The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-10-20
New York Busy
With Prernieres
For Past Week
By A. H. BALLARD.

New York. Oct 10.
1.-TWO top-notehers and a string Of
aspiring openings this week.
The opening Of the new Stuy-
vesant Theater Thursday night
and the beginning OF Madam Butter
hiy's" second year Of grand opera in
English. at the Garden Theater Monday
evening. are two events Of Importance
10 art and to everybody.
As TO the other openings pcssi-
bly, ephemeral, possibly Iong-lived
launchings OF theatrical ventures-to
wit. Edward Peple's THE Silver Cir"
at Wanaek's Monday. and Charles
Klein's "The Step-Sister," at the Gar
rick the same date, you have seen them
both and know all about them. The
first is certainly very, very good, and
the second is positively horrid Forgive
the fervenJ prayer. here offered by an
earnest and tired Soul: May the play
wrights Of today, and tomorrow. and
the next day, and the day after.
through some kind ministration of dI-
vine guidance. be constrained 10 follow
IN the footsteps Of this mira cuIously
suave and effective PepIe, who has gone
straight to human nature in his beauti-
fully simple play, The Silver Girl, and
told a wholesome. true, strong story
that is full of hope and sweetness and
JOY! How he gathered force of charac-
ter enough to throw aside the clap-trap,
the gush, the traditional crcwd-dra wing
tricks. the mysterious meanings Of in
volved lines, the slang Of the street, and
nearly every Objectionable feature that
has besmirched the surface Of MANY
other new plays that have been brought
out this season, is more than 1 can tell
But that Mr. Peple has accomplished
an Immensely creditable and hunianiz-
ing play, without any fuss OF. feathers.
- TACT. the play is not perfect of
course. But compared with some of
IN me 3Iher polyglot monstrosities with
WilIch we nave been confronted IL seems
almost as good as getting home again
aLter trip 70 Philadelphia.
'SteP-Sister" a Misstep.
By the same token, and in the same
breath. the reflection NAV be made that
the less said about 1.-THE step-sister,
the better for its sponsor and creator
Charles Klein. It has been aptlv called
mls-step-sister, and its bad drawin,
aud total absence of gripping power
remove 1t from the ranks OF theatrical
productions that call for serious. consid-
Grafton on the ground Of dramatic uualf-
TIES II has no true dramatic quality
Whatever. II is put together apparently
by neophyte. It is an attempt gone
wrong. Something is the matter. or
Mr.. Klein had some prop heretofore I'm
MS playwright work that is now miss
ing.
Coming to MADAM. Butterfly" there
is an unusual circumstance to record.
! was present at the beginning last
year, and also attended the opening this
season. The quality OF the audience
was higher this year than last. al
though numerically the assemblage was
Of course. about the same capacity OF
the house in both fnstances). The en-
thustasm was greater this year. and a
Tar more intimate and eagerly aDprecia-
tive sense of well-nigh loving warmth
was manifested In fact, there is no
doubt that this stirring tragedy in grand
music is more secure in the public heart
and mind after 1t has been played and
sung all over America than il was be-
fore the hearing