The Washington times., 1904-12-25
Three Fine Plaus
Brilliant Week Opening to
Washington = The New
Theater why Crane and
Barrymore Are Stars.

;. When David Belasco announced re-
fcently that. being unable TO obtain
regular theater in Washington this sea-
son, he would present Mrs. Leslie Car
ter In Convention Hall. there were some
fwho doubted its possibility. Only two
fdays remain before the day set for Mrs
Carriers initial appearance in the new
David Belasco-John Luther Long play,
Adrea," and Mr.. Belasco's promise is
all but fulfilled. Convention Hall has
evolved under his invention into prac-
teal playhouse, bright, cheerful, inyit-
Gng and artistic Rhearsals have been
going on actively since Mrs Carter and
her company arrived Wednesday and
the play and production are as near
perfection for smooth performance
/as careful thought and skill can make
them. Even last Friday night every
thing was in excellent running order SO
that the possibility of postponement is
eliminated The curtain will, therefore,
ring up Monday evening at 8 o'clock
precisely, and Washington's theater-
:goers viii again find themselves par
ticipating in a Belasco and Carter first
night.
Similar occasions have been of such
artistic import. SO memorable in the de-
fgree of success won by both Mrs Carter
and Mr.. Belasco. that it is not surpris-
Ing that local play lovers count Mrs
Carriers first performance of ..Adrea"
one of the most interesting and signih-
cant events of the dramatic year. 1t
has long been Mr. Belasco,s custom to
bring Mrs. Carter to Washington fer
the initial critical verdict. The regu-
larity with which their work has been
loudly acclained-Mrs. Carter's for the
%14%x-
Mr.. Belasco's for the poetry and drama
tic power of his authorship and for the
richness and impressive charm of his
stage pictures-seems to have been pro-
! phetic Of favorable entries into New
York, where invariably Mrs. Carter has
remained for not less than a full sea-
sons run. The first performance of
''Zaza'i and "Du Barry are far from
forgotten; and it is more than probable
that the first performance OF ~Adrea''
IN Convention Hall Monday night will
add another to their long list of popular
| successes. 1t is to be hoped it viii
carry both higher in their realm of art.
Two Stars Worth Seeing.
But the Belasco- Long play is not the
only remarkable offering at the theaters
this week Mr.. Cranes engagement
marks the coming of great actor into
his own. and THE Other Girl records
the advance of a new actor to station
with the most successful stars OF today
Either would make a week noteworthy
and the two combined with the first
night of a BeIasco production, distin-
suish the week in the light of the entire
season
Lionel Barrymore is q worthy sor of
a worthy father and not less brilliant
than brilliant jSrA l.
outlined elsewhere IN these pages. It's
chief point of interest for Washington
is that he was the Fortunyesque organ
grinder in The Mummy and the Hum
ming Bird F" There was much comment
during that engag cement of John Drew
to the effect that Barrymore was the
real star. No doubt he was-popularIy
But such role as that Of the organ
grinder Is a vastly easier task than a
role like that acted by Mr.. Drew. Any
student in art school. for example.
can get something of an effect out of
figure IN a plumed hat and armor; it
takes a student far advanced to do as
much with the undraped model Barry
more had the easier task-but this is not
meant as an intimation that he did not
do Ii superlatively well. The Other
Girl" Will be received with marked in
terest
Cranes Great Step.
Mr.. Crane is a born comedian, a close
student, real artist, and man of
undoubted sincerity. No wonder, then
that he acts everything well. But il is
truly wonderful that having deyoted
himself to laugh-provoking all his life,
he should turn in an instant to what
is. after all, pure tragedy and accom-
piish the most pronounced success of
his career. The wrong in prejudging an
entertainment, even favorably is in his
case Offset by the fact that all the
critics Of other cities are unanimous in
praise of the new Crane
Mother Goose" the Savage grand
opera company, Running for Office. !"
and the vaudeville bill all reflected the
absorption of the city In Christmas
shopping Yet none of the theaters was
empty. The opera had almost as fine
week 1t deserved; the pantomime
justified its stay of two weeks the
Lafayette and chase's counted upon ana
received the established support to