The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-10-23
Plots for Operas
Librettists Mau Learn Val
liable Lesson From Mad
cap Princess" 80 Blossoms
SuCcess-Miss Allen and
Miss Walsh.

q diCJum OF the critics all over the stage
as a practical lesson. This happened at
the Columbia last week. when Lula
CHASER put TO use for the plot Of
comic opera a story which mad found
wide reading as a work of serious ne
ton. That the enterprise was justified
was proven at the box ofice-a very fair
register, all things considered, of the
atriCal temperature. Throughout the
week the patronage given "A Madcap
Princess" was good, and the pleasure
the beautiful young termagant gave her
auditors was written in smiles all over
their faces.
Comic opera ceased to be an art form
about ten years ago. The occasional
ptions-"R Robin Hood, Two Lit
tie Maids. and the like-served chiefly
20 give the rule emphasis AS a rule.
the musical shOddy perpetual ted as comic
opera was beneath notice. Tinkle-tinkle
and tweedledumdee was the whole mu-
steal story. As TO costumes, show girls,
cheap comedy, calciums, biIlion-dollar
gowns, and old jOkes-they are. of course,
another story; but they dtd not redeem
the music. ana they did add to the
hodge odge.
The first sign of this decline seems now
10 have been the deterioration of plot
The Belle OF New York is a conspicu-
Gus example What with specialties in
terpolated, innumerabIe eucores. center
Of-the-stage comedians. and borrowed
lyrics. good, strong plot would have
lost its grip, and the plot Of The Belle
of New York was neither strong nor
good. So the entertainment degenerated
before the evening closed into a sort of
polite burIesque at opera prices. This is
of course, but one instance. But in
stances might be multiplied through the
whole list Of musical comedies and comic
opera speCtaCles. Not one In a hundred
had any sequentlal story which the most
indulgent courtesy could call real plot
BedTaggling the Classics.
Then comes StanisIaus STANCE with an
inspiration. He knew that most OF the
stories out of which ne had built
books were as fimsy as the costumes
in which the characters were to dress.
He knew also that very good comedies
had been comparatively neglected. So
OF he goes. re-reads 'She Stops TO
Conquer" and the next thing he knows
ne has a good comic opera book, with a
reasonable plot, and opportunity for
stage settings within the bounds Of rea-
son while still OF remarkable beauty.
The Two Roses" was not otherwise
especially noteworthy. But the unfold
ing Of its plot redeemed It,
It was pointed out IN these columns
OF Tuesday that the element OF eXurav-
agauce ga when KnighLhDod Was in
Flower" was dtst.uctlv s8sfsesbge .ln
comic opera. Indeed. 1t would be hard
70 MAKE ught sFvaiczi 11iI5 -s1lffcseflt-
ly diveTting without Just that kind OF
OverdraWing. So King Henry VIII dane
ed as freely as DeWoIf Hopper ia
Wang or Edna May in 1.-THE Girl From
Up There" and Hiss CHASER, as Princess
Mary Tudor. was able 10 make comedy
out OF "a Characterization instead OF at
tempting the bunoou,
some one has suggested that this die
position 10 use real plots VIII bedragEle
every classic in literature. Nay1e so:
maybe so. But the result viii hardly be
disastrous She Stops TO Conquer' is
just as good a comedy now as ever it
was. Two Roses or no Two Roses
when EnighthOCd Was In Flower lost
no literary quality through its use iu
Miss Glaser's opera. On the contrary
it never had so good a setting. Fur
theInore the use of classic fabrics may
make them familiar 10 the great mass
or careless fhcatcrFoers-aud thar would
be decided gain. So it seems fair 10
assume that no harm viii befau the
classic comedies. however bedraggIed
tbay are.
On Che other haad, it is certain good
WIZ oerall the comic opera. If the
classics are done TO death such frera-
tenfh as Harry p. Smith-the theatrical
ans-e-bar, middle-delivery 10000 to Tie
nour. printed folded. and couuted-uasv
TAKE heart and write some new aIots.
however, that may be only a foolish
fanczl
Manly Actors in Manly Roles.
Mr.. Edeson cIinchod his hsId ON wash
ilgton p-aygoers by acting a manly role
Win technical skii personal charm and
manifest H'aE-Lness- The American STAGE
has too many actors whose distinction
depends upon figure, costume. nose and
smirh- What A thousand men in -l,a
courtyard Let me at them. LEI me
~ uhem!' That is their school ana b
ls only one step better than the disered-
iled melodrama where an impudeut
young woman looking Significantly. ..-
ward The brick wall which SEPARATES tf...
stage from the alley. eXclaims. "Outsf-.
this house / have ana airship that cost
1ne over 100000" Illusions i'm gucH
cases are possible only 10 children and
FOOLS The reaction against this kind of
drama must come from actors like Mr.
Edes0u, men who are genuine men
reserved, stUdiOus. and earnest
There have been better plays than
'Raus0n's Folly" but 30 was plenty
good enough 10 give g0od-sIzed au-
dleUces a great deal OF nTeigned pleas
ure. Richard Harding Davis rarely
writes commonplace and often writes
better than any other American author
Of his generation. "Rans0u's Folly IS
fairly representative OF his best SKIN
The play depends chiefly. though, upon
its chief character and AIr. Edeson acts
u conviucingly. Everyone who saw him
Win wish him continued success.
The Lafayette obtained no new pres
tiEe through BILLY vans visit Mr. Van
whose real name Us given as Van Os-
ten-has been too long a Shining star in
burlesQue houses % shake on their vuI-
garily az viii The less seen Of him in
good theaters the better. Chase's pre-
scented a good bin with the wrong at
traction underlined. Miss Frederick IL
was, and not EnigmareiIe, iu lead OF
the others.
A Notable Prospect.
Miss Aliens production of "The WiH-
teFs Iale' VIII doubles move one 1f