Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-04
7 B E THE ATER.
columbia rheaasr.g

The modernized production of school for
Scandal" as seen the Columbia Theater
last night under the title of Lady Tea
zle.' proved curiosity apd a surprise.
Sheridan had hard battlaoat the outset.
The scandalmongers whom he ridicued
turned upon him and swelp nigh wrecked
his hopes, and no2 the twghtteth century
producer seeks to. smother his sdntillant
genius beneath 1pass of. 'flufferies But
the Sheridan lines stand but head and
shoulders above the imitatioHs so distinctly
that the embellishments do not matter The
small 10y who writes his-name on the
Washington Monument feels that he has
achieved something. Perhaps his presump-
ton merits rebuke, Sput2as amatter of fact
stands out in perspective as it did before
And a few summer rains will wash all
traces away. The cohorts summoned to
the assistance of Mr.. Richard Brinsley
Sheridan include john Kendrick Bangs,
Roderic C. Penfield A. Baldwin Sloane,
Gerald Coventry and s. s. Shubert. Messrs
Bangs may be presumed to have provided
the rhymes. Mr.. Penfield was possibly In
trusted with the task of comprising the
play into two acts; Mr. Sloane wrote the
music; Mr.. Coventry i1Eented stle chorus
gyrations which stamp the piece as mu-
steal comedy, and Mr.. Shubert possibly
composed the dance, which offers the star
thing spectacle of a girl In Sheridan COM
coy INDUCING in a Terpsichorean effort in
winch her pfnk SILK STOCKINGS give frequent
limitations of five minutes past g. But 1t
is all brilliant and breezy. No work could
dash so madly from the atmosphere of
Path to that of Broadway and back again
without creating zephyrS And the scenes
are exquistely beautiful to the eye. Cos
tunes whose tintings are blended with the
most delicate discretion are unfolded with
floral magnificence Each scene is like a
mass of blooming. When the curtains are
drawn apart by two white satined pages
tc disclose the final picture 1t Is as if the
figures on some conyas wrought out with
the painters utmost cunning suddenly step
ped into Mfe. Ssh
The litterateurs. musicians and managers
having developed a curiosity, 1t remains
for Lillian Russell to provide the surprise.
By most devious and unusual route she
has arrived at the goal of many players
ambtion--the privilege of playing Lady
Teazie. And she plays it, Her personality
is tremendously en- rapport with the per-
fumed finery of the period. The coquetry
and fippancy of the character become her
charmingly, and in the read ding of her lines
she displays discernment that could
scarce be greater had she been a product
of Augustin Days rigorous school That
Miss Russell should portray the earlier
moods of Lady Teaze efficiently and con-
vincingly was perhaps to be expected. But
in the screen scene she was no less at
home. At this crucial :juncture she lacked
neither dignity nor pathos. There may be
a certain sense of resentment that a pro-
fessional beauty and lyric star should
be credited with reanZlng a role tnat mas
been the despair of serious dramatic stu
dents. But certain it is that Lady Teazle
butterfly of fashion, finds a most pictur-
esque and sympathetic reflection in Lillian
Russell. butterfly of the drama.
The favorable impression created by Miss
Russelrs performance was enhanced by
the work of Mr.. w. T. Carleton, always
capable figure in any cast that includes
him. There was sincerity in Mr.. Garlic
toms performance of Sir Peter Teazle
that music and ruff1es could not obliterate
Mr.. Van Rensselaer, Wheeler sang agree
ably as Charles Surface, but was burdened
with rather more than reasonable share
of dramatic responsibilityo Miss Lucille
Saunders Lady Sneerwe1l sang admiral
bly,. II
Lady Teazle" will find, scant literary
sympathy. But as a production and an
unexpected revelation of talents in Miss
Russell. it must command interest and adj
mira ton