The Washington times., 1906-05-15
Pleasing Variety Marks
Weeks Bills at Theaters
COLUMBIA.
Guy Standing and Company in "Lord
and Lady Algy."

TN AeAAJ <1Aeys
r. C Cartons comedy Of aristo-
cratic English sporting life. Lord and
Lady Algy," the play presented with
great success nine years ago by the En-
pire Theater Stock Company. with Viii
liam Faversham as Algy, Jessie Mill
ward as Lady Algy, Guy Standing as
Quamby. Joseph Wheelock. jr.. as AEaw-
! ley, and ". II. Champion as the Duke.
is the Columbia Theater eompany's Of
fering for the week
Mr.. Standing takes Faversham's cd
role, and Dorothy Hammond plays Lady
Algy. w. II. CHAMPION has his original
part Of the Duke OF Droneborough, and
Hall McAliister is the Marquis GUAM
by. Malcolm Duncan is the jockey with
thirst. the character that WhccIock
made famous, and which also made him
famous
The company played very well ~ the
first and third acts, and the perform
ance as a whole was decidedly interest
| ing Members OF the cast gave evidence
that they had been carefully drilled, and
embarrassing slips and confused scenes
We're conspicuous by their absence
This Is a point on which the Standing
Luckett company deserves considerable
commendation. one expects a poor per-
Torrance on Monday nights when sum
mer stock companies hold the boards,
but the Columbia company proves an
exception by showing itself thoroughly
rehearsed for the opening performance.
There were, however, some errors in
judgment shown last night by several
OF the players and Ar. McAlIister was
the chief offender II IS TO be feared
that he does not fully realize the com
edy value OF the role he plays Quamby,
as Mr.. Standing played il with the En-
pire Company. affords unusual oppOr-
tunities for a comedian. and McAllister
misses too many Of them His Qu.Tnby
is too much Of q caricatUre. and for
that reason IS not sufficiently convincing.
The Marquis should be made a poseur.
a man too thoroughly convinced Of his
mental and moral superiority 20 be an
out and out hypOcrite- he should be
made a bundle OF afectatiOns and an
irexhaustible miLe of trite platitudes,
which should be spoken with lingering
affection and mincing mannerisms-
Quamby should revel in his own long
drawn out observations; and the stage
business in his case IS quite as lmpor-
lant, II not more important. than the
lines he speaks. His handling o. his
eyeglass should be as carefully acCentu-
ated as the emphasis OF his most impor-
tant line. And be IL said IN passing that
nearly every line OF The part Is rich
with comedy.
IN the last act. when Lady AIgy has ex-
planned 10 IudWay how his vile chances
TO be in her husbands apartments,
which explanation IS enforced BY AlSy
That's ia chorus Of approval for
the theory Is sounded by all IN the
room As a matter OF fact. Mrs Tud-
way is there 10 meet Quamby, with
whom she is eOing 20 bolt" Mr.
Standing as Quamby used 20 bring down
the house with his mincing, precisely
spoken. Under the existing Circum-
stances. Mr.. Tudway. 1 think that we
may reasonably presume that that is it,
Mr.. McAllister Is satisfied 10 add mere,
know IL the lines used BY Mr. Stand
ing were written by the author or in
serted by the actor, but II Is a good biz
Of comedy. and either should not be
dropped, or should be inserted
Malcolm Duncan very sensiDlY follows
the path trailed by Jap" Wheelock,
and plays a Mawley that makes a hit
with the audience His work is eXCep-
tiOnally good Frank Brounlee's Sweep
son IS decidedly good Mr. McSween
might secure some valuable assistance
70 act as a neWsgatherer at a masked
ball, but he is almost as good as was
the original Mr.. Jeal.
George CASTOR was one OF the even
ings hits as BrabazOn Tudway, the soap
boiler But in the first act his lines
| were spoken in such a low tone that
even those as far up as + could not
understand what was being said Miss
Hammond plays a Lady Algy that, while
not the breezy character that Jessie
Millward created. is exceedingly inter
esting. Miss Lewis won laughs In the
role Of Mrs TUdway's mother.
All in all the Columbia cOmpany-s
| Lord and Lady Algy" is very
pleasing entertainment Possibly the
second act VIII be improved during the
week, but as il stands II is more than
wei worth seeing.