Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-10


and scentless. Having been dazeo
and astonished. we refuse to be ordinarily
interested Having beheld the orchid we
scorn the sturdy wayside flowers There is
nc doubt whatever that some of the plays
which this season have found little better
than average patronage are quite as good an
,Jot concept literary expression and acting
Interpretation as many which in preceding
seasons scored remarkable hits. A NUMBER
of small things have operated to dlspel the
delicate Illusion so essential to the charih ol
the theater The chickering's OF managers
which in no way concern the actual merits
of plays offered have been paradeo uil'A
at times they were more conspicuous man
Tho authors and stars to whom the public
actually looks for its entertainment. Di-
ferences between employers and employees
have been ventilated in manner Which
for the moment made the theater reSemode
a factory and gentlemen's agreements
worthy of the most sordid trusts promoter
have been jbruited until the atmosphere or
commercialism threatened to stihe the nine
muses..
If such influences as these have had any
effect in duling popular interests in those
men who really make the stage, the play
wrights and the players, reaction must be
soon expected so far as this city is con-
cerned. Washington Is at present the scene
of an earnest theatric competition In which
the result must be decided solely on the
merits of the attractions presented without
reference TO private quarrels The hber-
ality with which Washington supports the
theater has led to the establishment of no
less than seven playhouses. Many cities
whose population corresponds in size, al
though, It is to be assumed not in wealth
and culture to that of Washington are
visited by the leading attractions for only
three days engagement each season. The
recent police census gave Washington a
population of little over 5000 About
one-third of this cannot be classed as a
theater- going public under any circumstan-
ces, and the remainder including children,
offers a scantier number of people from
which theater patronage may be drawn
than some cities to which the leading COM
panies look for only q portion of weeks
business. The proportion that Washing
tons theatergoing population bears to It's
entire number of residents is enormous and
may prove even sufficient to justify the
condition which now exists: one which per-
Siits men to go to a different theater every
night in the week, with an extra one thrown
In for a matinee, and lectures, concerts and
the like too numerous to mention. Truly,
this capital of a great nation amuses itself.
De Lancey is far from being the kind of
play that was expected from Mr.. Augustus
Thomas as the author of Alabama" or
'sArizona," or OLIVER Goldsmith" Each of
Thomas recent plays seems less like
Thomas than It's predecessor. They lack
the bone, the Drawn, the vitality, that char
acterize his early work. The suspicion pre-
sents itself that the very great success Of
Clyde Fitch has exerted too much influence
upon Mr.. Thomas versatile pen. De
Lancey with all its conventional froth
and trivial though amusing incidents. might
easily have been written by Madeleine Lu-
cette Riley, or Martha Morton, or any of
the other authors who make a speciality Of
reforming wen-dressed and financially care
less stage heroes. Semi-satirical pictures of
society can be sketched off by Mr.. Fitch
quite as rapidly as they are required, and
there is no need for Mr.. Thomas, who seems
at pres INT the only hope for a genuine ma
tive drama, to struggle for an increased
supply. Yet Mr.. Thomas, like Mr.. Drew,
is always clever and entertaining, even
when declining to be his genuine self. He
may neglect to be as interesting as he
knows how, but he cannot be entirely dull
x x
The part of De Lancey, which Mr.. Drew
plays in the comedy of that name. does not
reveal the actor in any strikingly novel
light. In some slight respects 1t is a de-
parture from the roles in which Mr.. Drew
has appeared for many seasons, to the great
delight of a highly refined though not in
variably numerous clientele. Mr.. Drew has
hitherto appeared as a gentleman Of pre-
else speech and irreproachable department
a model of manners as well as of polite
heroism. This comedy makes him a more
rather worldly and slangful young person
than he has customarily been, but he is
good sort, with plenty of reformatory in
fiuences surrounding him. The highbalI
habit, to which he is made something of a
devotee IN the first act is perhaps excusable
considering the tiresome loquacity of some
OF the characters with whom he is forced