The Washington herald., 1907-05-26

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- Of Washington seem to show
little falling off in enthusiasm.
Audiences have been as large during the
past two weeks as at any time during
the regular season, in spite Of the many
outdoor attractions and the fact that
merely 10 be outdoors on some Of these
spring days is a treat In itself
Beginning tomorrow the New National
Theater falls in line with its supple
mental season of stock, presenting for a
change a musical stock company in repe-
titions Cf some Of the more famous comic
operas The other two regular f1rst-class
theaters will continue TO present dra-
matte offerings. and the Washington the
aterg0ing public will have plenty of good
entertainment to choose from.
AS to the other theaters, they are maxi
ing arrangements for closing. Chase
vaudeville house. which has had a most
prosperous season. closes after this week.
Undoubtedly it could have stayed open
several weeks more. and, indeed, its pro-
priotor was besieged with letters from
his patrons, asking him to keep the house
open. But at this time of the year the
be-; vaudeville acts are hard to set. and
.at..cr tEan lower the quality Of the en-
tertainmen,s the house VIII close. The
fact that Mr.. Chase intends TO have his
theater entirely renovated and redeco-
rated during the summer also, figured in
this early closing. perhaps.
The Majestic closes its doors after this
week, not 20 reopen until early autumn.
The burlcsque house, the New Lyceun,
has set the date for its closing as the
last week IN June.
In the meantime the local stock COM
pauias move merrily along and play 10
large audiences at each performance. The
stock companies at the Columbia and at
the BeIasco are both excellent in ma
ter!aL careful In making productions.
managed with skll. and both number
players Of high ability within their ranks.
The personal side Of the players in stock
companies always counts for something,
and I'm these two companies are players
who have a great number Of friends
among Washington theatergoers.
The performance OF "Featherbrain" by
the Columbia Stock Company was a little
Disappointing last week. The play was
not quite up TO the mark though il
places it WAS funny enough. but one
could not help thinking that a company
which includes Mr.. Wilton Lackaye, Miss
Hida Spong. and Miss Charlotte Walker
should be doing something worthy OF
their talents Even at that. Il must be
said that the acting was much better thar
the play. Mr.. Lackaye has always been
a character actor Of the first class. wher
he does not try to be natural. and he has
an ease and grace that lend his charac-
terizau0ns great strength. and the role OF
the ardent Portuguese, Il played in bet
ter cause. is one that would have wor
him high praise It is announced that
this stock company is preparing revival
Of "Trilby" and in that case there will
certainly be great desire 10 see Mr.
Lackaye in the part Of Svengali, one OF
the very best pieces of character work he
has ever done,
Two difficult tasks have been essayed
by the Edwin Arden players at the
BeIasco. inrep-oducing. first. Oscar Wilde
The Importance Of Being Earnest" and
last week, Pineros The Gay Lord
QueX' They succeeded much better
with the Wilde play than with the PinerC
drama. This is due very largely, per
haps. to the fact that the players fitted
themselves better to the cast Of the first
play than to the second. a Pinero play
needs lot Of playing, and if the illusion
IS TO be perfect the ensemble has to bC
correct Miss Alice Butler was woefully
nIisc3st as the Duchess Of Strood, and
turned situations into comedy that were
meant 10 be taken with a gasp Of tho
breath. MT. Arden d.d much better than
might have been expected as Lord Quex
lis QueX was pretty American. but it was
earnest, forceful, and convincing. Mr.
Ellis as Frayne did a Cne bit of character
acting Miss GIendennIng, who made ST
charming an impression in the Oscar
Wilde play, was not cast right in the
Pinero play, one would have liked to see
her as the girlish Muriel. The best WORK
was done perhaps. by Miss Chrysta
Herne as Sophy. but It would have beer
much better work If Miss Herne had not
displayed d marked tendency 10 Overplay
the part. The third act was strung out
far too long by her moaning, which was
seldom convincing and always monOtO-
nous. The letter-writing- episode, foI
instance, almost lost all OF its subtllty
because Of her too strenuous wailing anl
crying indignation. Miss Herne let her.
self go so completely In this act that
when the real climax does come with the
frantic ringing of the bell she had left
herself nothing to do either in the way
of vocal pyrotechnics or in gesticulation
She had been Just as violent before. ans
so the scene ended with something of an
anti-climax, 1t was strikiugy good
performance, though, all things consid.
cred.
The New York Dramatic Mirror has
published a record Of the plays of IN,
year in New YOrk-and in this regard. al
least, New York may be said TO be a fan
criterion Of the country. 1t shows that
there has been a marked increase in new
plays during the season just closing
There were ~ new plays. as against en
in l905-o6. and PA in l90l-O5. The most
promising thing in the record. howe. er
is the remarkable increase in the number
Of new plays by American authors. anl
it is shown that the percentage Of s,;c-
cessful and l0ng-running plays is large.y
in favor Of American authorship. Durins
the season of 19J5-o6 there were Is new
plays that ran for more than - per.
f0rmances, while during the season o;
1.o5-CI there were but IS. or 5 less in mum.
Der. Yet the season now closing shows
. plays that had more than 100 perform.
ances, against is for the season Of 1gQ5-O6
and > plays that had more than 20 per.
forinanCcs. Is against but for the Dra.