The Washington times., 1904-11-08
Fine PIaus at Local TheateTs
COUNTY CHAIRMAN
MAKES GREAT HIT
George AIDES Comedy Fine
Study Of Politics.

CLuuF VI l. OAttAIo'
An American comedy, dependent upon
/ a typical American election iu back
I woods district, TepIete with distinct and
| IoyabIe types OF American citizenship,
was disclosed at the Columbia Theater
I last uisht in the form of "The County
Z Chairman" The play is the work of
I George AIDE, already made notable IN
/ Washington by his Fables lu Slang
his comic opera. The sultan of Suiu."
and The College WiCOW,' and while iJ
rises TO rank with those delightful writ
iugs by virtue OF the same rare Wit IL
has the distinctive quality OF rejecting
the hum0r. IausiJy, piCuuresqu anu
periodic desperation of the American
electorate. -,
Tins week the atmosphere of The
County Chairman is so especially tliitely
that half the dialogue preNohes slht-e7
uuantiCipated by the author. fel LHe
play need not so a-boiFo"iLs iei as
comedy. II is lauEhaple lAlil.tt7l 10y
and, strange 10 relate OF WoIh rom
the same Ueu as the Fables I'm slang,
the Laughter is more often inspired py
revealed character than Dy pungeuJ aia-
lugue.
Atmosphere Of the Eighties.
The characters thus disclosed are all
delightful. There are hair dozen ladies
OF the early SOS, with OVerslliTts Topped
up behind trim little high-heeled slip
pers. gypsy hats. mOusqu'tere gloves
and uIrss0Is less than two feet wide
carried perpendiCuiaTly and directly lit
front wherever the sun might De. iAH
men dress much as men dress To-Day o
but there are no creases lA lile u o-t9l-1i
uO military backs, no your III lts,l-,-
sizes uO high collars ana IN iieA o4 tile9g
adOrumeuts the beauN wear WluCsoE
bows, shallow derbles and loW-cuL waist
These. costumes are the basal element
of the atmosphere OF the COMEDY re-
enforced by such music as " sl+t lgt t T4
Wagon" and do You Love Me- Aloils
DarlingEr- by the whiT and screen OF
locomotive engines long ago supefseoeI
by compound condeuseFsr buL mos %
all by conversation and polllcal du-
dresses urecJlnE issues one
shad0Wiug but now ualI forgotten
OF this world the little town OF ANTI
CCh, administrative center OF JeNefsoh
county iu an unnamed Western state
seems TO have been the hub, It's CHIEF
citizen Is "JedgeH Elias Rlgbyr mort
JUS most powerful citizen rs one Sl4
Hacker. an uublushing and self-c0nIess e.
ed politician. These TWO wage DaL--e
over q special election 70 nh me post or
/ peerless leader OF the one faction aMc
HaChlers partner youth named M
I ford ~ hee-sr, the osteAsl3-e lrstleL 90
tle other. me contest e+-li7ta the ser
vices of everybody In the county, man.
woman and CIlld-o- the village aEita-
tor Jeu BTiscJe, and mis- vigorous mind
sweetheart. Jupiter FeLtaWay- o1 q g
A. r. veteran. and the editor OF local
newspaper, or the lovely young QaIF yea
and maJrouly VIE or 'JeGgr hlBb5 D.
and last. maybe, but not the least. DE
far. the village C0lored man. SassaTras
Livingston, perennial Feuder ~ als vote
chocolate cream" baby, all supported
/ by the Antioch Martial Band
Mr. Arbuckle and His Associates.
"The County Chairman" is Jim Hack
Z Ter and he is acted with remarkable
/ success by lIacIyu ArbuckIe, "a come
dian OF the first rank. His impeTsoua-
f zion is not G. burlesQue In any respect
T IL is u Lue embodiment 1T IT, strong char
acLer, GTou self-coutaiued. careless OF
personal appearance large hearted
quick iu his sympaIhies and nightly
slow 10 forgive. Al enc period lU she play
/ AIr. ArDuckIe rises 10 the height OF the
rruesJ dramatic revelation or deep leel-
lug and Lr does So without sacrificing
/ even the slightest characteristic with
/ which He has invested has role. il is not
I TO bee wondered al that Americans
1 gather 20 vie" ms performance III every
Z opportunity
His associates are drawn with almost
/ The same skill willis SWeaLmau. long
! d. IaFogiJe minstrel shines a= "Sasza-
I IEas Livingston. Perhaps the stage VIII
I go back 10 mlusIIelsy after all. for
/ negroes who are genuinely humorous
I ana no libel ON tie race Frances Ring
+ is the iuEeuue and Christine Blessing. the
/ wife OF Elias RisBy. Both are delight
/ LuI figures iu LGelT cameO-uEe cgs-
I tunes. George Ricketts,, Charles Fisher,
I Earle Brown j. Sl1@ey Macy. r. u,
/ Phillips W. j. Gross. Anna Buckley
J and Grace Fisher. the latter presenting
/ au unusually bright picture OF the via
{ out them MT. AIDES comedy would lose
{ Lalt or l-5 --rJ-l-