The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-02-28

teverely criticised by the press. I do
not think the part at all suited to Mr.
Blair's temperament. It is difficult 10
understand what he says in the studied
deliberateness with which he speaks-a
/, difficulty j did not experience when [
saw him with Mrs. Patrick Campbell
last season.
Mr.. Blair. who is a native New Yorker.
made his first reputation as the anemic
hero I'm the Ibsen-ish play Eel Gran
Galeotte." This was in '93. and a little
later he was the head and front of the
| series Of plays on this order given at
| Carnegie Lyceum, being the first Ameri-
can Oswald in the horribly gruesome
fair. Ghosts
An interesting fact in connection with
the admirable Marie OF Twelfth Night
is that Zeffie TiIbury. who also played
the role with Beerbohm Tree I'm Lon
don. is the daughter Of the renowned
burlesque actress. Lydia Thompson.
Clarence Handyside. the Sir Toby
Belch, is the husband Of that Ada Dow
wko coached Julia Marlowe for the
stage James Young. who bears really
wonderful likeness to Miss Allen. as her
brother sebastian, was with Mrs. Fiske
last season.
] l..
the Olivia, 10 recall that in the house
Immediately adjoining the Knicker-
booker. she appeared in the chorus of
The Wizard Of the Nile with Frank
Daniels. She was known as Grace Rut-
ter then, but determined to take up
dramatic work rather than light opera.
changed her name and began a new
career at the Lyceum in His Excel
lency. the Governor" In the early part
OF the present season she was leading
woman with Richard Mansfield in "Old
Heidelberg"
! am free TO say that she was much
better as Kathie than as Olivia II
seemed TO me as though the very
thought that she had the temerity to
appear IN Shakespeare paralyzed all her
energies, impartinG to her work the
spontaneity and warmth Of a mechanf-
cal doll.
Why "The Pit" Succeeds.
Not failure-but success is the tag
which brings down the final curtain on
The Pit" Curtis Jadwin is aIIudine
| to his bankruptcy. which is the means
! of bringing him and his wife together
but the sentiment fits very well the play
itself. which is crude and tedious in the
extreme at the outset, but which the
office ard wheat pit scenes whip into
| the ranks Of the seasons hits
Positively refreshing is the fact that
| Jadwin does not come out on top at the
| eleventh hour. As it stands, the drama
! seems real, and not the puppet of the
authors fancy and the managers be-
! hests.
Wilton Lackaye is all right in the
chief role. which will probably stick TO
him with the burr-like persistency OF
his SvengalL 1t is almost as arduous a
part, too, although OF course in an en-
tirely different key. Last winter Lack
aye made the only hit scored for CLYDE
Fitch's The Frisky Mrs johnson. -
produced by Amelia Bingham.
Some three years ago Il was an
nounced that ne was to star as Jean
Vatican in a dramatization or Victor
Hugos Les Miserabies," but nothing
came Of It, and during that season Mr..
Lackaye appeared as an American gen
tleman in THE Greatest Thing In the
World" with Mrs. lie Moyne; then
transformed himself into the Roman Pc
tronius of Quo Vadis." from that to
black face work as Uncle Tom of i'm
mortal Cabin" fame lin Brady's pro
ductiOn at the Academy OF Music), end
ing up the six months variety work
as a British nObleman in The Price of
Peace"
I4ckaye is from Washington. One OF
Ms early hits was in Paul Kauvar," as
: villain, and he spent a short term as
a member of the stock at Days, quit
ting under rather sensational circum-
Stances.