Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-05

his minor characters reminiscent of the
days when only small bits fell to his lot.
When you see Pinero play you see the
entire picture in every detail as the author
planned it. This is easily verified by a
rerusal of his printed works, which cover
his whole dramatic output. from Daisy
Escape to IRIS" The description OF
scenery, the details of furnishings, lights,
etc, occupy almost much space on the
printed page the dialogue. There IS
nothing left to chance or the vagaries Of
the local stage manager. He must FOLLOW
out instructions to the last particular to
obtain the desired effect The makeup and
costume of each character is infinitely de-
scribed down to smallest idiosyncraces.
The exact type of modern ar.stocrat. law
yer, mama bout-town, is given IN chaf1n-
ing little sketches which precede the entry
of each person in the play. And fas-
tidious taste dictates the dresses to be
worn by the women descending to matters
of shades and textures. Miss Blair in the
production of Iris at the Lafayette. had
the good fortune to be present at the Gar
rick Theater first night in London. and as
she also has a copy of the author S Spec+at
prompt book an exact copy of the original
production in every detail is promised.
FROM MINSTRELSY TO COMEDY
Willis P. Sweatnam of 1.-The County Chair
| man Company, which comes to the Coium-
bia this week. born under a moving
star and has lived the life to certainty.
Ee first saw the light in GAINESVILLE. Ohio,
but later the family moved to Cincinnati,
where at the age of six, he made his bow
before the footlights in company with his
late sisters. La Belle Louise and Lo:tie
Rowland. They were a talented trio, and
were taken to New Orleans when children,
where they became immense favorites with
the playgoIng public of the crescent city.
During this period Mr.. Sweatnam had not,
as yet, essayed minstrelsy. Later he play
ed with all the noted companies of that
day. including Hayerly's and Emerson's
MINISTRIES of San Francisco, Simmon, Slo-
cum and Sweatnam's. the San Franciscos
of New York. Carncross & DiXies of Phla-
delphia, Ponymoore's of London and
Hitchcock and Hayman's of Australia. In
this connection 1t may be stated that Mr..
Swea tnam grew in popularity. and there
is hardly city in the United States which
will not remember him during this period.
His talent was of decided turn for dry
comedy, which enabled him to create Sas-
safras Livingston in 1.-THE County Chair
man. and he displays the same unctuous-
ness when he has dropped burnt cork and
esSayed work in white face 1t is not
many years since he was seen in THE City
Directory and Secret Service" In 1.-The
County Chairman Mr.. Sweatnam is a
shiftless negro who sells his votes. and his
drollerieS are a never-ending source of
amusement. Says one of the characters
in ''The County Chairman to him:
What we want is protection. / have
STUDIED TINS question Tor forty years. 1t
will give work.
Replies Sassafras: What l want is some
sort Of protection to keep the colored man
from working"
GREAT OLD PLAYS.-In these days of
so-called problem plays, and melodramas
written upon incident of everyday life,
depending wholly upon great situation"
or some ingenious mechanical Continuance.
| it appears odd that the current theatrical
season should be marked by so many re-
vivals of classical plays, and the student of
| the drama may find much interest in OBJ
| serving the trend of popular taste in this
regard. Next week, at the National Thea
ter Miss Ada Rehan will present three
plays, no one of which was written less
than one hundred and twenty-five years
ago. This, the most recent, is Sheridan's
| immortal comedy, THE School of Scandal"
| which was given to the stage in TIT. ana
its popularity is less likely to wane during
the present decade than hundreds of plays
| Oh later origin. The Tanning of the Shrew''
| was written by William Shakespe ire
| nearly four hundred years ago and IS re-
| garded as one of the poets master works
| The Country Girl" which Miss Rehan
VIII present in this city for the first time
curing her engagement next week was
| written by William Wycherly in 1917 and
| nrst played under the title of THE Country
| Wife. Readers of these plays of Wycher-
| ~ ana MS contemporaries, will readily I'M
| Cefstand why the late Augustn DAILY re-
| arranged this particular work. Later-day
| auoiences are too fastidious to accept the
| original text, and however fascinating they
| nay De TO the reader. however pure .he
! Efgllsh, the polite vocabulary of today eX-
purges many of the forceful if not exactly
elegant expressions which were in constant
| use three centuries and half ago Mr..
| Daly Encouragement of the Wycherly play
was presented at Days ,Theater, New York.
| under the title of THE Country Girl" which
| had been adopted as the title Inv Garrick
with Miss Rehan as Peggy Thrift, and If
| has to its credit more than 500 perform
ances at this modern temple of Thespis
| Mr.. Daily had refined the texture of the
Garrick fabric, and the result gave to Miss
Rehan curiously complex character
wholly ingenious The play has always
been a favorite with Miss Rehan. and has
been successfully presented by her in Dub
lin, London, Paris, Berlin and other Euro
pean cities. during her tours at the head
of Mr.. Daly'S great company.