Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-29

y in NaZimOva, who has given us
another deluge of Ibsen at the
Belasco Theater. The mere pronunciation
of her name became a question of mo-
mentous concern. Washington has a large
theater-goi element that listens atten-
lively To Ibsen and welcomes each new
Interpreter of his striking, if ENJOYABLE
types of humanity, the possible bearer
Of new light more or less mysterious
subject Much of Ibsen is sratuitousy
grewsome. The haunt of heredity has
lodged itself in his consciousness and Will
not be banished. He is much like the
unsCientific person who having discovered
D. that germs Turk everywhere proceeds to
make himself sick by worry over the fact
The beneficent side OF heredity. the
courage refinement and force that II
may carry through generations have
scant interest for Ibsen. In "a Dolls
House" Ibsen discusses particularly the
selfish brutality of man and the can
righteousness of woman. Nora either
Historically happy or relentlessly morose
has no traits that appeal strongly to
admiration. Even the instinct of mother
hood is crushed in order to close the
play with suitable climax, DIR. krogs-ad
furnishes the heredity bugaboO and also
introduces the subject of suicide dear
to Ibsenism.
Nazimova's opening performance of
Nora was attentively considered, with the
usual candid and intelligent disagree
ments AS many people find i'll lbsen
little beyond a gloomy and morbid pose
so many find in Nazmova merely per
sonality unusual on the neutrality-suspicious.
stage. but quite frequent in foreign inter
pretations The absence of personal
charm is not a fault where great genius
is concerned. but Nazimova's rank as a
great genius is yet to be demonstrated
Emphasis is not magnetic power nor is
gesticulation temperament. Her methods
are infinitely explanatory: never subtle
Her scanty facility in the use OF the
English language is a serious handicap.
To turn from Nazimova and 1bsen to
little Elsie Janis is like climbing out Of a
cellar into the sunshine. The child wonder
has a hard time of it in this world. At
the outset people who delight in platl-
tudes deliver themselves of sage refec-
tions that infant prodigies never amount
to much. 1t isn't true. for some of the
people of greatest attainments were i'm
rnenseIy precocious But the thought
comforts parents with mediocre children.
and Little Elsie" when billed as the
rocket edition of Cissie LOTUS, was re-
earded almost with sympathy, one
who would have to step back into OBJ
scurity as soon as childhood's happy day
was past.
But little Elsie has a mother who
knows thing or two and who lives
Elsie's life waking or dreaming more
than she does her own. And when the
time in Elsie's career arrived for making
a decisive step from the vaudeville to the
legitimate stage this mother saw to 1t
that it was made judiciously and advan-
tageously No false ambitions were cher
ished The little girl continued to be
little girl on the stage as we'll as off, and
the development of her talents became as
fascinating in its interest as the gradual
opening of June rose. So far from be-
ing crowded beyond her capacity, Miss
Janis has enormous reserve. This was
demonstrated by her recitation of the bit
of Italian dialect REGULATIONS are often
boresome but this one went to the heart
like a scene from drama, and an excep-
tionally well-acted drama. at that Her
limitations get beyond the mere copying of
pronounced characteristics and become
tinement which in most cases the origi-
nails might well envy.
Myself Bettina'' is a curious cOmbina-
ton dramatically. The impression to
late conner is that the graceful and glori
ous-eyed Maxine Elliott has been delayed
by an automobile accident and has stop
ped to rest in farmhouse. 1t is some
thing of a shock to find that she is not
only a regular member of this unpublished
household but that she has become in
voved innoCently. but deeply, in a pitiful
village scandal. The town Lothario, who
has the impudence To make love to Maxine
Elliott looks as if during working hours
he chewed fine cut tobacco and wore his
trousers tucked into his boots 1t is a
curious play to select for this particular
star; which leads to a fear that in
another season or two they will have Miss
Elliott in a sunbonnet hoeing corn and
feeding the live stock.
The, plays Washington has seen as new
presentations have exhibited distress
ing proportion OF failures. Bluffs" the
Leo Ditrichstein play was scheduled to
close last night in New York. and Tod
dies" after much shorter career was to
accompany II into kindly forgetfulneSS.
''Foddles'' was clever farce. but It's de-
mands a single individual in the cast
Were excessive. Only a comedian of the
first magnitude and of long established
popularity could have made ''Toddles' a
success. Mr.. Fitch must have found
abundant solace for any regrets Tod
dies" occasioned in the unqualified favor
manifested toward his play Girls which
followed closely.
The only means OF judging of the re-
ception accorded The Servant in the
House" IS by the newspaper reviews,
which were, taken on the average, highly
favorable. 1t not TO be expected that
a play whose purpose was entirely
serious would appeal strongly to a Hap
Ply Hooligan' or a yellow Kid clientele.
hut the reviewers whose columns permit
ted them 10 give the play consideration as
work of thought, rather than of super
fetal entertainment. were for the most
part warmly enthusiastic. The New York
Sun referred to ii at once morality
play and a narrative distinguished by
sure and vivid strokes; play hammered