The Washington times., 1903-12-13
A Horrible Example.
The Lessons Taught by THE
Rogers Brothers in Lon
don"-In View of the To-
boqqan.

On the same day the Rogers Brothers
disclosed their entertainment at the
National Theater. Anna Held presented
for the verdict" of New York her
new musical play Mile Napoleon. "
The latter event evoked from the New
York Tribune" a critique so appropriate
TO both that The Times offers to it's
readers a portion OF the review with
much relish:
1T is seldom, even in this day and
generation. that a more Informed and
meaningless musical comedy is shown
on Broadway than this adaptation of
Miss Held. Serious moments were
promised in the course of the evening,
and serious moments there were. heaven
save the mark For two mortal acts
nothing more serious could be conceived
than this play. save when Miss Held
essaycd to reach emotional heights
Cor was it TO sound emotional depths p
and then there was cause for an amused
smile. 1t is not a farce interspersed
with songs. nor a play with music, nor
opera bouffe, nor anything that was
conceived and carried out with intel
ligence and unity of purpose. 1t is a
hybrid affair that creates no atmos-
phere. arouses slight mirth and can
cause little intelligent pleasure
mot farce interspersed with songs,
nor play with music. nor opera bouffe.
nor anything conceived and carried out
with intelligence and unity of purpose"
What an admirable description = Sisis
OF The Rogers Brothers in Londoni'
Yet, after all, it is not complete. For
The Rogers Brothers in London in
cluded elements Of vulgarity, an utter
absence of musical merit. and general
positiveness Of demerft which MILE Ma
poleon" lacked. The wonder was, when
the engagement was first announced,
that the Rogers Brothers had reduced
their prices to $50. After Monday night
the wonder was that even the Rogers
Brothers dared charge more than 80
cents. Their play was a passable vaude-
Vile 'turn''-at which the patrons of
half the vaudeville houses in the country
would have turned up their noses
spread thin over three acts.
A Theatrical Skyrocket.
1t will serve several purposes. prob
ably. to consider the rise of this extra
ordinary partnership and its present pO-
sition on the stage. A few years ago.
fewer than they would have their
patrons believe, they were doing a
Today they appear annually in a play
not only written especially for them,
but blatantly built about their person
alities and advertised as The Rogers
Brothers in Central Park" or in Wash
ington, or in London, or anywhere else.
In the old days they were entertainers
Now they are artists. Formerly they
did without a manager. Today the trust
itself deigns not only TO give them
bookings and share their receipts, but
actually to announce itself as the pro-
ducers and managers Of the enterprise.
This IS surely wondrous contrast
The idiotic names they give their
farces would excite suspicion a priori
that this progress was not based on any
element of theatrical art. But the thuth
is sadder still, II is not even based on
any element OF real theatrical enter
tainment- Half America would rejoice
at a corresponding good fortune for
George Wilson. who convulsed thous-
ands with laughter at Chase's last
week. But not even those who go 20 he
theater only 20 be amused could APP
plaud this progress Of the Rogers
Brothers.
AS at present constituted, the enter
tsinment offered by this team consists
ton Of plump girls, a wealth OF cos
tunes. "A show at singing. and inter
mina5le dialogue which is supposed u
be funny. In The Rogers Brothers in
London" the cast was plaintively in
competent. the girls were unhappily
plump, the costumes were overpower-
ing, the singing was pathetic in the
extreme. and the dialogues was not only
void of humOr. but was disgustingly
vulgar
Yet IN New York this entertainment OBJ
tained ten times the patronage extend
ed Henry Irving in Dante" or the fine
production given stephen Phillips "UIys.
ses." Here IN Washington the brothers
We're accorded a reception Monday night
which would have done honor either to
Henry Irving or to Stephen Phillips
and which represented. probably. larger
box Office receipts than the whole
weeks engagement Of Marta of the
J-Owlands
Not Dead, But Sleeping.
4 first glance at this situation woulC
discourage almost any lover OF decent
stage art. The real condition Is not
however so disheartenlng. As day after
day sent oct into the city new circles
Of theatergoers vigorously dismissinf
the play as bum and rotten" the at
tendance grew less and less. OF course
there We're many who still insisted ~
going. OF course, there were many
more at the National even on Saturda,
night than attended any performance o.
Marta" at the Lafayette. Yet Their.
were unmistakaDls signs that the vac
uity and vulgarity OF The Roger
Brothers in London" had made them
selves felt. and that sign is a great dea
more significant OF happenings mex
year than this.
Another sign OF reassertive fntelli
ger.ce was offered IN the attitude OF sue
ceedinE audiences as 10 superstition
jokes. which were utterly inane or un
mistakably vulgar. 1t is 70 be expecte,
at such play that the audience, hav
ing come 10 laugh and being given SOM
opportunity TO laugh, win laugh at any
thing. This Is the teaching Of two cen
turtles experience with farces. Blu
these audiences Of Washingtonians re
fused TO be carried along with the tide
They laughed at much which was silly
they smiled at much which was sugges
tive, but they neither laughed no
smiled at alleged humor which depend