The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-10-16
OPICS OF THE STAGE AS VIEWED IN WASHINGTON
PlauS of All Sorts
Last Week and This Reach
All TaSteS-LOuiS Niann'S
Dialects - Hitchcock and
StOddaTt.

StOddaTt.
Louis Mann stood just inside the vesti-
bule of the local house of art last week.
with Raymond Hitchcock hanging light
Is out OF the window, and old Mr.. stod-
dart going Co sleep upstairs. 1t was
curious situation Nobody had quite
enough elbow room. but all three gave
undoubted pleasure by their exhibitions
Mr.. Mann Is the most accomplished
dialectlst on our stage. He has not
only a remarkable facility in expressing
dialects but the artists pleasure In dis
covering provincialisms, noting them
wherever he finds them, and Identifying
them as the scientist identities mammals
or plants. He undertook ia the course
of the week to locate four men in their
bOyhOod homes by their conversation as
adults-aud he succeeded in all four
cases but one. As q complement TO this
talent he speaks French, German,
Italian and English with scholarly ac-
Curacy.
Such an equipment is too valuable 10
its pOssess0r TO be wasted on one kind
OF character acting. II he were to act
old men alone that would be bad enough
But TO act only Germans as his ten
dency seems TO be. would be disastrous.
French like that of the old butterfly
catcher I'm "A Scrap of Paper" or Ital-
ian. like that of the organ grinder IN
THE Mummy and the Hummingbird. b.
He would accomplish more, however, if
he were 10 devote himself 20 some Amer
lean dialect. less extreme than either of
these, and more familiar 90 his Ameri-
can auditors. If, for example. he could
ind a play built upon the type OF Amer
lean manhood presented by Secretary
Shaw he would advance more in the
popular estimate than bE means of a
dozen Second Riddles" If there is
such a play it has escaped notice. No
name among our modern playwIghJs
suggests capacity TO write it. But AIR.
Mann would be amply rewarded for the
search if he were once TO ind such a
vehicle as the New York critics say.
A Chcrus That Can sing,
Raymond Hitchcock provoked a great
deal Of laughter at the Columbia. '-The
Yankee Consul is not d great opera.
its most tickled patron could not say
that much. But the music is nightly
ingenious and sweetly Uunerul The
composer has not only written brightly
Lut he has dared TO use all the instru-
ments of the orchestra as though ne
meant it, The bassoon- alone, as some
one pointed out ia the course Of the
week, is worth the price OF admission.
The chorus is one OF the best heard ia
the Capital In three years. II sang with
decidedly more skin and eject than
one or more OF the grand opera ch0ruses
brought here with fanfare OF trumpets
from the Metropolitan opera House. The
cast was well up TO the standard of
the chorus-Albert Parr, Eva Davenport.
Rose Botti and Flora Zabeue are q
une quartet. AS for the star he was
clever, natural, and humQrou s-bue }ge
seems too lazy TO hold his present posi-
ton among comic opera comedians.
The Bonnie Brier Bush" was an ar
tistic delight. AIr. St0ddart and lIr
FAX have developed their characterize
lions as they have grown old in them
instead OF making them hreproof. The
play IS a fair abstract of the book
Like THE Children OF the Ghetto this
collection of tales from Scotland is 400
dimuse TO be made the substance oi
tense, compact drama. such as SardOl
might write. But the play is accept
able, and as a prerequisite to character
drawing by AR StO6dart and Mr.. Fax ii
is more than acceptable.
A Little Of Everything.
Charles Eawtrey dove Gown into
vaudeville and found a pearl His lit
he play is merely a re-rCnderiug of
Lend Ae Five shnlings" The Older
comedy lacks "air-" This new version
has plenty Of IT,, and so carries every
thing with a rush. Hawtrey acts well
builds his situations with the expedt
ton required iu vaudeville. and crowd.
lhe Performance Win c5aracterisrit
comedy Ais experience sFi1l not affec
MS standing in legitimate comedy and
viii surely widen bis audiences.
rms week Oilers Robert Edezon j.
another soldier play Lulu Chaser I'm an
opera Of genuine disnity--aIthoEgh Il Is
distinctly opera comique-a farce at Tho
LAFAYETTE and another vaudeville mys
terry al EbaEe's- Mr.. Edeson sticks Z.
Richard Harding Davis Wei he may
for soldiers of Fortune stood him IL
good stead Monday night lis 10 be .'army
night The accuracy Of the stage set
things and ta= bearing of the pseud8 Of
ucers viii 1e subjected 60 eXscting crit
ic-sa II half the army men attend whl
have taken seats Miss GiIaser'- opera
is founded CA Charles Majors novel
When hltEhtI0od Was-iu Flower ID
New York ir played 10 great business
and was commended as tuuefuI bright
and wonderfully Iaughable These rqt
offerings are most attractive But ther
DO not hide the Viola Allen production
of ine winters Tale announced ToI
Sic week following.
Let AS make dramatic nav while ia.
e. lcium shines.