Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-17

There is unmista kahie evidence of an
awakening interest in theatrical affairs.
| The people who have been seeking recrea-
| ton are evidently settling into Their wonted
ways and the stage is enjoying stead ly
increasing quota of patronage. Miss Ber-
| tina Galland has proved more successful in
| her new book play than she did in her re-
| cent season of Shakespeare and Sheridan.
| Her progress in popularity was marked by
| large audience on Monday night and by
| steady and material increase in attendance
/ as the week went on. Opinions differ as to
the merits of her work. but there is no d-s-
claiming the fact that she has won her way
into the approval of a large number of
| playgoers. Her new vehicle is scarcely one
that is calculated to bring out the sincere
womanly qualities essential to real great
ness in a feminine star. But NJ IS Galland
| and her managers have reason to feel faith
| in her future, and that of Dorothy Vernon,
so far, at any rate. as box Office returns
| are concerned Rallies proved to be play
whose pretensions are purely those of a
popular character. Both Mr.. Bellew and
Mr.. Holland do some excellent work in it,
but it is very doubtful whether the dram
atist has satisfied the admirers of Mr.. Hor-
nungs work by his unblushing quest of SEN
satlonal effects at the expense of all lite
rary and artistic considerations. Chase's
Theater had its usual large audiences and
the bill proved better than that of the
week before. The Lafayette, the Academy
and the Empire all had attractions calcu-
lated to appeal to their respective clienteles,
and there is no reason to doubt that Wash
ington has, on the whole. been very salts
factorily amused.
A of ,;,,in &c lyo1x m
be Interesting, however much it may be
warped by cynicism or inspired by ego
tsm The communication which follows
may find some sympathy, although it is
deficient in even the chivalry of the cowboy
who refrained from shooting at the pianist
because he doing the best he knew
how.
To the Editor of The Evening Star:
1t is the privilege of the idle person to adj
dress communicat iens to the newspapers
and if l were not an idle person l assuredly
would not spare either the time to visit nor
the energy to reflect upon the attract ons
which have so far appeared at Washing
tons theaters. There is reasonable doubt as
to whether the opinions of an idler are
worth anything. The value of an opinion is
usually in inverse ratio to the readiness
with which-it is expressed. But it seems to
be the fashion to have firm and abiding con-
its people, however.,- tficient faith may be in
other things fnundanesor celestial. People
Ilwho will.calmly consider the claims of rival
Ecreeds will Else in wrath at the first breath
that is not in praise of favorite author or
player. Yet to the truly philoSophic mind
the subject is unworthy of argument. The
professional dramatic critic, with all his
faults, has the right idea in this point.
Form opinion. express it and close your
ears to further discussion. What deli
cious thing must be that ironclad first mort
gage on the last word
Miss Galland's engagement this week at
fordS renewed proof of the incOnSderate
manner in Which theatrical folk and their
doings are handled in the public prints.
This lady appears to be the victim of a
sudden determination to exact the highest
ideals. She brings to the stage comely
personality and equipoiSe which affords
absolute confidence in the auditors mind
that slre is not going to forget her lines.
And in young player these qualities mean
| much. Yet because her work exhibits GER
tain crudities she has been subjected not
merely to direct harShnesS, but to that
perlative and unreserved laudation which
constitutes the very refinement of satire. Is
it marvellous a thing to discover an ar
tisuc deficiency that it must be hailed from
the housetops with a megaphone? Many
people liked Dorothy Vernon of Haddon
Hail." Most of her admirers were ladies'
And to please the ladies is to do marvels.
There is a certain type of theatric heroine
that always seems to appeal to numerous
playgoers. Put well-dressed young wo-
man the stage, let her shout at the top
of her voice and tOss-the furniture about
and large number of feminine auditors
will be delighted. 1t is a psychic and So
| Geological phenomenon. The only explana-
ton is that there are many women who in
their souls rebel against the centuries of
polite restraint they have suffered and who
like to see one of their number turn loose
and break things. Then, too Dorothy Yer
non conveys a moral which will probably
meet with much feminine approval-yiZ: a
woman may use violent language fall into
ungOyernable tempers and disregard every
custom of good society, but she will be
rule. the men who the performance did
not like it. Perhaps they have their own
selfish reasons.
Admiring illusions have been made to
brave girls who fight their way step by stem
to the very foremost ranks of their profess
sion. Yet Miss Galand is not mentioned as
being Drawer than any of these. She starts
out at the head of the procession and has
Queen Elizabeth, Mary Queen of Scots Paul
Hester and Nixon & Zimmerman doing hat
tie as mere auxiliaries for her personal tri-
umph. Miss Galland's talents are all alb
sorbng. In this play she blends types of
character which seem utterly incompatib
Her Dorothy Vernongis combination of Sis
Hopkins and Lady Macbeth. Mr.. Paul Kes-
ter should have had the credit for introduce
ing several things of'novel interest. One Of
these is a Scotch jester. 1t is to Mr.. Kes-
ter's historic research that we owe the i'm
portant discovery that Scotchman ever
forgot his dignity afi6 thsN serious side of
life so far as to be funny orr purpose Mr.
Hester had nec'xHG ceuzafessA follow up his
own discovery. This COURT jester is neither
witty. profound soviaF nor sinister. He is
some undeFtakerss nap Jn DISGUISE. The
read it. is not lie history. the play is not
like the novel and the characters are not
like anybody who ever lived. Empty cir
cumlocuton is offered instead of the ex-
quisite delcacy Of dictio which prevailed
in Elizabethan times, efwhen language was
cultivated as a fine art.
1t is true that a1lusrns and even exple-
tves which would be shocking to modern
ears were tolerated among men, sometimes
in the presence of ladies. But there is no
ground for the assumption that in an era
when forwardness of every kind was re-
scented in women-a girl would not be per-
mitted to swear as fluently and persistently
as does this stall Mart aoung heroine. Wo-
men were cherished in those days even
more than now. They were not allowed to
appear on the stage of a theater; indeed,
along about that time a woman was expect
ed to wear mask if she attended play.
1t is true that Queen Elizabeth swore, but
this was accounted remarkable and accept
ed as a royal prerogative. Mistress Ver-
mons conversation is even more shocking