The Washington herald., 1907-12-08
NEW YORK THEATERs.

NEW 1ORk IHEAIERS.
Special Correspondence The Washington Herald.
New Yerk. Dec. 7.-Delasco. the pro-
ducer. and De Mile the author. were
called for after the third act of The
Warrens Of Virginia, on Tuesday evening.
and another signal success passed 10 the
credit of the wizard OF the stage
In this latest Belasco production the
featured favorites are Charlotte walker
and Frank keenan,. The latter plays tie
part OF ragged Confederate general. who
has been pounding away at the Union
phalanx hammer and tongs unit! the
early morning Of April s. 1862 finds him
invalided home 10 the Warren house in
Virginia, and we see one OF lhe last
phases OF the war as It were from The
inside OF the lost cause. and through
the spectacles OF Southern sympathizers
To Miss Walker is assigned the role
OF Gen. Warren's daughter. a true child
Of the South. with the liquid accent Of
Virginia on her lips. and the tender
womanliness OF the South shining through
her eyes. 1t was rugged and
keenan, gave OF Gen Warren, dis
tInguished alike by the eccentric humor
and the deep note or realism that marked
his memorable creation OF Jack. Rance,
the gambler-sheriff with Blanche Bates.
while the effective expression of all the
moods that enter into the conflict 'twixt
love and duty that Miss Walker Is called
upon 10 denote, at last assures this
hitherto promising actress of firm foot
ing on the stage-at a time. strangely
enough, when she was on the eve OF
abandoning the profession as Offering no
encouragement TO her to continue the
struggle for permanent recognition. II
Is entirely within the bounds OF cOnser-
vatism 10 say that she has made a hit
little short OF sensational as the heroine
Of THE Warrens OF Virginia" which is
tpical Of Belasco in all that goes to
make up a production Of intense interest
and pictorial realism.
The play was written by William c
de Mile. the son OF Belasco's old col
laborator in 'Tke Wife" The Charity
Ball and Lord Chumley." whose
'Strongheart" has already made him well
known TO playgoers,
A year ago Charlotte Walker was a
much discouraged woman. just as Frank
keenan,. who fairly shares the acting
hOnors with her. pounded along the rugged
road OF dubious success for many years
without encouragement. and one time
turned book agent al So a week TO es-
cape the drudgery Of acting. A year agU
she was on the point, as one solemnly
declared. Of looking for a place as a type
writer and hiding her diminished head in
Obscurity. A well-known out-of-tOwn
critic had faith in her, and persuaded
Belasco 20 give her an interview. She
presented herself one wintTy evening
twelve months ago at the Belasco The
ateT. and there met the pIaywright-man-
ager for the first time He encourage
her. went TO see her in ~On Parole" witt
William De Mile. took her measure. as Il
were, and engaged her. Some OF the
ultra weli-infOrmed declared that she was
20 appear In Friday the Thirteenth. -
and. in spite of denials. this was relig-
iousiy held 10 until Belasco was ready 10
make his plans public. and announced
that the play In which the actress would
appear was The Warrens OF Virginia"
Now that Miss Walker has made a sub
stantIal success she can afford 70 laugh
al the fears that agitated her and the
anxiety 10 which she was a prey that
fsteful night last winter when she came
out Of Belasco's once after her prellm-
mary interview. with her whole future
staked on the result Of that meeting.
1T was either Belasco or the type
writer, she said recently in recourting
her experience. but the scales inclined
toward Belasco.
At the Lyric the distinguished Italian
actor NOvelli. is appearing in a roper
toire OF plays. in which he was seen al
the same playhouse last winter Phis
time he comes lot as a stranger. but as
a more or less welcome guest II Is a
mistake TO assume. as many do. that
his patronage consists almost exclusively
os Italians There are still a goOdly num-
Der Of people in New York who love act
Ing for acting's sake and who can de-
rive sufficient pleasure from Novellis ex-
pressive pantOmime and musical delivery
/ to compensate them for the failure tC
understand the spoken lines. NoveIH Is
great actor. judged not by a single
part. but by a dozen together OF the
most variable characteristics, regardless
whether the play is a comedy or a trag-
edy. Othelo or one OF Goldonis comedies
Of manner I have seen him IN a Nigh;
on and "Our Boys" as well as in
Hamlet and Louis NJ. "Morte Civne
and Papa Lebonnard-he runs the whole
Samut OF human foibles and human in
stincts in his range Of expressive denote
ments, and no greater injustice could bs
| done him than to judge him by one part
alone.
But there is rather too little apprecia-
| ton OF versatility in our beloved country
and at present there is small prospect