The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-02-03
Some Good Things Coming
And Some That Have Gone


says that the forthcoming engagement
OF Forbes Robertson. and after that the
forthcoming engagement OF Richard
Mansfield. and after that the forthcom-
ing engagement of Mrs. Fiske-and then
some-are being looked forward 10 with
great interest by local playgoers. They
are.
Ask the booksellers how many comics
OF Bernard Shaws Three Plays for
Puritans' they have sold in the last
week. Ask them what the demand has
been for Peer Gynt" These are en-
gagements that are not merely accept
ed as they come along. they are pre-
pared for, almost with fasting and
prayer.
People are reading Peer Gynt" who
have heretofore been satisfied merely
% talk as If they had. OF course. read
It. II they don't get TO the play they
know that their friends Will know so
much more about il than they have
heretofore that preteuse won't 90; they
must really have read II, or they viii be
found out. II is the same with Caesar
and Cleopatra" Nobody now is going
10 make the mistake OF mixing il up
with Anthony and Cleopatra" Every
body who doesn't want to buy a copy is
borrowing from friends or libraries
Some OF the libraries have found IL
necessary 10 paste the Seven Day
Book" label on the little volume OF
plays. The dear public is studying its
Shaw.
The dear public is also studying its
Shakespeare. 1t Is reading up its
Hamlet" Just as earlier in the season
il read up It's Midsummer Nights
Dream" and stin earlier its "Cymbe-
line" II settles down In its street cars
and produces "a handy volume" from
its pocket and proceeds 10 refresh its
memory. II talks OF other Hamlets II /
has seen, The older portions of II
reminisces arTogantIy about Booths
Hamlet. II needn't Booths Hamlet is
a great stage tradition Robertson's is d
great fact. And without desiring to pose
as an iconoclast the balance Of evidence
leads one 10 the conclusion that the fact
Is AT least as great as the tradition.
over at the Columbia we are 10 have
another practically new play. and II is
20 be hoped-with good grounds for the
hope-a better one than the last The
Spoilers" as a book. was criticised as
being too luridly melOdramatic. Review
ers said such things don't happen"
The only answer was such things have
happened" Perhaps Washington. bet
ter than any other city In the East.
knows the truth of the story. and that
probably accounts for the very genuine
interest. IN onicial quarters. in the play
So much for the story. II may be OF
interest 10 note that the play, meIo-
dramatic as it necessarily Is, is the only
thing produced at the New Thea
ter IN Chicago whose box office re-
ceipts were visible TO the naked eve. |
Mr.. Frohman, by the way of trying
II out, seeing how IL went. allowed
the New Theater 10 produce II
Though the production was Inadequate
people gave up real money 10 see It
while with its other productions on art
Ior-arts sake lines, 10 must be admitted
the New Iheater has come a terrible
eropper and the project is practically
abandoned. The leading members OF IT'S
company have signed contracts with
hard headed, sordid souled. commercial
minded managers. and its season has
come TO a sudden and untimely end.
Just a glance at the friends of last
week II was emphaticaIly a case where
old friends were best The Girl. csr,e
back 10 US unspoiled. improved even INV
a year in New York-the same delight
full wholesome. joyous. sensitive. ana
sensible girl She has been. perhaps. a
Att!e toned down. but nothing that was
worth while was lost IN the process
Miss Bates remained, Frank Keenan, re-
manned. most OF 1.-THE boys" remained
The only important change in the cast
was the substitution OF Charles Mill
ward for Robert Hnliard as the man IN
the cGse-and. our compliments 10 thu
press agent, he spake true Coh,- they
sometimes doD. when he said the sub
sutulon was an Improvement. Mill
ward does RamerreZ infinitely better.
looks the part. and plays il better than
Hnliard did.
'Strongheart' is the same Strong
beart'-a sermon. a setting forth OF one
Of the terrible hopeless tragedies OF
civilization. Mr.. Edeson plays II CAPT
tally. He gets his best support from
Frank Mcintyre. They are not preach
ing. but-can one see II without being
heartsick at the injustice OF II. and the
absolutely hopeless remorselessness?
l was sorry, think we were all
sorry. that We didn't like a Marriage
of Reason" better. But We didn't. we
CoNlui Arlp II. 1llcuy II was the piaV.
incoheTenL discuTsive. indehnite-estab-
fishing nothing unless IL was that after
all IL isn't at all essential for two peo-
PIE who are going 10 marry 20 care for
one another ii they're a pretty de-
cent sort the mere association IS bound
to produce love. After the play one
must admit that il was the leading lady.
On the FIRST night allowance was to be
made for very evident nervousness. but
later In the week better work might
have been expected. Fannie Ward is
pretty in her own way. but she is not
an actress. She did not. when she was
on the stage before. attempt that sort
OF thing. She did musical comedy
stunts.
Real acting was not required OF her
and It is rather mistake requiring it
now. or course. she has her husbands
millions back Of her. Klaw & Erlanger
won't lose by the prOduc-l
ton. But it's rather hard on the public, -
and on the supporting companion such "
capable actresses as Julia Dean and d