Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-19


The week in Washington has not devel-
oped ally contradiction to the general re-
ports of bad business that are rife through
out the entire country. The Virginia Earl
Company displayed unexpected, though not
surprising. merits. There are severai
catchy numbers in Sergeant Kitty and
Miss Earl makes dainty picture and lends
personal vivacity TO the principal feminine
role. She lacks the sense of humor nee
essary to a realization of the full posi-
bilIties of her scenes For instance, in her
CRYING song the words "boo-hoo' are sung
with the same cold conversational effect
as would attach to a simple declaration or
fact Junie McCree established himself
on a new basis in the estimation of thea
tergoers here. The suspicious that he was
q genuine comedian, rendered somewhat
faint by his performance in The Wild
Rose" were fully confirmed In a most en-
tertaning fashion by his work in Ser
geant Kitty" The piece has much to COM
mend it, but is like large number of other
comic operas. all of which seem to be cast
in the same mold. The chorus was remark
able for it's singing abilities and absolutely
unique in it's lack of personal attractions.
At the Columbia Alice Fisher has a very
original and entertaining comedy. entitled
whats the Matter With SUSAN Miss
Fishers breezy personality is more than
enjoyable Ordinarily it would be difficult
to maintain a very strong sentimental en-
thusasm concerning the love affairs of so
robust a lady but Miss Fisher holds atten-
ton and wins much sympathetic interest
1t is an inexplcable fact that love ana
avoirdupois are somehow incongruous Tor
the picturesque purposes of the stage. NO
doubt large people fall in love, and per-
haps they love even more ardently than
their smaller fellow beings. But the cold,
unfeelng public demands a slender Romeo
and a 1.-THE Juliet, and laughs in its sleeve
at the thought of romantic attachment
whose subject is beyond the age of twenty
eight or thirty years. Yet Miss Fisher 9
auditors are heartily glad when the little
episode of the heart. of which she is made
the comico-serious heroine, finds happy
conclusion No fragile and immature
heroine of a tender romance ever found
more hearty wishes at the end of the story
that she might live happily ever after. Mr.
Dtrichstein has written a clever though
1npre tentious comedy. In some scenes his
quest of comic effect has led him to use
material which is rather too broad in far
oical quality to harmonize with the pretty
pictures of humor and sentiment which
dominate the interest of the piece.
At the Lafayette David Harum expound-
ed his philosophy with excellent humorous
results and melodrama held sway at the
Academy. The Empire elected the usual
enthusiastic responses of the auditors.
Chase's had a bill which included goodly
variety of subjects of various degrees OF
merit Eddie Girard will presently be in a
position to claim the endurance record tor
appearing in the same act for years with
out interruption except for sleep and
nourishment.
Arrangements are being made even this
early i'm the season for a series of local dra-
matte productions such as have marked the
spring and early summer in Washington for
a number of years past. Edwin Arden, who
earned so much popularity by his work at
the Columbia Theater has been re-engaged
as the central quantity of the company to
he organized for a special season at the
Columbia Theater. Mr.. Arden has by his
work in several capacities since his last APP
pearance as a local player added materially
to the excellent reputation which he al
ready enjoyed.
That powerful institution known as the
Theatrical Syndicate has at all times been
the subject of a variety of rumors. Its dis
solution has been prophesied again and
again. and this time the gossip is to the
effect that the Shuberts will drift away
from Nixon & Zimmerman, with whom they
are allied in numerous enterprises. 1t is
alleged that the Shuberts have been too
closely associated with the so-called indie
pendents in some of their operations to
please Messrs. Nixon & Zimmerman. who
have demanded a separation. The firm
controls about seven companies. and its
members are interested in three or four
theaters.
Another rumor is to the effect that Nixon
& Zimmerman. Messrs. Shubert and Messrs.
Weber & Fields have entered into a combi-
nation to operate independently. All OF this
gossip has been subjected to the usual Sc
! ries of denials.