The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-05-07
Columbia Stock Company ).
Gives Good Performance
With Inadequate Comedy

It seems a pity that when such q good
company has been gathered for the Co
lumbia'S summer stock a better play
should not have -Seen selected for its
opening. The program leads one 70 eZ-
pect racing play, when II labels the
first act THE Suburban" the second
Mrs. Calverts system" and the third
The Maiden Handicap" But as turf
drama 1t is rather like Hamlet with the
Dane left out. There Is a great deal Of
talk OF winnings and losing. but nothing
really doing.
The play starts out as a comedy Of
character, but degenerates into a farce,
ana rather a tedious. slow NOV
ing one. Its characters are plausible
enough. but uninteresting. The center
Of interest. 50 far as there is any. Is
Dora Calvert, admirably played by
Hilda Spcng. Dora Is a thistledown Of
femininity at the mercy Of every wind
that blows, married 70 a man who is.
as she expresses It, "a mere liver, with
hat and shoes''-and one IS led 10 infer
rather a bilious liver at that. In her
search for recreation she discovers Give
Cunning. a nice boy. nephew OF the
senior partner OF her husbands firm.
nice boys occasionally. In the first act
her sins come dangerously near to find
ing her out, and 70 disarm her hus-
bands suspicious she announces her sis
ter's engagement to Give. This sister
is an obliging young person. just out Of
Vassar. and IN search OF experience.
Later she separates the young people.
who are really falling in love with one
another, and finally repents and brings
them together.
The woman early develOps-Wel1. not
a genius for lying. for genius would
tell better lies and stick 70 them. The
one whereby she turns her sister against
Give by accusing him OF much worse
things than he has done Is neither
pretty nor plausible. Miss SpOng plays
the part, though IL has scarcely enough
substance 10 be done worthy OF her
talents. with her familiar ease and
spirit
Though It Is generally tedious. the
play has one or two good scenes, notably
a love scene in the second act which
Mr.. Lamp manages very well. and
scene In the third act where the hus-
band Is Informed Of the deception. Will
lam Lamp plays the Give Cunningham
and plays II capitally. He is good
looking young man, but II he wiz take
a friendly word OF advice, he Will train
down bit. He has the appearance OF
having lived not wisely but too wen. and
that. for a young man who IS playing
juvenile leads. IS serious Also he is
bit careless In his enunciatiOns.
Miss Dorothy Hammack played the in
genue. and received. for old times sake
q warmer welcome than her per-
Torrance merited- George CASTOR, on
the other hand, welcomed for the same
reason. made more OF the part Of an
elderly clerk than could have been ex-
pected. Herbert Mckenzie gave a care
ful, considerations performance Of
part with which he seemed not thorough
~ familiar. jeanette Elberts. as a
drunken cook, scored IN the one scene
in which she appeared Efhe Darling
did some rather clever character work,
and the two OF three minor parts were
played
On the whole the company IS so much
better than the play that one scarcely I
likes 10 Judge by IL One hopes fer
better things IN the weeks 10 come. for |
certainly The Firm Of Cunningham 81 |
rating in the amusement world could
never be very high. II. Med.