Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-01

vlteS TO canQOr. but It's ICES
sons in kindness and generosity
II forbid it. 1t is maze of cross
purposes and yet not sufficiently
rapid in It's action any time to involve the
risk of serious collision. 1t worries along
through succession of incidents that have
grown as familiar to the playgoer as the
station signs to a commuter. The train
of thought pauses at the mischievous rev.
elation that an unpopular maiden lady in
the cast wears a wig-dear old landmark
and then pulls merrily out for the place
where a lover is concealed from pursuing
soldiers behind secret panel. 1t Is like get
ting back to the old home once again. Here
are the old familiar faces-the curate who
walks about with the tips of his fingers
constantly pressed together. There must
be some mysterious force in the attrac-
ton of stage curate's finger tips for one
another that scientists have not looked
into. 1t is not felt by ordinary mortals.
Yet IT is as immutable as the law of grav-
itation. And here is the sweet and gentle
elder sister, who takes care of the children
and who has all the men whose affections
are not previously engaged falling in love
with her. And the naughty society ladies,
who actually use rouge and wear thing
um-bobs to make their figures more plump!
IneN nave SO often euutdNOISd " CildI ia
us with their chatter that it seems too
bad to subject them to this discontinue. 1t
may be foolish for femininity to descend
to these subterfuges of Identification, but
IL is surely no crime worthy of such pun
ishment To have thing m-bobs paraded
before the vandal gaze of whole theater
full-perhaps-Of people is too severe. 1t
would seem less surprising If Jenness Mil
Ter had written the play. But why these
other ladies, John Strange Winter and
Martha Morton. should thus inveigh is
more than can be readily explained 1t is
a trifie narrow.
= y 4 y
One of the difficulties that The Truth
Tellers" labors under is that good actors
are not as plentiful as authors. Martha
Morton is the only one at present men
toned. but the play has been written and
rewritten so much that its real origin
threatens to become a literary mystery,
like laugh and the world laughs with
you" 1t has history. When Walter Clark
Bellows was running stock company at
the Lafayette he became DESTROYS of max
ing new production. Whereupon Mr..
Berger remembered that he had a play by
Martha Morton in his possession. Mr..
Berger had reason to remember Miss Nor
cessful in dramatizing around the winsome
personality of Sol Smith Russell, who had
met with such notable success under the
Berger management. Mr.. Bellows read the
play, thought well of the idea, but de-
cIared that it lacked dramatic force. This
he undertook, with Miss Morton's consent,
to supply. He finally concluded that he had
put more work on it than the simple duties
of a stage manager called for. and decided
10 write a new play, using family of
truthful children as the main theme. He
produced it under the title of THE Little
Pilgrims Negotiations were entered into
by all parties concerned. Mr. Bellows had
some roaring melodrama in his version of
which Miss Morton did not approve, and
Mr. Bellows took his manuscript and went
his way. He has since made productions
of The Little Pilgrims without let or
hindrance. Mr.. Berger, in putting on THE
Truth Tellers," secured Mr.. Fred Sullivan,
who was assistant stage manager with
Bellows, to put it on, and the same scenic
effects are conspicuous in both productions.
There is a mutually of obligation in both
enterprises too complicated to be clearly
defined. If the case could be taken to
the Supreme Court it would never get
through without dissenting opinion.
!: K x X x
There was no villain in the play as pro-
duced Monday night no lowering influence
that Iurked in the background to foil some
body. That element was supplied by Mr..
Bellows himself, who came on from New
York and stood in the rear of the theater,
wearing a Mephistophelian beard and sar-
donic smile. He was one of your willy and
subtle play-villains. He youchsafed no
word of any evil intent he might cherish.
But when it was all over, he looked grew
samely satisfied and made for a train
without even saying "Ha-ha!'
= i y
And with all this dissension and energetic
display among the grown-ups, the real bur
den of the performance rests upon the
shoulders of a wee mite of a youngster
who without knowing it, is the best actor
on the stage. He does what he is told to
do, and has not enough voice to over-burden
the nor enough arms and legs to be
clumsy. He is. a bit of winsome, unaffected
humanity, and provides the touch of nature
that inspires commonplace scenes with in
terest. The other children are bright, but
not young enough to be entirely free from
>seif-consciousness.
No play. not even Little Lord Fauntle-
roy or The Little Princess" has de-
pended so much on juvenile talent as does
this one. 1t is a curious creation, and in
some respects extremely difficult of inter-
probation. 1t requires cast of players
who are capable of that most delicate
achievement, the portrayal of refined types
of modern society, and yet these adult
characters are wholly subordinate in inter
est Their only important function is to
serve victims of the impertinences of
bevy of unspanked infants. The romance
is pallid and uncertain. and the satire, as
before suggested, very much of the dress
reform order But with all its faults one is
tempted to love it-for the chiidren's sake
PHILANDER JOHNSON.
AN INTERESTED FIRsT-NIGHTER.-