The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-03-24
The Circus at Madison Square Gar
den---VaudeVille Situation Inter-
eSting--NOVelli in Varied Roper
tOire and Ethel Barrymore in a
New PIay---PlanS of TheaterS
and Stars.

this knowledge It is truly a titanic
struggle for prize that is worth while.
Just think Of the possibilities OF a
business which viii permit managers to
make fortunes when they pay salaries
like these. A Vesta Victoria or a Vesta
TilIey is paid to the tune Of 5000 q
week Lily LangtTy returns 10 England
$500 the richer for her five monthsf
trip around the vaudeville circuit LII
liam Russell received more than 8. 90
a week for her brief dip into variety
last season. In the days before she
abandoned her ar-istic notions Cecilia
Lotus spurned an offer OF $3.50 for a.
week Of her mimicry In the Masonic
Temple Roof Garden. Charles HaWtry
was paid more than 8. 600 a week for his
in the bright sketch, Time
Is Money" Rose Stahl was started on
the road 70 wealth by the success Of
The Chorus Lady" in one-aCt form,
and James Forbes, the author. was en-
abled by the royalties from the original
sketch alone 10 purchase a farm IN
Westchester county
Undoubtedly one OF the events OF the
week was the opening at the Lyric The
alter Of Ermete Noveli, who has been
exploited as the greatest living italian
actor He Is playing a wide range OF
parts, from bourgeois comedy TO classic
tragedy, and back. So far this week he
has played Papa LibOnnard, Lear. Shy
lock. Louis XI. and Conrad in Monte
Civile." For next week he announces
Hamlet, Oedipees, Othello, an Italian
version Of Tire Tanning OF the Shrew,
Kean, and a play called "Athelaia," By
signor Marca Prago. unknown in this
country The balance Of critical opinion
seems TO be that NovelH really is a
great actor. and a very versatile one,
that he belongs in the very first rank
even. and possibly at the very top OF
that but that he is, after al, not great
enough to prove particularly interesting
TO an American audience. in view OF
the fact that he and his entire company
play IN Italian There IS not enough OF
the population of any Of our big cities
sufficiently familiar u IN Italian that
can afford. or cares 10 afford. the prices
asked. For those who do not Under
stand Italian, one performance may be
interesting.
On Monday night Ethel. Barrymore
opening in her new play, The Silver
Box was something Of an event. Miss
Barrymore plays an old and much en-
during charwoman. a part far from her
usual range Of character. and plays 1t
very well Il is a depressing. gloomy
sort Of a play. but remarkably well
played by a rather larger company than
al
MCRae is still her leading man and fair
" divides the honors. Forrest Robinson,
william Evans. Mary Nash. Harry Red
ding, and Soldene Powell do good work,
while Miss Barrymore Characterize
ton OF Mrs. Jones is described by The
Times as "a superb study in moving
pathOs.
Thomas William BrOadhurst's dramas
The Holy City" a sort Of passion play
regarded as suitable to the closing week
Of Lent, was produced at the Lincoln
Square Monday night by the William
Morris company. The drama has been
seen IN New York before. II depicts
the events leading up TO the passion,
without actually introducing the person
Of Jesus on the stage. The four scenes
are laid on the roof of Mary's house, in
Magdala at the home OF Martha and
Lazarus; IN the porticO OF the Hall OF
Judgment, and IN the garden OF Joseph
OF Arimathea-
On one hand one hears that New York
has too many theaJers; on the other
/ that there are more to come. The new
BeIasco house, the Stuyvesant,i s nearing
completion and will undoubtedly be ready
for opening in the fall. SOthern's new
theater is also an accepted fact. And it
is beyond question that there is a new
theater building in the Bronx. Moreover,
there are rumors-for which Leander
Richardson appears to be mainly re-
spOnSible-Of new Nat Goodwin the
ater Apparently IL IS 10 be the genial
Mats New York headquarters Frankly,
had the project been rumOred some ten
years ago, 1t would have seemed more
probable. Now. when Nat says he s 60
Ing 10 retire in two years, and when
series Of not very successful seasons
have made him Electrically not the best
possible risk. a Nat Goodwin theaJers
which certainly would not be ready for
use for at least another year, seems
rather fantastic. However, fantastic
things sometimes happen on Broadway.
OF all places on earth II Is the one
where you never can tell"
And all these building projects are
partly balanced by the fact that ths
Little Princess is to be definitely and
finally abandoned this spring. and the
site given over to business purposes. The
Madison Squares lease Of life is ex-
treneIy precarious and the Manhattan
= must shortly be pulled down to make
way for the new Pennsylvania railroad
terminal And the New York Theater
is to be withdrawn next season and
devoted TO the exploitation Of the at
fractions of the new vaudeville combine
So that on the whole New York needs
a few more theaters merely to maintain
its present average.
At the same time this years additions
have not been particularly successful.
The new Astor, which opened last fan
right In the heart Of the theater dis
trlct, has scarcely housed a reasonable
( success this winter And the Lincoln
Square, which opened about the LIST OF
/ November. has had anything but q nros-
porous season. The Lincoln Square Is
| really a bit previous. It is too far un
town as yet, though IN a few wears ~
viii probably do al sorts Of business
The Aston by the way. has been
leased by Mrs Leslie Carter PAVE