Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-16
q AVINC survived 1.-The Follies Of
2 1907" and 1.-The Partisan Mod
ell rash and reckless frivOl-
q ity like "The Gay White Way"

music song and dance is what people
want. and many crudities will be forgiven
If the performers are industrious and the
ornamentation lavish. The difference he
tween THE Gay White Way and the
other productions mentioned Is the differ
ence between the imported and the domes-
tic product; the difference between Paris
and New York. The moral aspect of this
style of entertainment needs no discus
sion The public has no protest to offer.
So hong as It is amused It pays and ap-
plauds. and the voice of protest sounds
afar IS a howl in the wilderness. To dis
cuss The Cav White Way n social
influence would he to magnify its import
auce: 10 analyze it's artistic pretensions
would be labor lost 1t is not a play or
even production; it is an assemblage of
song. dances costumes and effects gen.
orally with clever and attractive people
moving speaking singing to give the
hint of human interest that is need -ul
in even the most undramatic represen-
tation.
1t is a hardship to take comedian out
Of the guise in which he has been GUS
tomar:ly known and present him an
ordinary citizen. Ii was satisfaction
TO discover that Jeff De Angels. instead
Of being the rubicund and bedraggled hero
o comic opera adventure with whom we
have become familiar. is ~eally a gentle
man of abundant years. though phenome-
nally well preserved. 1t was not worth
while 10 defer Alex Cars wonderful i'm
PRESERVATION until. the audience could he
made aware of the fact that in ordinarT
attire he looks very much like the ordi-
nary young man of intelligence. The
theater is the home Of Illusion. and what
ever curiosity may exist to the actual
appearance of stage favorites the stage
itself is not the place TO satisfy il.
In spite of the athletic droileries of De
Angels. the quaint human nature studies
and travesties of Carr the Industrious IA
cial contortion of Miss Raymond. the vi
vacious dances by Ralph Post. the re-
ientless imitation of Anna Held by Miss
Guerite and all the rest of it. Blanche
Ring managed to be dominant figure In
the scene through sheer force of per-
sonal charm. She is one OF the most Sc
renely convincing of the stage beauties
now on display, and her air of good ma
ture disa-ms criticism 1t matters little
whether she dances we'll. sings we'll or
acts at all. so long as she consents to
a sort of natural heritage, and she moves
with a becoming confidence through the
armament. with something of the naive
self-consciousness of Yum-Yum in the
Japanese travesty when she declares. I'VE
really know our worth, the moon and L.
An assemblage of stage favo-ites seldom
results in an entertainment superior to
what can be produced with any one of
them an acknowledged leader in the
cast. Mutual influence among stage ce-
lebrities is not helpful. and performer
capable OF holding the center of the stage
Is usually at his best when his right to
1t is unchalenged
While THE Gay White Way" was MAX
ing merry at one end of Washington
playhouse region the reverse side of the
Broadway picture was being gruesomely
exploited at the other. The thin disguise
under which the names made celebrated
by the Stanford White tragedy were en-
pfoyed in the cast of "A Millona:re's Re-
yenge" made the enterprise as alluring to
morbid curiosity it was offensive TIC
common propriety. A production of that
kind comes pretty near calling TO- soma
sort OF censorship of the theater
1t is curious, by the way that mem
bers of Congress. with all their versa
tility of introducing bills. haze never
taken up the question of regulating the
morals of the theater. The question is
left to the local police, and some attrac-
tons of the less pretentious kind have
the different cities classified FOR some
the show is carefully expurSated and
in others the travelling manager is in
structed to cut loose" Query: In
which category does Washington stando
That promising young actress. Lillian
Russell appeared with pronounced per-
sonaI success at the New National last
week
This sounds like sneer, perhaps. but
il is not. AS a western sage once re-
marked when it was limited that he was
too old TO run for office, The years you
have lived don't count The question is
How many have you in prospect?" And
This eminently sane philosophy justfies
allusion TO Lillian Russell as d young
actress. for. in defiance of dates. she
stepped upon the scene the very embodi-
ment of poisoning youth.
Her play .Wildfire" is a remarkable
CISduOA us CilleI episode Is truly eX-
citing. jockey speeding around the
track Is TO watch for a signal. If a white
handkerchief is waved he is to win and
make the heroine happy. If no handker-
chief is waved he is to lose The thrilling
effect of this scene depends on the hideous
discovery that no one in the crowd had
WHITE pocket handkerchief TO wave ex-
cept the villain. and the finesse employed
TO get his away from him constituted an
appeal for enthusiastic applause which
the most blase usher could not resist
To present Lillian Russell, after her
legitimate success in the role of Lady
TeaZle," in play of such absurd quail
ity as this Is triting with talent. 1t leaves
the former queen Of song still a promising
actress. whereas she ought to be securely
established as a dramatic star
The children of the stage We're brilliant
~ in evidence. Will Archie, the little
chap who dispensed slang SO glibly in
''Wildfire, is a marvel-really an actor
in spite of his lack of years And the
Prince Chaps little girl, Helen Pullman
was remarkably clever. 1t was a topsy-
tarvy week. with veterans doing the work
of juveniles and children doing the work
of veterans.