The Washington times., 1905-04-30
In Untried Fields.
Francis Wilson Gives Proof
of unsupported Dramatic
Talent His Pere Nal
Iotte al Interesting De-
VsIopment = Some Other
Things.

1t was all fun and folly at the Wash
3ngton theaters last week except, of
course, at the Academy. where melo-
drama of the lurid variety had the call
by all odds the most interesting feature
OF the different offerings was the new
departure made by Francis Wilson who
translated himself from the realm OF Sc
called comic opera to the territory OF
what euphemisticaIIy is STYLED pure
comedy-being in reality nothing more
than good farce-and also gave us Il
taste of what he might do in the way
of character sketch if he We're TO devote
himself seriously 10 that line of his
bionic endeayor.
1t is probably true that the public
would never consent 10 rake Francis
Wilson in anything approaching the
more somber lines OF the drama, ant il
may also be taken for granted that Mr.
Wilson has never entertained, even re-
motely the possibility of SO radical
deviation from the paths he has troc
thus far.
Look for Something Better
At the same time. 1t 5 TO be regretted
that SO capable an aetor, one whose in
telieetual endowments have sllone
brightly through his most grctesaue ab-
-1AA-tA-A -sci Se%N4s1iss4 y ia any
thing like Cousin BLY, which is but
slightly differentiated from his former
vehicles If he wants the public 10 for
get CadeaUx ard all The rest Of that
tribe he viii have 10 seek better COM
pany than William Allen, OF Allentown,
Pa
And why should he not? As Pere Mai
1otte in The Little Father OF the wild
erness.' he gives distinctive proof OF
his ability 10 deIine8tc pa1hos. 10 ex-
press 1t by mere infection of the voice
by look and gesture 1t would have beer
too much 10 expect his personality To
be entirely obscured in the character Of
the missionary. but there was in his
representation so large 4 promise of
greater possibilities that il would have
TO be sincerely regretted were he not to
cultivate more assiduousiy his talent
in this direction
More Comic Opera.
Comic opera had its representative at
the Columbia ii Ade and Iuders' work,
The Sho-Gun-" While there IS q good
deal Of genuine hum0r and some good
music In the offering. it is safe TO say
that il will not die Of Old age 1t was
presented with all the laVishness OF
outfit for which Henry w. Savage has
alive by an array of clever principals
and a good chorus, it may run for a
season or TWO. There is accommodating
evidence that the public is beginning TO
weary OF this sort OF musical pabuiuII.
with which it has been surfeited ad
nauseam. When ii finally sets the def
mite stamp of its disapproval on this
tingle-tangle business. American COM
posers VIII put their wits and their tai
snts to produce something that Will
have the right 10 live and be appreciat-
I'd the older IL gets.
3his Weeks Bill of Fare.
This week ''Ben-Hur.'' with ali its
aeaith Of scenic splendor will make its
1ssappearance at the National. Joseph
Hart and Carrie De Mar VIII be at the
Columbia in a new musical comeuy en-
titled ''Mama's Papa" Florence Bindley
comes TO the Lafayette in THE Street
Singer" Chase's viii have Oriental oc-
cultism and mind-reading and the usual
array of vaudeville. meIodrama viii
hold its own at the Academy and the
Lyceam viii keep on the even tenor OF
its ways.
And in a few weeks all the theaters
but one win close for the summer
Selah!