Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-26
he TIL E A T E R.
"sweet Ritty Bellairs."

Last night David Belasco presented at
the Lafayette Theater, by arrangement
with Maurice Campbell. Henrietta Cross
man in the new play, Sweet Kitty Bel
lairs," written by David Belasco and found
ed on Egerton Castles book, 1.-THE Bath
Comedy" The presentation occurred un-
der obvious difficulties, one entr'acte being
delayed to the extraordinary period OF
fifty minutes. but it was sufficient to give
promise of brilliant things when the pro-
duction is in concise and practical form.
AT the very outset there was the assurance
that Mr.. Belasco was determined to depart
from the dramatic conventionalltes with
his former holiness and hnnesse. When
the Silken curtains that replaced for thus
occasion the house curtain, whose interest
is rather mercantile than artistic, was
drawn aside and a master of ceremonies
in the person of Mark Smith, jr, announc-
ed with all the pOmp and formal1ty or the
plays period, Miss Antoinette walker
will speak the prologue" there was graft
flying sense of the unusual and a comforta-
bile snr fha walker ra'n5y
as she rected a witty bit of rhyme,
preparing the audience for the scenes
to come. 1t was a graceful touch or
pomp and ceremony, and the rhymes
are so good that they might easily
tempt Mr.. Belasco into the field of
lyrical composition. The pleasure afford
ed by the first act, sparkling though IL
does with tho brightest OF repartee' 10
which Miss Crosman's charming person
atty lends additional pungency and ma
vor, is mainly that of anticipation. 1t is
not until the second act in the scene
where the reputation of sweet KITTY
seems hopelessly compromised, and
where discovery means instant tragedy,
that the play asserts real dramatic value.
In this scene the screen scene in the
school for Scandal has been elaborated
and emphasized almost as successfully as
was the Romeo and Juliet balcony scene
in "Cyrano de Bergerac.' 1t is an IN
tensely interesting episode and gives Mr..
Relasco fine opportunity for exercise OF
his genius for deliberate detail and sus-
pense which constitute the vital strength
OF the serious drama, but which in COM
edy are fatal.
The play reaches happy conclusion In a
rather matter-of-fact fashion, but is for all
that a charming series of pictures, with
wealth of scintillant dialogue which has
scarcely been surpassed since the days or
Sheridan himself.
The piece is most notable for its scenic
grandeurs. which are massive and or
nate as to defy any efforts at BRIEF de-
scription. Miss Crosman has never been
seen to better advantage than she appears
as the mad-cap, true-hearted beauty, with
bewitching bit of a brogue. The company
is finely organized assemblage of excellent
players, and the production will go into
New York with every prospect of brilliant
career.
John E. Kelard has the role of jealous
husband, and bestows on it certain angu-
larity of personality such as was no doubt
expected of jealous husbands, even in
the suave and polished circles of
Bath. Charles Hammond acquitted him.
self handsomely as the lover and Ed
win Stevens was capital in his por-
trayal of a brusque and semi-humorous
campaigner. katherine Florence had a
very difficult and responsible part in that of
the Eighty and hysterical woman, who
causes all the difficulty and acquitted her
self admirably.