The Washington times., 1907-01-13
THEATRICAL NEWS AND CHITCHAT OF THE WEEK

which OF the two is the better-or
Morse-aud as many OF the dear public
as can pack into the two theaters each
evening are working out the answer for
themselves. The other production is a
musical comedy. presented at the Ca
sino, and is simply "a regular Casino
show''-and neither at the head nor the
loot OF the line.
The Truth" again presenting Mrs.
Clara BloOdgOOd as a star, is the Fitch
comedy. Filled with bright lines and
clever situatiOns-what William Winter
calls "Fitch's talent Tor wririn prattle,
at times clever in its Veracity, and
mildly amusing in its illustrative platt-
tude''-is well IN evidence. "The Truth
struggles along for four acts without
really getting anywhere II always
seems just about 10 score, bat never
does. Even If one is able 10 wink gem
erously at some OF its barefaced absurd
tiles OF construction, il is hard not TO
be bored by some of the long and tire
some speeches.
Despite these flaws however, The
Truth is likely 10 prevail on Broadway
in stage life-fOr some time The play
sends itself readily to dramatic tailoring
and its witty. snappy dialogue. its in
tensely human touches. and the clever
work of Clara BloOdgOOd viii save II.
''The Truth" is not badly told; II sim
ply is not new or interesting.
When Fitch attempted the drama pro-
duced Monday night. THE Straight
Road" in which Blanche Walsh Is
starred. he struck a bit of soft going,
and the result is pretty nearly mellow
drama. THE Straight Road" is short
cut to real life. The scenery is not the
most beautiful in the world. and the
people are not the most cOngenial ever
met but they are real. Fitch has side
stepped his society friends and demon
strated that he is quite as able TO see
beneath the shabby clothing of Hous-
ton street and the lower east side as
he is 10 penetrate the Paris gowns, the
rouge and the powder of Fifth avenue
and the Drive.
After doing all these things. Fitch
somehow fails TO nit the bulTs-eye. After
running along smoothly for three acts
1.-The Straight Road" gets bumpy and
goes down hin at the finish. II does,
however. give us another clear-cut.
Cleverly conceived character 10 add TO
Blanche Welsh's record.
Broadway is wondering IL winsome
little Paula EdWardes is ever to have
Il fair chance. She returned 10 the
Casino Monday night in a new comic
opera-Cut from the same old pattern
'The Princess Beggar. and her friends
are full OF hope and misplaced enthu-
siasm. But the little condolences piece
IS one OF the most witless hyphenated
comedy offerings presented on Broadway
in a long time. And that is saying a
whole lot.
But loaded down as she is with the
burden OF a bad play. Miss Edwardes
herself has scored. Pretty and a real
fun-maker, she scored out over the foot
lights in spite OF the ball-and-chain
lines Of THE Princess Beggar." She Is
not "a singer. but she has the good taste
TO appreciate the fact, and without tax
mug her voice seriously. puts IL 10 good
use in the several redeeming song num-
bers that she has.
Aside from the star. the saving grace
or The Princess Beggar" is some really
good music and that goes a long way
toward helping one TO forget the lame
comedy. The plot OF the opera is not
worth bOthering about II includes the
usual iine OF difficulties OF the comedy
king, the overwOrked court physician.
the beautiful princess, and the gallant
prince. They do the same old stunts in
The same old way, all except the prin-
cess, and she does hers so cleverly that
one is ready 10 put up with the others.
IL is "a comprehensive program that
Miss MarlOWe and Mr.. +. H. SOthen
will offer at the Lyric Theater. when
they begin their engagement there a
week hence, Among the plays in which
they are 10 be seen are: John the Bap-
list" by Hermann Sudermann; jeanne
dAlc," by Percy Mackaye; ''The Daugh-
ter OF Jorio." by Gabriel d'Annunzio:
.Guenever." by II. W. BOyntOni The
Sunken Bell" by Gerhart Hauptmann
Francesca da Rimini,' by Gabriel
d'Annunzio, and when KnighthoOd was
in Flower" by Charles Major. The
Shakesperean plays, which viii be pre-
sented, are. Hamlet" Romeo and
Juliet" The Merchant of VeLcie, 90
Twelfth Night" and AS You Like It."
In addition 20 this long list. one or two
new plays now under consideration may
be offered Changes will be offered
every week. A beginning will be made
with Sudermann's John the Baptist" a
play constructed upon very moderate
amount of Biblical fact. and a vast
amount Of reveTent imagination. AS
''Salome." Miss MarlOwe is said 10 dis
play unsupported prOwess as a dancer.
II is said that Sothern and Marlowe
played TO $1,000 last week in Boston,
WheTeat Wilsbach. the irrepressible. ex-
claims: Three cheers for the poetic
drama il is alive and kicking!" Nov
then-all together, please.
1t is also said that during their forth
coming engagement special perform
ance of THE Road to Yesterday" now
being presented at Fields Herald Squar,