Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-14
ON WHITE HOUSE LAWN
Ben Greet Players Will Present
Wonder Plays.
PRESIDENT TO ATTEND
Not Only the First, But Also the
Children's Show.
WILL BE A HISTORICAL EVENT
In Which Society at Mrs. Roosevelt's
Bidding Is Glad to
Assist.

President Roosevelt will attend both
performances to be given by the BenGreet
players Friday afternoon and Saturday
morning on the White House lawn for the
benefit of the Washington Playground
Association. II is needless to say that a
notable audience will share the pleasure
of the entertainment Friday afternoon
with the President and Mrs Roosevelt
and their party. If the present weather
continues, the scene will be historically
beautiful one. The preparations for the
arrangement of the open air playhouse
are already under way.
The natural slope of the lawn will in
sure good view of the performance TO
each person.
In addition TO the seats in the boxes
and the reserved seats. 100 seats at 81
each have been arranged to meet the de-
mand. All are now on sale at T. Arthur
Smiths, 1413 + street, with the tickets
for the childrcn's performance Saturday
morning.
From Hawthorne's Book.
The Wonder plays were adapted by
Rose MelIer O'Neill. a young English
actress. from the Wonder Book" by
Nathaniel Hawthorne. The plays are
Pandora and the Box of Mischief and
Midas and the Golden Touch The first
is beautifully simple and very Greek in
stvle. 1t is redolent of the sunny atmos-
phere of the slopes Of Mount Olympus.
The play opens with a procession of chill
dren to a village festival. They proceed
singing to the music Of flutes harps and
cymbals They come back to dance upon
the mount ainside with Theo and Pandora.
She. naughty little maiu. when left alone
with the beautiful box that the gods had
deposited for safety at the house OF
Greek nobleman, the father of Thee. peeps
inside. contrary to the command of Quick
silver. the messenger of the gods. Out
fly all the dreadful things that little boys
and girls dislike the most-greed, hate.
poverty. and, as one little girl very aptly
put it. stomachaches. This scene becomes
quite tragic, but things are soon cleared
up when Pandora cries and in her distress
Is encountered by Greed and Hope. who
fight for her possession. She Is rescued
by Thee. who. always putting his faith
in the promise Of the gods. is treasured
by a tapping at the chest. and. manlike,
he makes the woman do the worst part
of the business. and she once more. and
for the last time. opens the box. when
out flies Hope to carry a message of love
to all the children who crowd round at the
sound of her wings. This pretty play
has been set to music by W. H. HunustOn.
one of Edward MacDowelrs favorite pu-
pills.
Midas Nigh. II called the mllionaire's
fairy play and although categorical was
evidently conceived by Hawthorne in the
fifties after the old Greek fable a
kind of warning to the oncoming craze
for wealth that was at that time pos
sessing this progressive nation. Some
one asks. What is solemn trustc TO
which the reply is made. Something we
mustn't look into Midas aecumulates
rem and defeating them i'm battle. He
seizes all their goods and makes slaves
of them all.
In the midst of his joy appears once
more the messenger of the gods. Quick
silver. He finds Midas neglecting his
people and gloating over his wealth and
to test him he invites him to make a
wish. Midas chooses gold. Let every
thing I touch change to gold. No soon
er said than done. Everything is gold.
even the food. and in a paroxysm of ter
ror his only child. the little Marygold. is
also changed to yellow lump. All
these wonderful things are done in the
twinkIing of an eye. Midas is almost
and in his anguish calls upon the gods to
help him out of the dilemma. The Mes
senger again appears and exacts promises
of better life from this insatiate money
grubber Midas is told to jump into the
river and be cleansed of his greed for
gold. He does so. and in penitence all
his senses and his beloved ones are re
stored to him. He loads the captive king
with his own possessions. restored to him.
Restitution is made through the love of
little child Beautiful oriental dances are
introduced with this play. and the chang
ing of Midas food into gold is the won
der of the audience. Ben Greet plays
King Midas.
Mr. Ben Greet. who has the unique dis
tinction Of giving plays at the White
House. has been in this country for six
years now. and hc has made up his mind
to remain here. for he says the audiences
are much keerer for the higher class
drama than mis- own countrymen at pres
ent. He is the great grandson an'i
brother of naval officers, and was him
self intended for what is regarded in
England the senior service. He was
actually born uron a man-ofwar and has
the greatest regard and love for sailors
and. the navy. He proposed to Mr.. Paul
Morton. when Secretary of the Navy. to
obtain recruits by "A series of moving
pictures of the sea and the service. and
he believes to this day that that would
be by far the best way TO appeal to young
fellows dwelling in The inland regions of
this vast country.