The Washington times., 1905-01-29
What's in a Name?
Strange Array for Past week.
Nat GoodWiH S PIans-1 he
Sothern-MarloWe Engage
melt AuguTs Well.
THE J-sur7G..
Merely Mary Ann.
.'rhe Chorus Lady"
a Son of Rest"
cross the Pacific >,

~ sSCH Oh rest
Across the Pacific
Robes knickefbockers.t =
1t will be a long time before Washing
traordinary names in the face. It is not
the least remarkable aspect of the situa-
ton that the names. excepting perhaps
the last, are as appropriate names
of theatrical offerings are usually.
Mr. Goodwins role was distinctly that
of usurpcr or nothing at ALL Mary
Ann, though much mere than merely
before the play ended. owed great deal
of her charm to her iHsignificanee THE
Chorus Lady wis q lady OF the chorus
ret exactly pure ana simple but Of the
purest type Across the Pacific is as
good a name for the Blaney show as
anything else II remained for the Ly-
cenm to break the rule The knieker-
boekers by any other name would be
Just as likely 10 draw
Plays That Weigh Light.
'The Usurper'' weighs light Those
who went there Ito see Nat Goodwin
and laugh" did see Mr.. Goodwin and did
laugh The play, on its own account,
WIS lightly and pleasingly amusing
Without Mr. Goodwin and Miss Mckay,
however. it would hardly do.
There is a general impression in the
company that the author would hardly
know The UsurDer. il he met it on the
street Mr.. Goodwin has changed all
the act Examinations so that, whatever
they may have been originally, they are
all effective now. One of the scenes
where the fugitive convict is discover
ed in the looking glass of the tower
was designed 10 be dreadfuIiy drama tic.
Well. Sc 1t Is. but Mr.. Goodwin makes
the audience laugh ct il as well. 1t will
not be hard for the company TO say
good-by TO The Usurper," and so il is
nc wonder they are undertaking two
new plays. One What Would a
Gentleman De?" will present Mr.. Good
win as cockney- In two or three
years. if all goes well. Mr.. and Mrs.
Goodwin maxine EiliotD will play a
Joint starring tour, and after that Nat
will retire, and maybe Miss Elliott too.
Merely Mary Ann is a mighty pleas
ing play, but the company presenting it
is a little stale. Miss Robson acts adj
mirably, but even she shows the effects
of oyermueh saying and doing the same
things. It Is surprising how the plot of
this play loses interest after a year or
so The touches of human nature in it
stiiI please and please nightly, but the
plot is stretched too far in the first
place to be spread out over a second
performance.
What Washington Likes
Rose Stahl and James Forbes are un-
doubtedIy vaudeville fayorites. THE
Chorus Lady is ten-strike for them
both. Not once in the course of the
sketch last week at Chase's did the
audience settle back from its attitude of
intense interest. And all the praise
"The Chorus Lady has obtained else
where is well carried.
1t Is to be questioned, though. whether
the extra emphasis demanded for vaude-
VILE sketches in other houses is not
a little overdone for chase's Here in
Washington it is agreed that the audi
ences drawn by polite vaudeville are as
perceiving and as appreciative as those
drawn by any other attractions This is
thought not 10 be the case elsewhere and
SO the sketches are put on little
thick Mr.. Forbes and Miss Stahi
s,ould have profited artisticaIly if they
appreciated this difference
where everything went we'll Nat
ss sd all the patronage the Lafay-
ss handle. across the Pacific,
Egs served. And THE Sclicker-
LE c red the hold the Lyceum
ha ar patrons
Nh s.,1 Miss Marlowe Will
be hos 5iy EeC I'd at the National
Indeed. ID for their perform
ance of ''ItI and Juliet" has been
SO strong thu the managers have de-
cided to change the repertoire at the
last moment. According to the new
arrangements they viii act Much Ado
About Nothing" on Monday and Tues
day nights; Hamlet" on Wednesday
night only; Romeo and Juliet" Thurs
day, Friday and Saturday nights, and
Saturday matinee. Their performances
have been much commended by the best
critics, as they were sure TO be. Wash
ington will be the gamer by their visit
''The Tenderfoot' returns bIithely
"A Pair Of Pinks" does tha same at
the Lafayette. George Fuller Golden
does the same at Caases McFadden's