Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-09

The attractions at the Washington the
aters this week we're uniformly OF the
lighter and more diverting variety, except
ing at the houses which make meiodrama
their permanent policy. The Three Little
Maids at the National proved to be an
other Of those delightful English importa-
lions in which the tyranny of the stage
manager is made manifest in the precision
with which all the delicate touches OF detail
are secured. One of the advantages which
English productions have had over those
Of America lies in the autocratic authority
which the producer assumes over the meth
DDS of the players. In this country the
actor never forgets that the American cit
izen is a sovereign in his own right, and
that his ideas may be as good as those OF
the stage manager. If he does not leopard
lie his salary by an argument outright he
is likely to nurse that inward resentment
which is wholly out of harmony with sim
cere spontaneous artistic effort. American
productions have improved in this respect
enormously Of late, and this Improvement
has been attained rather by intelligent rec
ognition of necessary authority than by the
iron-handed methods which the late Angus
tin DAILY was wont to employ in order to
bring his company to it's very exceptional
might easily be made star piece. for this
work of Mr.. Huntley's Is sufficiently enter
tanning to serve as a. focusing point of in
terest. Yet Il this plan had been pursued
the piece would lose much of it's refinement
and become simply boisterous travesty In
which all else was subordinated to the gro
tesque. Mr.. Euntley's representation ex-
cellent and entertaining as it is. cannot be
70 rda oil
type of character. and it is only by main
tanning his part in its legitimate groove Of
plot interest that very inartistic distortion
is averted- The American patron Of musi-
cal comedy missed with mingled feelings Of
approval and regret the rousing fnaies and
consultations of choristers with which it Is
customary to embellish performances in
which music and comedy figure.
At the Columbia Denman Thompson re-
turned with THE Old Homestead" and
found the welcome which is always in wait
ing for him here as elsewhere. The play.
though developed from very humble and
unpret entous source, has gradually made
it's way into the affections of the people
and SO firmly implanted itself that it is not
too much to say that it ranks one of the
American classics. 1t is sort of spontaneous
growth, an expression of the national feel
ing in it's gentler aspect; an assurance that
the American public, with all its love of
achievement in the domains of wealth and
power, still clings tenaeieusly to the pure
and wholesome standards of life and to the
love of home. lt'
At the Lafayette Theater the attraction
was Lottie Blair Parker's play. Under
Southern Skies" which repeated the favor
able impression that 1T has made on pre-
vious occasions.
Chase's bill presented another big ensem-
BILE act as a principal feature. THE Min
strel Misses is a capital idea, worked out
on rather crude lines. 1t was entertaining
and yet disappointing, because of the posi-
bilities which were obviously neglected in
the way of picturesque costuming and re-
fined comedy and vocaliZation. Yet the idea
itself makes it a popular feature even
though the act does not, as now seen, repre-
sent its best possibilities.