Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-28
MUSIC


WINGED that whatever Mr.. Willard may I'M
dertake to do in the way Of play or char
acter Is sure to be we'll done 1t was with
this security of prospect that they booked
forward to THE Optimlst," the latest addi-
ton to his ever-interesting repertory. The
French play as a Willard production and
,ndre Jossan as Willard chara cterization
were both fraught with much that was
DIeasing and satisfying to Willard au-
dience Had the combination been broken
tho enthusiastic reception THE OptimfSt
received might not have been chronicled
However. II would be unfair to look at the
enuation in any other light than that IN
which It was presented. Mr.. Willard was
dominant His personality was every
where. Throughout the four acts OF It's
NAV of language he was ever the central
fgrre holding the interest and compelling
confidence The phrase finished player
seems especially applicable to Mr.. Willard
and should be restricted in its use to those
only who give themselves to the study and
careful preparation that he does. His play
ing has about 1t a dignity, grace and ease
of manner that Is quickly and thoroughly
appreciated by the casual and regular pa
tron of the theater alike.
1.-The Optiniist' is such a distinct depar-
ture from the character OF plays with
which he has been associated heretofore 1t
will be some time before the theatergolns
hubble will know just how to accept 1t. After
his long line of beautifully rendered char
acters 1t was a bit startling to spend an
evening with Mr.. Willard In what is techni-
cally known as straight part. Upon the
occasion of his entrance in the first act
clothed In the latest fashion of the present
period. groomed to perfection, with dot
of black court plaster artistically placed
near the right eye, there was a moment or
hesitation on the part of the audience.
Then came recognition, and with 1t
greeting of applause. That his playing of
the role was artistic goes without saying;
thet the role Is one which will live in his
rerertory is another question. The char
acter part we'll done is more appealing and
more pleasing to the people than a straight
part Art enters into both creations, some
times more largely into the straight part
than into the character. The character Is
picturesque, however, and furnishes the
background that the other does not.
THE Optimist" cannot, however, be re-
garded as having broken the unlucky spell
which seems recently to have hung over
Mr. Willard in the matter Of getting good
plays
Evidence of 1.-THE Optimist's" lack Of
those qualities which rivet attention was
given in a convincing and rather startling
manner on Friday night. 1t was In the
third act.
Mr. Willard was delivering his lines in an
ordinary, conversational key. Then there
seemed to be a break in the sense.
81 must beg" said he that the ladies and
gentlemen will cease talking"
No one was talking on the stage. There
was no adjacent ball room or supper room
whence sounds of revelry were supposed to
proceed. Suddenly It dawned on the MEM
bers Of the audience that Mr.. Willard
meant them. Unless the talking ceases
Mr.. Willard went on, cit will be impossible
to go on with the play. Either the CONVEX
sation must be discontinued or I shall be
compelled to ring down the curtain. 1 am
a patient man. but this annoyance has gone
beyond the limit of my endurance"
Mr.. Willard then went on with the lines
OF the play. and so quietly was It done
that Il was difficult for the moment to say
where the actors speech ended and the au-
thor's began.
That the majority of the audience ap-
secure quiet was shown by the applause
which followed 1t.
The Pike company at the Lafayette
opened its engagement in this city Monday
last with The Climbers and has i'm
pressed its audiences anew with the merit
that is in the organization. The Pike COM
pany is not total stranger in Washington,
and now that its home in Cincinnati has
been destroyed the usual hospitality of the
Washington public will probably be more
than ever manifest.
Kellar at the Columbia performed new
and marvellous tricks. A death in his fam
lily unfortunately prevented his appearance
at the matinee and evening performances
scheduled for Monday, and the theater did
not open until Tuesday night
X x x
Chase's returns to vaudeville Monday af-
ter having been given over for week to
the Daughters of the American Revolution.
y
The staid and secluded precincts of
Georgetown in the early sixties have been
invaded as an inviting field of the romantic
comedy, and Paul WIlstach of this city is
responsible for the invasion. Washington
city Is also 10 ngure on the stage again
next season, this time In musical comedy.
The Rogers Brothers were in Washington
once, according to their program, so the
coming season is 10 be Washington's second
experience as the scene of jingling music
and sprightly jokes Mr.. Wistach's play
OF Georgetown life has been given the title
OF Polly Primrose and IT is to be pro-
duced next September by Adelaide Thurs
ton, who has this season been playing in
the west. The action of the play takes
place In Georgetown in the summer of '63.
1t is not war play. however; no uniforms,
no musketry or flashing steel. The point OF
View taken is said not only to be southern.
but distinctly confederate. The comedy of
the piece is supported by a dramatic back
bone Interesting in vertebrate. One OF the
scenes shows Primrose mansion, which Is
10 be modelled after one of the stately old
houses in Georgetown.
The musical comedy which is to have
Washington as background is being writ
ten by Ranken and Edwards for Mauds
Lambert. The principal male character Is
United States senator, bachelor noted
FOR his aversion to women. OF course hs
falls in love with the operate heroine. One
OF the topical songs Is THE Senator's Pri
vate &c.," which. It is said, will be appre.
ciated here In Washington.