Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-06

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the nurlcsQucrs. 1t was drama
stcrr and unc1rnnromising for the most
part Lawrence D'Orsay contributed liz
lie farce but il did not serve to dissiTatc
the austcyIty Of mood invited by Miss Fan
ME Wards discovery that she had fallen
in love with he easy mark whom she
had set out to fleece. and the tragic gloom
prccipitated by Mr.. George Fawcetts eN-
clamation Boy, why didn't you shoot
straight"
In fact there was not much more excuse
for the bad craftsmanship of the iogSy
LOthariO who breaks Up the happy nome
I'm THE Silver Girl than there was ior
the rest of his conduct. Mr. Fawcett's ex-
pans We chest was an inviting target, and
the failure to hit was distinct discourage
ment TO those Who think that Americans
should he more Eager for experiences with
firearms The management perez we'd this
element of weakness. and now just as the
home breaker Is ABOUT to ire the wife
screams. thus dslractng his aim.
Had THE Silver Girl" been produced
season or two earlier there would have
been little doubt as to EXCEPTIONAL success
for it, The old drama ''Aristocracy' leaves
not much that is novel to be drawn from
the situation in which a husband discovers
that his wife is about To elo2e. Yet these
characters are new and the atmosphere is
unconventional The western man. rough
of manner. hut fine of feeling. has been so
constantly exploited Of late that there is
danger Of his no, De ng regarded as worthy
of further acquaintance by the tickle play
goer The story is well told the conversa-
ton being natural yet not commonplace.
The central episode too. rings new
change on the theme Of aif-slcrifce,
sential to the wrIi-cGustruCted comedy
drama. Yet Il depends tinesse rather
than on rugged potency; the auditors inter-
est is besought instead Of being compelled.
The impression created is due as much to
the acting as to the writing of a play. 1t
is im2oss BILE to form definite conclusions
as 70 the effect that would have been pro-
duced had every role been represented with
the close fidelity to nature and the smooth
accuracy of stage technique that dstin-
guished Mr.. Fawcetts own playing
In sorry truth. the stage suffers today
less from a deficiency of authors than from
a superabundanCe of near-actors. The
hazard is less in the devising of incident
and dialogue than in the manner of their
expression Players are selected for height,
complexion ana carriage and the Gates are
left Ia take care OF the al!-important ques-
tion OF an ability to comprehend aHd con-
vey the sigUiiic auye Of spec and situation.
Regulations are bartered with mercantile
keenness of valuation and stars
easily made that the only certainty of an
entirely competent Interpretation lies in
the production of a monoIogue. AS con-
ditions at present influence the task of pre-
senting legitimate plays the author and
stage manager are too frequently confront
ed with the problem OF making a scene be
tween a five-hundred-doliar salary and
fifty dollar stipend seem easy and plausi-
bic. The most good natureu audience finds
1t hard to shut its eyes to the discrepancy.
Plays are being abundantly and well writ
ten, but very inieriorly cast.
Had "A Fool and Girl" for instance
been performed with the same detailed fin
ish that marked the production of Leah
Kleschna" there is chance that this lat
est accession to an already overcrowded
theatrical rogues gallery, impersonated
with notable efficiency by Mss Fannie
Ward. would have f0uld a more favorable
reception The piece is daring IN its en-
ployment of Sang as the form of diction
in which a serious and almost tragic idea
is to be conveyed. SLAMS is the recognized
signal for laughter. and the acceptance of
il as a vehicle for sincere thought involves
a mental strain of which the average audi
ence. assembled merely for an evening
entertainment is not capable 1t is logical
enough to point out that the ''hully gee
of today is no more inelegant than the
''gadzoOks' and POUNDS of our ancestors.
But there is an instructive feeling that the
gutter-chatter which is now so lavishly
dispensed is for gleeful purposes only. Slang
is only permitted in good literary company
when 1t is archaic The authors purpose
was, clearly enough, to throw the vulgar
isms which his characters employed suff-
cient.y into perspective 10 compel their
recognition the talk of remote class of
people. But the character bits were, I'M
fortunately, more human and comprehensi-
bic than some OF the serious roles. and the
element Of farce took undue precedence.
Augustus Thomas once said that he wrote
The Earl Of Pawtucket' in order TO show
that Lawrance ID Orsay was really true |
The Lancers' cannot be regarded as af-
fording corroboratve detail Cissie LOTUS
the actress has not yet succeeded in lifting
the laurels from the brow of Cissie LOTUS
the mimic.
The new plays seen this season have
not commanded any deep consideration as
the most part, palpable efforts to get into
the swim, and profit by the momentum of
vogue. college-boy vogue, a wild-west
vogue, or girl-criminal vogue. The
American stage has made enormous
strides in the matter of native produc-
ttons, but there is not yet the premium
on originality necessary to give 1t much
artistic Importance. The most original
idea for play seen this fall was that
Of "A Modern Lady Godlva" and that was
smothered by the introduction of trite eff
fects
A new idea in bodybuilding is being
discussed by managers 1t is the "to-be-
continued-in-our-ne drama The propo-
sition is to give a play one week which
will narrate series of events up to a
certain point, the happenings being such
as TO form complete drama, and vet
fOh Of he utn