she was
not known on the stage here at all un-
I'll S0thern brought her over three years
ago. I remember seeing her over there
at the Adelphi in SO in melodrama We
have not had. called with Flying Col
ors" and she is. understand. as cap
able OF playing in German as in her own
language
George W. Wilson's Role.
old and reliable George ". Wilson. |
the Tory householder. IS another re-
cruit from IF ] Were King. in which
Ind was altogether "a superb Louis &I. /
AFR Wilson Is an onshcot from that great
theatrical institution o. New England's I
past-the old Boston Museum stock. and Z
IS as modest as he IS talented wIthal. /
He was Silas Hobbs the grocer. in /
''Fauntleroy." and Joel Gates in shore 4
Acres"
The real sensation OF Captain Bar
rington, however. is the General Wash /
saEt0n Of Joseph Kilgo9r. who few
year since was the hero at the Acade- |