Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-09

from New York the reports OF the
success of Mr.. Belascos latest produc-
II ton. The Rose of the Rancho That
il would be a success was taken for
granted That was ever one OF the joys
of a Belasco production 1t entailed no
necessity Of eavesdropping in the aisles or
the lobby to hear the casual comments of
the unbiased public There was no need
to hold little jury meetings between acts
: Success was a foregone conclusion. 1t was
only a question of degree. Once, only
once was there variation from the rule
that was when Mr.. Belasco personally pro-
duced a comedy called Naughty An
thony." And once, only once, did Mr.. Be
lasco produce a comedy. The impression
had long prevailed that Washington was
somehow essential to Mr.. Belasco's happi-
ness; that play which was not first pre-
scented in the capital city, however great
its success, would to him be somehow in
complete But he has followed up one
violation of precedent in THE Music Mas
ter" by another in The Rose of the
Rancho" and the District of Columbia is
left to bswail its vanished prestige as
mascot and to limit its search for novelty
b and excitement to the smoke laws and the
appropriation bills.
The Rose of the Rancho" is described
as play without star. Mrs. Leslie Car
ter may be responsible for much manager
ial dissemination to concentrate all the
prospects of a big production in the moods
or talents of an individual
1t was in Naughty Anthony" that
Blanche Bates was expected to electrify
audiences by taking off her stockings.
Later Annie Russell came prancing into
of ha
There was some understanding to get
glimpse of pinked and powdered heels,
but after all it was not much of a sur
prise. The appearance of Mary Manner
ing in GLORIOUS Betsy" shoeless and ap
parently hoseless, attracted attention,
the play itself proving sufficiently interest
ing to require no trickery of this sort
And. anyhow. they were probably dgitated
stockings. 1t may be well to dismiss
the barefoot idea from the dream of the
theatric se1sationalist. There is nothing
in it. The Cay will never come when the
chiropOdists name adorns the program
along with those of the man who tends
the stage furniture or cleans the costumes.
crusty observer was told that Rida
Johnson Young wrote GLORIOUS Betsy" in
a great hurry on the backs of old envel-
opes.
1T is a good idea" said the crusty one
81 know of a playwright who should have
carried the idea still further He should
have written his play on the back of a
postage stamp-and then used the stamp"
The local horizon not so full of in
terest last week to restrain the attention
from wandering beyond it. 1.-The Free
Lance was a conventionalzed version of
some sprightly ideas; Smith, Sousa, Cav
thorne, Janette Lowrie, Geo. Schiller, AL
Hart-evcn all these were unable to lift the
representation out of the atmosphere of the
familiar. The method of stage production
has become so systematized that original
effects in musical representations are sell
dom attained Taps was a forbiddng
drama consistent revelation of the darker
side of life. and Lew Dockstader-if Dock
stader and his MINISTRIES were too different
they would be a disappointment. and ser-
Gus disappointment has never yet arrived
under the banner of the millionaire mo-
nopolist of mirth and melody
Speaking of Lew Dockstader somehow re-
minds one of Richard Mansfield-each gen
tleman being so unapproachably pre-emi-
nent in his particular domain and each be-
ing so bright an exemplifcation of the doc
success. The same industry that Dock
stader has shown in beating the bush for
local and current topics, Mr.. Mansfield has
displayed in the higher realms of the
drama, and every once in awhile, after try
Ing out an immense amount of unproductive
material he comes forward with classic.
Judging from the reports of Peer Gynt his
latest venture. he has made great discov-
cry, for the Norwegian play has been so
neglected that this presentation is as much
an initiative undertaking as if the play had :.
been written only last year Peer Gynt"
has long been a name of uncanny familiarity
through the Grieg suite. and this will not
be the first case where a musician has
done the world good service by calling at
tention TO a poet.
The ovation received by Caruso is re-
garded by his friends possessing sig.
nihcance other than a desire to recogniz
the merits of his performance. The as
sumption is not an agreeable one. The
charges brought against him in no way
affected his competency as a singer, and
. the applause bestowed upon an artist is in
reality, though unconsciously, addressed to
the composer than to the individual be-
fore the footliShts. When applause is with
held it is a signal that the composer has
not been adequately interpreted and its
volume usually represents the degree OF eff
hciency in conveying the Impressions of
anothcr's genius. To believe that it was
the intention to lionize Caruso because of
a. his lamentable experience would be diff
cult and depressing.
Yet 1t is difficult to say what New York
will DO. The Great Divide" with its utter
pruriency and Madame Butterfly" with
its delicate simplicity are both reiyning
successes. PHII.ANDER JOHNSnN