Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-10

night, after having spent
twelve years as a necessary character in
1.-The Prisoner Of Zenda." He never died
before and his death last week was COM
passed by Mr.. Hackett and his friends.
who decided on their way over from New
York that they would change the ending
OF the play, sever by death the engage
ment of the Princess Flavia to her cousin.
and let the public have the pleasure of
guessing wnat Flavia would do next. aft
er she Is told by Sapt. who halls her as
queen, that the Englishman" will re-
turn.
Here we have "the good ending" The
GisSipated prince is not permitted to reap
the reward of the Englishman's valor.
and the princess is not 10 sacrifice herself
for the good of her people. That Is all
very we'll. but II moves the possibility or
Rupert of Hentzau'' into the realm or
less than perhaps. since that play de-
ponds for it's action upon the marriage of
Flavia to the king and the discovery by
Rupert of HentZau of the queens annua!
clandestine correspondence with the Eng
lishnan. But IL there was to have been
q good ending" why not have had the
Englishman rush back at once. embrace
the princess. and. as the curtain falls
upon the happy lovers let the chancellor
and the crowded audiences figure out
whether Rassendyll was TO be prince
consort or a morgdnatic husband"
This is but a small point in Mr.. Hack
ett's production of THE Prisoner OF
Zenda," which was remarkably good all
through-wonderfuly so. considering the
difficulties of production-for the week
before the opening night the stage was
occupied by tine mysterious contraptionS
of Kellar who. naturally. would permit
none but his own men behind the scenes.
This made the first performance of The
Prisoner of Zenda'' a thirty SiX-hour
production. and If one fiat did fall on the
imprisoned king. what of it? Perhaps,
indeed that is what killed him.
"The Prisoner of Zenda" came as a re-
lief after years Of problem plays. or the
faint reflex of problem plays. like the
prsposterous Lion and the Mouse" so
calmly accepted as a tract on sociology.
When the play was first produced ii came
at a similar time. and the eagerness or
the welcome given to 1t then may be
ascribsd partly 10 such a reaction. as well
as to its intrinsic worth as a romantic
drama. 1t is impossible. of course, but so
is Dumas. and so is Stevenson. 1t is a
the worse for having seen it.
Mr. Standing. with his carefully selected
company. opened his season at the Be
lasco successfully with THE Mummy and
the Hunmingbird. which gave some Of
his players an opportunity to exploit their
talent Mr.. Standing has been seen in
s Washington in any number of roles. all
of which he handled conscientiously. and
some brilliantly. 1t Is inevitable that in
the course of seas'tn of changing plays
the actor should aow and then essay a
role wherein lie reminds his audience OF
how much better he is in some other one.
The Lord I.umley of Mr.. Standing in
last weeks play was well done. but the
character is too Quie scent for man OF
his vigorous appearance which no make
up can conceal With the admirable plays
which Mr.. Standing usually selects. and
with the character OF lis support. the out
lock fer his season, SO well begun, is ex-
ce;ent.
1T was a jolly week at the New Nationa
with The Wizard of the Nile in which
the cast appeared to romp through the
parts and have good time as the
audience. With all due respect to the
classic opera and with reverence to the
shades of composers past and gone, ii i:
fact. which cannot be controverted
that the public likes fun and plenty of it
with lively music and jolly songs. 1t i:
always pleaSu to laugh, and a stage
production that is sure of a laugh is SURE
of an audience. Yet the public. of course
is also fond of other things than ligh
opera A world full of light operas ano
nothing else would be as horrible as al
exclusive diet of ice cream and cake. !
contrast is needed.
With alternating light and serious pro
auctions at the New National the sum
mer opera will thus endeavor to plaas
all tastes. 1t must be confessed that thu
plans of the management ambition
and show desire to give the best the.
can to the people. 1t would be compare
lively easy to present a string of old Ugh
operas, one after the other. That a NOR
elaborate program is offered is amp
evidence that the management is eXertin,
itself to please.
Fiske O'Hara. with a company far bet
ter than is usually seen at the New
Academy gave an excellent performance
Irish life. Mr.. O'Hara threatens to be
come a formidable rival to more widel,
known actors In similar parts. and hi:
singing of Irish songs is far superior tt
that of the other men who have exploited
that feature of their plays. 1t may b.
unkind to mention an extraordinary
shortening in the play. but II is so in
teresting from the mature fake point OF
view that ii should be recorded 1t i:
the excuse of d fOx-hunting squire fol
nearly running over girl. He says
hold him in from chasing him."
ADVENTURES OF 4 TREASURER
When the treasurer of :, fbea-er StartS