Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-19
T He HEAT E R.
New National Theater.

Mr.. William Gillette, having written
farces, comedies and melodramas with a
copious facility which inspires wonder as
well as admiration, for this author never
does anything in which there is not some
thing to admire, now present a play Of
sentiment, "Clarice." True 1t Is that scat
tered through the action are touches Of the
fun which made the farces irresistible and
of the heroic intensity which gave his
melodramas their chief quality. Mr. Gil
to play one, too. And there are sound eff
fects-moving trains In the distance and
birds singing in the bushes and various
other reminders of this producers expert
ness In the mechanical affairs of the stage
There are also sudden contrasts Of dark
ness and light to enhance the appeal to the
eye. But with all these it Is a simple bit
of story telling which whispers in agree
able echoes of Wizards professors Love
Story" or the late Sol Smith Russells
Bachelors Romance"
It is the tale of young girl in love
with a country physician, whose scanty
professional knowledge does not prevent
him from prescribing for the sick people
in the neighborhood, although it permits
him to be imposed on by another doctor
and convinced that he has tuberculosis. He
Is persuaded that he has no right to marry,
and not only renounces the heroine but at
tempts suicide. All that prevents a very
disagreeable finish is the villainous ply
sician's change of heart just in time to
enable him to effect a marvelously rapid
cure Of his rivals case Of poisoning. It is
doubtful whether Mr.. Gillette's medical
science would stand the kind Of cross-ex-
animation to which it Is now customary to
submit experts However, 1t Is not unusual
for playwright to sacrifice technical ac-
curacy for the sake of picturesque effect,
and the curtain calls last night would indi-
cate that such an effect was duly and salts
factorily attained.
Mr.. Gillette was the convincing player
that he always Is, carrying conviction by
the very Quietude Of his manner. He has
succeeded In applying his splendid knowl
edge of stage craft to his own work. He
measures all that he does with absolute &C
red neither by deficiency nor excess.
The leading woman of the company, Miss
Marie Doro, is a new and important figure
In the theater. In her present role she
combines womanly impressiveness and
girlish simplicity with wonderful subtlety.
permit more tragic outburst than she at
temps-the one in which she protests
against separation from the man she loves
but her refusal Of the opportunity indi-
Gates modest discretion rather than a lin
ftation of her abilities to the comedy and
pathos which she SO charmingly and nat
urally interprets.
The play is we'll acted throughout. Miss
Lucille La Verne gives a characterization
of domineering colored servant which
showed careful study and good comedy
sense. Mr.. Frank Burback appears as a
well-groomed and whimsical man of middle
years. Miss Adelaide demonstrates that
she is a competent actress, although her
role Is not permitted to get very far into
the plot. Francis Carlyle is the wicked
with part which Is neither very attractive
nor entirely consistent. The scenery pre-
sents few changes, but the one important
setting Is Of exceptional beauty.