Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-22

severe case tnat 1allS 10 ylSiu),
they at any rate cause no disagreeable
symptoms Their plots present no prob
lem pruriencies. and the adornments of
their choristers. in these tolerant days,
may be absolved from the hint of scandal
Two unpretentious German comedians,
they have plodded along from season to
season, filling a rather humble place on
the legitimate stage, but filing it faith
fully and acceptably. They have met the
reward that usually awaits industry, and
are received as good, reliable entertainers,
who. having accepted your ticket at the
door, will do their best to give you your
moneys worth of laughter, even if they
have to risk spraining an ankle or loosen
ing larynx
In way, the Rogers Brothers may be
regarded as noble reminders of our boy
hood maxims to the effect that pluck will
win, and hard work will tell in the end.
Their careers have been marked by indie
fatigable courage: for 1t is nothing short
of courage that enables a comedian to
recite some of the speeches set down for
him on cold, unsympathetic first night,
when no power on earth can foretell
whether the audience will laugh not.
The Rogers Brothers take all sorts of
chances in this respect, and come out of
the ordeal with a remarkably large
amount of material that musical comedy
patrons find satisfactory. They are good
boys. those Rogers Brothers, bound to get
on because they attend to business. Had
fate directed their energies into different
channels they would probably have been
equally successful. Energy and enter
prise would have made them notable fig
ures, though in more limited sphere of
greatness. had they. instead of deciding on
careers of histrionic art. started in life as
wienerwurst merchants or pretzel mold
ers.
Merry and irresponsible as the mood
of the Rogers Brothers seems, they have
not depended for inspiration entirely on
the superficial suggestion of the ephem-
eral present. Far be it from them to
do anything like that. They have gone
in strong for tradition, even though they
affect no Shakespearean revivals and all
star casts. Farce has it's traditions as
well as tragedy. THE Rogers Brothers
in Panama teens with recollections
When Richard Brinsley Sheridan wrote
THE Rivals he may have hattered HIM
self that he got all the fun out of a
terrified duelist that the subject could
be made to yield. But he was mistaken.
1t remained for the Rogers Brothers to
put the conclusive modern touch to the
scene.
III. Rider Haggard once wrote a novel
about man who in the absence of GUS
tomary' photographic conveniences had
the savages among whom he was thrown
tattoo his last will and testament on his
back. 1t was one of Haggard's least
known works, and the comic possibilities
of the idea might have lain dormant
through the centuries had not the Rogers
Brothers discovered them. 1t also re-
manned for the Rogers Brothers to show
how Carmen might have been made
thing of lifting glee instead of the
gloomy creation 1t seems as occasionally
revealed to us BY an itinerant and home
sick opera company. And the dancing
heifer-the one in which Henry E. Dixie
is Said to have impersonated the hind
1esslin 'Evangelt ne"-it might have been
forgotten had not the Rogers Brothers
- chahASd its gender and introduced it as
the bESl in the arena.
THERE should be no tone of censure
inagineH in these remarks. The collector
Z has-sfis place in art as well as the Gre
ator. Praise is due the Rogers Brothers
for their success in making their powers
|, of humor9tis delineation even more a
! topic =or>fame than their zeal as archaic
biologists.
1T was difficult to give an absolutely can
Z de review. ofsrfhe Rejuvenation of Aunt
4 Misty on the occasion of its first presen-
tation In Washington last Monday night
To have discussed it in the ordinary vein.
~ ~ n att Oh
Of the supporting cast, would inevitably
nave created the impression that it was
I terrible affair. Yet the -four aimIess
you16 uen who gained federation during
the early part of the performance by
the false hope that they would turn out to
be quartet could not spoil the enter
talnment. 1t was a terrible affair only
when these players we're permitted to
dominate the scene and arouse the impress
sion that an amateur night was in prog
ress. The piece was so constructed. or IL
might be said. so devoid of construction
that it resolves itself into a single char
acter study. Aunt Mary as portrayed
by May Robson is personality, a men,
DRY and an influence. Now homely of
nature as a sunhower, she is again as
subtle and sweet and fondly reminiscent
as the perfume of lavender. Miss Rob-
sons characterization is composite. In
addition to her own predominating indi-
yiduality there is something of the dainti-
ness of Yvette Gulbert contrasted with
traces of Neal Burgess as the Widow Be-
dott, and hint, fortunately faint, of the
Russell Brothers. But for the rest of the
company, with the sole and praiseworthy
exception of the angular maid-seryant-
get the hook,
The Lipzin Yiddish players afforded
pleasure to the somewhat limited patron
age whose knowledge of either Yiddish or
German is sufficient to permit a clear COM
prehension of their work. A full appre-
citation of productions OF this kind requires
that they have for the auditor the charm
of the mother tongue. Occasionally these
performances develop a giant of histri-
onic art, such as Jacob Adler. In the
main they are exclusively to be enjoyed
by their own especial public
Here is news from New Orleans. A
movement is under way to bar tights from
the stage. There is protest. of course.
The necessity. for instance. of playing
Romeo in trousers Is presented as one of
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