Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-26

| season which the average manager regards
| as almost hopeless. The week preceding
| Christmas week is one of these, and Christ
| mas week itself is not likely to produce
| good business except when the holiday falls
on Wednesday or later. The cares of shop
| ping and the responsibilities of prospective
| merry-making engross the public interest
| to degree which few theatrical entertain
| ments- hope to rival, and while the at
| tention bestowed Miss Eleanor Robson
| in Merely Mary Ann and on Katy Barry
| in THE Chinese Honeymoon" was distinct
| ly complimentary It was safe to say no at
| traction here or elsewhere did the business
| to which it's merits would entitle it under
ordinary conditions. The slavey was queen
of the dramatic realm. Miss Robson pre-
sented her in the angelic and the idealistic
form. Miss Barry made her take life as
she found it and industriously improved the
jecese rather than the sentimental possibili-
ties of the type. While Miss Barry's work
is far from assuming the literary quality
that attaches to Miss Robson's performance
of Zangwilrs delicate yet daring creation,
she has niche of her own in the comedy
world which no one else could hope to fill.
Her blithe, diminutive and almost uncanny
personality may yet inspire some authors
pen to produce part for her that will be
at least standard low comedy If not classic
drama
Mr.. George c. Tyler. at the outset of the
career of LiebIer & Co.. solved what ap-
peared to be ve1y difficult question in
| manner which was almost elementary in its
simplicity. The various resources of the
stage had been abundantly exploited, and
| it looked as If there were a very little
| 81 ound for a new firm of managers to ex-
plore. Stars had been prominently fea-
| tured from time immemorial. Scenic pro-
auctions in which the names of painters
and carpenters stood out in holder type
than those of the actors had become ia
miliar. The ballet, the chorus girl the
Song and dance comedian, the operate
| singer, the saw mill, the race horse and the
tank of read water had all been presented
with fndiScriminate and thoroughly demo-
cratic fla 1buoyancy 1t was time for
something new. Mr.. Tyler went back to
| the first principle of the drama. He de-
| cided to exploit the author himself, and
while he sought II vain Tor Sophocles or
Shakespeare, he did manage to land
| Hall Caine,4with positive and profitable re-
suits. Since then the firm of Liebler q
Co has placed its chief, though not its only,
reliance on authors. Zangwill was an early
uiStoFCISr anu DIT HIST. from q DON OIllCe
point of view, disappointment. His
Children of the Ghetto is still remem-
| bered with sadTnira ton. and its fate is de-
plored by all who cherish a sincere regard
| for the Legitimate possibilities of the stage.
That Leberf&4 Co. had the coura ge of their
conviction is evidenced by the present tri-
umph of Mr.. zangwi1l's idyl of the servants
hail. Merely Mary Ann" The play has
the charm of the unexpected. Simplicity
rather than smartness is it's dominant char
acteristic. Instead of reveling in the cpl
grams which seem to be a part of the
authors ordinary method of expression, 1t
is quantity inartificial. OF course. every
tribute paid the play and its author is a
tribute to Miss Robson, whose realizat ton
of the part is so complete that histrionic
dissemblance Is forgotten, and only the inn
preston of the character itself remains
In their exploitation of authors Liebler &
Co have not forgotten the Importance of
good acting. But instead of making the
author a mere servitor struggling to fit
peculiar personalities with made 10 order
parts. they have summoned players of in
teligence to cooperate with the play
rights and to produce interpretations of
ideas as well as mere pictorial semblances.
1t is this fact that makes the Lebler pro-
auctions distinctive.
x Il
The other attractions were in Inc with
the accustomed policies of the houses in
which they appeared, and each received a
reasonable apportionment of the business
that was afloat. Christmas day. of course
re-established the theater on it's usual basis
of popularity, and the best part of the cur
rent season may now be considered as I'M
der way. There is nothing to interrupt the
tween this and Lent.
1t is said that fashions change in such a
way as to duplicate themselves about once
iii twenty years. In this connection it
might be interesting to note the fashion
which prevailed in plays about twenty
years ago. The observation would seem to
convey a hint that the old-fashioned spec
tacular melodrama is due again in a sea-
son or Christmas week of 1888
the principal play in Washington was
Brooks & Dicksons big scenic production
OF the military drama ''In the Ranks In
1884 Tompkins and Hills Boston Theater
Company played Youth" at Albaugh's
Grand Opera House. These great scenic
melodramas were the reigning successes of
their time At Ford's the Carleton English
Opera Company appeared in repertoire in
GLIDING "The Mascot and MERRY War"
and at the National Theater, Ginette's
adaptation, THE Private Secretary" was
the attraction Both Mr. Carleton and Mr.
Gillette have recently appeared in Wash
ington, the former being strong rival of
his own good-looking son for tenor roles
in musical productions, while Mr.. Gillette
has abandoned farceal absurditles for ro-
mantle roles.
e X :.
The desire that most young people have
to preserve their impressions of the
theater by means of scrap books, pro-
gram collections and the like, are often
the means OF giving much pleasure in
after years Occasionally a youngster is
sufficiently ambitious to write his own
criticisms of what he sees. These are al
ways interesting and sometimes in
structive, as well as naive. In such a
collection which preserves the impress
sions of theatrical season of 1884, the
| following essay appears:
This week the National has treasure
1 ytxxl