The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-09-29
COLUMBIA.

W. WINNIE NCHler. but his audienci
got caught I'm the rain last night. Ever
so the result was much the same-s
play brightly colored. a dozen vignette
OF human character and a patter OF
hsht laughter So auspiciously was th'
season opened for this excellent come
dian and the week for this beautifully
redecorated theater.
u y know draws the Honorable
ferguson Armitage, I've thought II
reahlly sail across some day" Have
yum rejoins the equally Honorable
blJew' Strong, dazzling London, though
she = from Fir Tree Hill. Bull Frog
NeVaGa, L. S. A. 'Weil, that's the only
way Z get there"
And those in the audience who en-
1oyed the joke with BLEW gave 1t two
-sidelights-that they had pretty nearly
sailed across to get to the Columbia
and that the only way TO find out about
The Patriot was to come across.
Mr.. Collier and J. Hartley Manners
10 whom jointly this new comedy IS ac-
-credited, have not written another
The Heir AT Law or The Marriage
sof Kitty" But they have brought to-
gether three acts OF dialogue in which
the wit comes so quietly to the surface
that their first night auditors purred
instead OF guffawing and the ladies in
the assembly forgot all about their
sstringy hair. There are three acts-twO
in mining camp named from It's Eng
lish founder "Armltage Manor" and
one in a London fat rented for the Boss
OF the mine while he passes judgment
on the fawn-hke young English Miss
ito whom he must offer marriage or
Arr IN
course, the Boss harks back to the mine
of course-but good criticism never
spells a good play by robbing it OF its
suspense.
Mr.. Golfers Kind of Comedy.
Comedy is of several kinds on our
American stage. There is the kind OF
the slap stick. the blown-up bladder
and the settler bottle There is the
kind OF the tall gentleman who yells
Casey at the Bat" and makes a
speech between the acts which is fun
anisr than any OF his antics in his part
There is the Kind Of the two Dutch
actors who talk down each other
throats and spread a good vaudeville ac'
thin TO make 1t cover an entire even
ing. There IS the kind of the man who
is simply silly and minces about the
stage so much like a darn fool that
you laugh though you've sworn you
never would again. There is the kind
that is a parcel Of the role the actor
assumes. that keeps within that role
that finds its expression In drollery and
not in falling all over the stage with
thuds, that reveals and rewards a keen
sense Of humor without offending a
sense Of apprOpriateness-and this last
is the comedy OF Mr.. Collier.
So around the country he goes, sea
son after season. in plays like The
Patriot awakening here in cultured
Washington or in white light New
York, or in red-dragoned Chicago, or
In solid old ST. Louis (where the good
folk still sit up rigidly because it isn't
the thing to cut up at the theater). or
even IN Philadelphia and Boston. the
same manifestations of that humor
which Mr.. Thackeray said was wit
and love combined. one year he calls
II Caught in the RAIN another II is
The Patriot" This Is the other year,
end in Il Mr.. Collier acts. that Is to say
he assumes the personality Of. a young
miner, English born, mining-cannp rear
ed. to fine old LunnOn returned, and IN
the end-but good criticism never spells
Il good play by rObbing il OF its sus-
pense- Whatever happens. here Mr..
Collier keeps within his role with all
his finest skf1l. draws upon all the
old resources OF the well-tnained actor
10 give point 10 MS INES and Vet creates
with Il all that illusion without which
comedy would be bUffOonery and the
comedian poor sort Of Merry Andrew.
Nothing In It" And Yet
OF course II it's all about mining
camp there are miners and some
Indians and a pair OF coons and an
English solicitor who comes to tell of
the curious will by which the money is
left the Boss, and Nell And when the
Boss takes that memorable trip to
England he steers dead ahead into three
high-born icebergs and a wonderful
butler who knows more than the
authors OF books on etiquette The re-
markable thing about The Patriot IS
That they are ali well dOne-without an
exception. SO Helena Collier-Garrick.
who plays the BOss's friend "BljOu' and
blossoms forth In London as a sort OF
social fusee; John Saville. who acts the
part Of BijOus oSteasible lord and
master; Helen Haze, who pines at the
camp as Nell till the Boss. sturdy and
true, shall prove whether or not hts
heart is in the right place; Reginald
Mason. who Is the OmniScient ostrich OF
the London fiat; all these, and more,
share in the credit Sometimes, as IN
the last act, they keep hangin' round
a little too prOmisCuOus; but they will
F be got rid of in good time when MT.
Collier has been stage manager OF this
ances.
There is a character in this pIav-the
o Omniscient Butler, Of cOurse-who has
so many manners he'll never have a
E chance to use them all There are two
others whom the fOOtmen Of the London
fat DO not need to show up because
they'll show themselves up. There IS
a lady. the same shining Rifou Ubo
says. when asked by the hostess il she
can't be forced to take a cup of tea
that she will have to be II she takes n
And all these characters have their
antitypes among the good folk who GO
more or less to the theater. They ought
not miss The Patriot There is NOT
one of them that win not be the better
for an evening IN which they forget
all about Themselves. When they 20. Ii
may be. that Ike the Honorable Fer
guson Armitage, they will find II a
nugget as big as their heads: and vet
Nothing in it," as the plav saws:
, Nothing In It,"
ALLEN d. ALBERT.