Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-25

text capital A and wears its hair long
with a bald spot in the middle OF
the head 1t was a week in which
democracy held full sway. The social sys-
tenn Of the theater was set at defiance LOT
the variety performer who Is SO ol'eh
lorgnetted with supercilous superiority py
the lady who appears in sure-enougn drama
was the success of the week The mlns'rei
sketch team and the monologist in mod
ern musical comedy environment came III
respondent prominence and the box ONCE
is again inquiring What's the use Oh
shakespeare"
The week was also made remarkable by
the discovery of new theater In TINS city.
For long time many people nave peeh
hearing of the Majestic Theater' II was
known to have existence somewhere IN the
civ but il was land unknown, something
like the north pole, where frosts reign
supreme and only the most venturesome
dare penetrate. 1t was Nat Wits In
frolicsome farce comedy who gave courage
20 the crowds that have been thronglng the
place. and it is quite possible that he mas
turned the tide of fortune for this much-
neglected play house. Every town has had
a Jonah" theater, house which all the
wise men in theatrical affairs have agreed
ington the Majestic has been it, In its early
history it was the most dignifed OF theaters
1t was Ford's and the celebrated stars OF
the legitimate drama held sway there. Dur
ing the early months it was embowered
with roses tributes to sweet girl graduates,
for il was a favorite place for commence
uent exercises Then Pat Harris included
II in his chain of theaters. which was then
one of the wonders of theatric enterprise;
a forerunner perhaps of the two great
theatrical syndicates tina. are battling for
territorial supremacy throughout the entire
oauntry. He called it the Bijou and after
his death its fortunes began to wane. 1t
was later chrstened the Empire. but
change of name could not dispel the gloom
which had settled over it. AS the Majestic
1t has made some little progress. but 1t
had relapscd into comparative oblivion until
the word went around on Monday afternoon
that the Nat Wills show a good one.
People have been attending in throngs. and
II attractions OF the same merit can be
provided there is no doubt that the ice is
broken. Sooner or later nearly all these
so-called Jonah theaters leap into pros
perity that surprises the wiseacres.
Nat Wills has played many a time at
what is now the New Lyceum. formerly
Kernan's formerly the Comique, etc He
was hailed in those DAYS as he is now as
the ideal tramp impersonator and made
the usual ascent through the vaudevilles-
the vaudevilles get them both coming and
going-to the so-called legitimate stage He
is one of the numerous players who al
ways bring forth the remark The is a
Washington boy" Say anything you like"
said Wilton Lackaye once upon time,
"only please don't cah me a Washington
boy, I'm from Washington ard proud
enough of it. But I'm not boy. 1 cut
my wisdom teeth long ago. You are likely
to get them early in this business" Lack
aye used to be full of those snappy, semi
sarcastic utterances. OF late his caustic
wit has not been heard from.
And those happy boyhood daysi Who says
they do not return? What statistical ge-
MUS Will undertake to tell when it was
that Mcintyre and Heath first told about
the train that went fast that it didn't
even hesitate. What playgoer can remem-
Der when he first laughed at the declara-
ton that IL took two men TO talk about
that train, one to say here she comes
and the other to say there she goesr' OF
course. il is since the introduction of livery
stables. the presence of certain dialogue
and the dialogue of their act is immut-
able as the rock-ribbed hills-proves this,
Just as certain traces prove whether geo.
logical specimen is of Devonian or Silurian
origin. The memory of the average man
goes not back TO the time when there was
no Mcintyre and Heath act on the stage,
with an audience out In front testifying its
unrestrained approval 1t is one of the
oldest teams in the theater; next to To-
nd ubn hay drif tod of
attention In this territory, perhaps the old
est The Ham Tree" is direct contradic-
ton to the theory that the demand for
novelty is setting a killing pace for au-
thors and producerA With all the singing
the we'll disciplined chorus work, the clever
Incidental specialties. Mcintyre and Heath
constitute the great essential of the show.
The stories that are good enough to stand
the wear and tear of generations are the
classics after ALL
THE Whirl of the Town was another
tuneful contribution to week of over
whelming gayety. Charles Ross has served
his apprenticeship in sketch work, and has
fairly won his present popularity. The men
who know their work from the ground up
are dependable; they know their own
limitations sometimes they are unduly
timorous about Yenturing into new lines
and they know the technique of broad
comedy thoroughly as a tragedian
knows the secret of swaying the more
serious emotions.
William Collier does not look back to any
experience in the varieties. His career Is
however. traditional 1t appears
that no man could walk through Days
Theater in professional way without car
rying with him through life some of Its at
mosphere. Collier was call boy at Days;
a restless, aggressive youth. who deter
mined that he was going to act and
promptly made his wishes known. Au-
gustin DAILY told him he was too old for
boys parts, and too young for mature
roles. Collier lost time In enlisting
under other banners, and in a short time
he was commanding so large a salary that
DAILY. although convinced of his ability
and willing to engage him, did not feel
like meeting the enormous advance from
the few dollars week for which young
Collier had formerly figured on his pay
roll