Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-25

has not been a conspicuous sue
cess Before the first faint SHOWS
had announced that autumn was
through and winter ON the way
number of enterprises when were e'o"'"e
with promise had met their 1ate anu -
1,,l,.5 nc II the season would be left DESC
I.te Now York was dismayed by the pau
city OF attractions available ana 'ne
strange situation presented Itself OF the
great producing metropolis securing the
country fo~ productions for Its theaters
This condition has been remedied and there
are now many substantial successes scoT-
Ing New York runs.
But the prospect seemed scant for the city
whose theatrical amusement is provided by
touring companies. The prophet who re-
vels IN the perennial prediction that the
old stock company system viii eventually
predominant had his inning. One big pro-
duction after another fell down and 1t be-
gan 10 look as If the various cities might
have to call In their local amateur talent to
provide theatrical entertainment. In some
cases It mightn't have been so much worse.
But the public has been amused and in
the same old way. The successes of former
seasons proved the successes Of this. We
went back a few pages and found the old
chapters full of interest and charm, de-
spite their familiarity.
ION the Quiet" and the prince OF Pusen'
are both old friends The Collier farce (for
although written by Augustus Thomas, 1t is
more Colueristic than Thomaseque) ante
dates the German comedy-opera by several
seasons. It was hard luck in way that
E4 Tod N
replace piece which had not scored. 1t
turned out to be good luck for the laugh
lovers 1t is sane little comedy and yet
thoroughly amusing. When Mr.. Thomas
wrote ION the quiet" he was inspired en-
tirely by the desire to produce work that
the public would find acceptable and divert
ing He was not allowing himself the lux
ury of sociological or metaphysical opin-
ions and trying to Introduce them unbe-
known into the consciousness of his auditor
under Il sugar-coating Of fun 1t is very
competent company that surrounds MI
Collier and In one respect an exception to
the rule. Ordinarily the family affair is a
dangerous thing In the theater. Nepotism
is bad enough in politics In art it is re-
garded as positively deadly and producing
managers have often insisted on keeping
people out of parts to which they seem emil
nently adapted for no other cause than a
fear of the complications Of kinship. 1t is
under such circumstances that the He
said-that-she-said Club" attains its great
est facility In rendering the anvil chorus.
But the Collier company includes the stars
sister, Miss Helen Collier, in stage life
and Mr.. Tom Garrick, his brOther-in-law,
both in responsible parts which are well
portrayed There IS also associated with
Mr. Collier George Nash. who has been a
member of every Collier cast for years, not
to mention the faithful personal attendant
Matsuho who Is as devoted to his en-
ployer in private life as he is painstaking
on the stag, And 1t IS one of the most
prosperous and harmonious companies on
the road Tt will be missed from America
when Il goes TO Australia a week or so
hence
Jess Dandy. who In the fountain scene of
the Prince of PHsen' (where again our old
friend the settler siphon turns up. modi-
fed and maguifed. as a certain laugh pro-
duceD was an object of much unwar-
ranted sollctude. The sight Of a man
splashing about In water in midwinter, ex-
posed 20 all sorts of drafts seems to clamor
again for the establishment OF a society for
the prevention Of cruelty to actors. \
laugh TO comedian IS precious above all
things and worthy OF any physical sacrl-
fee. and the public still has enough of the
old Roman instinct left to enjoy seeing as
much discomfort as one OF these martyrs
OF Momus can endure. The less refined au-
dience shouts with glee as one variety
comedian plasters anOther's face with soap
suds In the mimic barber shop, or blows his
hysterical hilarlty when one man advances
ana time and again slaps another mans
face with his bare hand with resounding
smacks, whose genuineness cannot be mis-
taken. II Is something Of the same in
stinct that make people enjoy seeing lot
Of utterly tagged out human beings stag
gerlug around the track IN an endurance
bicycle race. Mr.. Dandy was far from be-
ing a martyr. 1t Is true he is drenched
with real water yut he is a good stalwart
specimen OF humanity and declares that
the durual bath IS a luxury rather than
hardship especially as the water is care
fully regulated in temperature from the
engine room Of the theater And the drink
which follows the episode IS none Of your
property cold tea affairs, but Genuine
concoc,iou with stifr and stlmulative ingre-
denis. The fact that Mr.. Dandy has played
the part for several seasons with no serious
results is sufficient assurance Of the whole
somcuess OF the performance.
The prince of P!lseu' has an element
OF permanently for which It is not easy to
assign "a cause. In plot IL is as light as
the lightest OF musical comedies, but It is
gratefully free from lot Of the localistic
twaddle by which New York usually puts
its brand on a musical production. 1t
ranges across the continent from coast to
coast IN It's song OF the cities" and in
this way produces one Of the best topical
numbers that 60 has been the fortune Of
any comic opera 90 secure. There is no
one taW,lHg 20 bee taken back TO dear old
Broadway or waiting % he rescued from
the wlids and restored to civilization. as
eEempllded by the rathskeers In the neigh
b0Ehooj ot Herald square. Ii IS comfort
able 10 see theatrical company content
20 be- singing ana dancing rs way through
the provinces without piaiug 10 be where
It can be tit by stray rocks By a dynamite
blast OF suffocatcd In the subway. This
affection for dear old Broadway is one of
the psychological mysteries. In New York