The Washington times., 1907-11-03

4 Ii Of which goes 20 show that
"a Ade is a good newspaper
writer, but a bad play
wrignt. He certainly can
catch the talk Of the street
the pungent laconisms Of a
hurried civilization. and weave them
dexterousiy into striking phrases. The
tricks OF capItalizing. fables-in-slaag-
wise ideas. are at his finger ends, and
he has used them 10 hand out a hearty
laugh TO many millions But MS
'Artier' three-act effort. brought out this
week at the GarTtck Theater, proves
again that he cannot write play. The
County Chairman and The College
Widow are spotted all over with char
acterIzation but there are long gaps In
the construction that no end OF stage
direction and sumptuous finish can
cover up. Ade can strike some chords
on the dramtic plano, but ne cannot
turn q tune TO compleuon-Inere are
long cropping, caVernOus. JumDling, IN
harmonious spaces between the places
where the theme Is heard. Artie' is
worse II is all cavern but the last act
which is funny IN the legitimate Ade
way.
Ade's Vehicle Not Drama.
Not to suggest taking away one jot
Of Mr. AIDES unquestionable genius in
rigging up essentially funny situations
and painting essentially funny and in
terestiRgiy true character, but his We
hicle is the printed page. not the stage.
He does not understand the necessities
nor the limitations Of stage production.
Nor csn the most competent stage
producer spread his splOtches or
character drawing out over a theater
presentation in a proper blend. You
car make 4 spectacle Of his plays, and
ring in some occasional or frequent
bits of sGperlauvely good impersonation.
But the result is merely q chain OF
impressionistic sketches-not a play. he
is like a musician who has neglected
to study harmony or orchestratiOn and
tries TO write a symphony. Or an artist
who knows color but has never learned
to draw ''Artie." the name part OF
this strange burst of eCceHtrlcity, as
acted by Mr.. Wheat in the present in
stance is as impossible a bowman as
he is fresh. The actor wins with his
celerity, his effeTvescence his activity,
his nerve. and his bubbling suavity. At
last. after being annoyed by the ab-
surdities that fall hat because they do
not quite reach the burlesque limit, you
find yourself won over TO good humOr
by Artie's sheer, abnormal cheek and
cOmplacent Joy in himself. A few OF
the cast, who have acquired a certain
agreeable nOtOHety in other Ade road
trOupes, helped along the general first
night curiosity that was manifested here
at the opening. George Ade has ad-
vanced by this production in one way
he was coined some more delicious mOts
that will be absorbed into the vOx
popuh and patois Of the curb.
Savage Most Fortunate This Year.
BY the way. Henry B. Harris, after
two stupendOus failures this year. as
severates that he VIII look twice and
quite d while each time before he
thTusts forward namboyanuy another
Big One. Wise Henry. It cost him
Tlany thousands Of collars 10 assiniIate
that wisdom this season. There are
more who feel as he does I believe
that Mr.. Savage Is the most astutely
fortunate OF any OF them, thus far, IN
all hts ventures, with the one basic sx-
Raymond Hitchcock episode. Savage
worked two years to reach the perfect
success of ''Fbe Merry Widow " All
his companies are welcome and DrOSper-
had taken the h1OdOO of the new As
tor Theater, was helping Wagenhals 4
kemper the JeSSeCS Of the AstOr. as
they earnestly desired TO De heiued
was good for an all-winter run. wher,
ZIP the whole city is slapped in the
face. and naturally sbrinks from look
ing az the prize fool OF the year.
Hits at Lyric and Majestic.
Speaking Of the lifting Of unpro-
pitious and gloomy beliefs concerning
the destinies OF particular theaters. the
Lyric. which has Jared but Ill for long
months, and the Majestic. which has
torn fortunes from the pockets Of ita
conductors lately have both. appar-
emily, entered upon a new period ~
brightness and fortune. "The Ton %
the World, music from New York
tOyland nonsense from autf0u{tv
specialties from "Merryland ana Fafry-
land" has turned the Majestic into
1oyland. And Miss Pocah ontas." mu-
sic from Boston. Indians from peoria
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