The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-09-20

light and shadow of another season, II
will serve many purposes to view in
retrospect the record of these same
playhouses for last year. Like Pat
rick Henry, dramatic critics have no
lamp by which to peer into the future.
except that OF experience. 1t is not
at all unlikely that the CLEAN of this
lamp may disclose to readers OF The
Times. theatrical conditions which are
by them entirely unrealized.
The total number OF theatrical per-
formances from the opening of the first
plsyhouse--the Lyceum August 4. 1902
20 the close OF the Iast-the Lafayette,
July IL. 1sOS-was 1896. So large a
number is made possible by two rer-
formances daily at Chase's. the Lyceum.
and the Empire. and three matinees each
week at the Academy. This is mani
fest from the fact that in Sc weeks,
80 plays were produced at the National;
in AZ weeks so plays were produced at the
Columbia; in As weeks, as plays were
produced at the Lafayette; and in
corresponding periods Chases present.
ed 81 vaudeville bills and II comic
operas. the Academy 80 melodramas.
the Empire 3 melodramas and % bur-
lesques, and the Lyceum As burlesuucs.
The number of bills offered at the sew
eral playhouses of the Capital did not
vary greatly; but the number of per-
formances at the Lyceum. for example.
was nearly three times as great as at
the National
Thus, it should occasion little sur
prise that out OF this total of about
$500 performances. $50 were buriesques.
46s were melodramas, 4SS were musical
plays of an extremely light character.
372 were vaudeville bills. and $40 we're
purely dramatic enactments of more or
less worth.
Plays Worth Thoughtful Attention.
Out Of the 1876 bills offered by the Ma
tional. Columbia. and Lafayette theaters
fifty-two deserved the attention of
thoughtful playgoers. OF the remainder
1t is unnecessary to speak These fifty
two engagements we're.
st. Ann "A Rose o. Plymouth
Town Percy Haswell in "a ROYAL
Family" the Pike company in The
Christian Viola Allen in THE External
City" KyrIe Bellew in "a Gentleman Of
France" Arizona" Andrew Mack in
Tom Moore" Amelia Bingham in "A
Modern Magdalen." Blanche Bates in
The Darling of the Gods" EIeanore
Duse in repertoire. Denman Thompson
In The Old Homestead" William GIL
lette in Sherlock Holmes" Brandon a
nan in Robert Emmett" Mrs. PatrnA
Campbell in repertoire, The Wilder
ness" Martin Harvey in The Only
Way" <. II. Sothern in Hamlet" An
ME Russell in Mice and Men" John
Drew in The Mummy and the Humming
Bird The Sleeping Beauty and the
Beast" Stuart Robson in "A Comedy Of
Errors" W. z. Perkins In Jerome.
Ethel Barrymore in Carrots" Eleanor
Robson in Audrey" Nat Goodwin and
Maxine Elliott in The Altar of Friend
ship" Mrs Langtry in The Crossways.r
Z s. Willard in repertoire, Kellar in a
program Of legerdemaine. Richard Mans
field In Julius Caesar" Lulu CHASER in
Dolly Warden. Mary Mannering in
The Stubbornness of Geraldine"
Charles Hawtrey in "A Message From
Mars" the Pike company I'm ''In the Pal
zee OF the King" and Nathan Hale"
David Warheld in The Auctioneer. %
Eugene Blair in Camille" Robert Ede-
son In Soldiers OF Fortune" The Bur
gomaster," Louis Mann in IAN on Ac-
count Of Eliza" Alice Fisher in Mrs.
Jack" James X. Hackett in The Crisis
DeWolf Hopper in Mr.. Pickwick." THE
Little Princess" William Faversharn In
'Imprudence." Otis skinner in Ia
zarre," Amelia Bingham in THE Friskv
Mrs. Johnson. Romeo and Juliet" by
the Liebler company; Bertha Galland in
repertoire. and the Columbia stock com
pany in repertoire.
A More Particular Selection.
This list comprehends. OF course.
many plays which have value only as
advertisement or entertainment. A more
particular selection of the notable en-
gagements of the year lessons it to .he
following:
Viola Allen in The Eternal CITY"
Fh-1~h- BAhehoAl a aOQffn MdEQa- ]
LEM Blanche Bates In Tho Darling Of
the Gods" Eleanor Duse in repertoire
Mrs. Campbell in repertoire; Martin
Harvey in THE Only Way" z. II. soth-
ern In Hamlet" Annie Russell IN
mice and Men," John Drew in THE
Mummy and the Humming Bird" '"The !
Sleeping Beauty and the Beast" Stuart
Robson IN "A Comedy of Errors" Ethel
Barrymore in Carrots" Eleanor Rob- |
son in Audrey" r. S. willard in rep
ertoire; Richard Mansfield in Julius
Caesar" James X. Hackett In THE cri-
sis" DeWOk Hopper in Mr.. Plckwick:"
Otis Skinner in "Lazarre:" Amelia |
Bingham in The Frisky Mrs. Johnson"
Bertha GallaDd in repertoire, and he
Romeo and Juliet" presented at the
National May 20 by an all-star cast.
A Warning-Not Encouragement.
The notable engagements represent
16T performances. The total for the /
season was 2.795. The comparison is /
impressive; but It is not necessarily |
discouraging. 1t is TO be doubted wheth- I
er this showing OF s per cent is any