The Washington times., 1908-11-08
Week Just Past
And That Coming
Very Different
Losing of Paradise Will Pre-
dominate at Theaters for
Next Six Days.

Moreover, he has three rormS-one
that Of Edward Stevens, one that Of
George Arliss, one that Of Henry z.
Dixey. All three are Gin a sense) origi-
mails. each OF them has the only au-
thorized version, each has the benson
ana benediction OF the author. and an
the rest are cOunterfeits. So the full
significance Of the title is at last clear.
1t is the critic who says 1t;
The Devil
Now what the Dickens IS it?
Well, IL Is advertised as a comedy IN
four acts. Actually it is an old moral
ity play brought down TO these un-
moral days OF ours.
Act one-A manly man and a pure
woman.
Act four-An unmanly man and an
impure woman.
Acts two and three. in between-Ths
Devil
There is the composition and there
the dramatis personae.
Throughout the last ten years we
have been achieving somewhat these
results in our drama, but without vtsi-
biHty on the part or the active spirit
Now IL comes-the spirit Is brought to
lie. Around the stage he goes, a mod
ern man of the world, a good fellow,
a personality redolent Of geniaIity,
smiling interest. and accommodation.
and though his methods are changed he
makes this pair OF victims just as much
his own as ever he made Tom Walker
his.
In his Edward Stevens form he comes
10 the National this week. He is a per
feCtly preposterous and outrageous
creation His works and his fruits are
perdition. But you viii 60 notwith-
standing-and so will all the critics
before the week Is out Like the snake
IN the Garden Of Eden. he has the
interest OF being always in the action
OF the piece,
The World and the Flesh.
And he will not lack company in
Washington this week He has one
Of the ladies Of his court at the Belas-
co. She is not nominated for the office
oh. no. She is a creature OF visions.
But she belongs in the same class and
her name is Salome
Maybe there is not some curiositv over
the lady of that n~mel Maybe there
has not been some surreptitious reading
OF Bibles TO md out all about her IN
advance. But there is no need for
deep bordering. Miss Gertrude Hon.
mann, whose form she takes in this
present reiucarnation. will make the
whole story perfectly plain the week
thr0ugh-that is. If the police do not
think the whole story too plainly plain.
Everybody who reads the newspapers
knows about the Salomes Of 1905 There
IS one IN every New York theater. one
in every vaudeville circuit. no house
hold would be with-weu II not that
exactly. there is knowledge OF one
IN every household. This one IS
translator OF the poetry OF motion, this
IS an artistic Of skill transcendent. this
a simple contoTtionist making money
out Of a current sensation, and this
lady good at figures.
They all undertake the same thing
a INSTALLATION Of terpsichorean
dream. with Herod, John the Baptist,
and salome as its figures. For the fun
GENERALIZATION Of the vision as little
is worn by the lady dancer as the board
OF health viii permit Presumably, there
IS some OF the art OF the dancer But
whether there is or not. the interest
is in seeing how far the stage can
go IN making a story plain. So. plainly.
this also is a perfectly preposterous and
outra reous creation Of works and fruits
per5itiOnaL But, again. you viii go
and sc win all the critics before the
week IS out.
Some Human Natures Daily Food.
No city can subsist on the losing
OF Paradise a whole week. There must
be compensation. And 1t comes to
Washington IN Algeria" a real comic
opera. with a leading lady who can
sing and q score that a real leading
lady finds worth singing.
Victor Herbert has done some things
for our stage that could hardly be
called distinguishable. He has led an
orchestra excelIently. He has also COM
posed more than one opera really worth
while. So that, while there IS a chance
that Algeria" may not be sweet, con-
sistent. Of sustained high grade. and
funny, the presumption IS that it's merit
IS noteworthy and that Il VIII prove
a splendid foil for the flesh and the
devil.
Harry Bulger is the Frank Mckee
guaranty that the week at this theater
shall not lack for comedy. and the
critics OF every other city, where Al
geria'' has been sung are guaranty that
nothing Mr.. Herbert has done rings
more pleasantly IN the ear. Finally
the lady who can sing is Helen Mold.
an experienced and yet young opera
singer who did not need to leave the
Metropolitan Grand ODera Company
and take this engagement.
Where the Critic Gets Of.
All three offerings at the leading thea
tiers during the past week proved the
futility Of criticism. Not one of them
held together. Miss Russell's play was
so thin that YOU had 10 rub your eyes
20 make sure you read Alright the ad-
Vertsement that 1.-THE Stronger Sex
ran 80 nights in London. ''The Lion
and the Mouse is Of a little better con-
Etruction than THE Music Master" but
not much. Nearly q Hero" had Just
enough gelattnOus cohesion to prove how
altogether unnecessary a so-called con
Eistent story IS in musical comedy. And
they all drew largo houses.
The answer is that the critics get too
fine a focus. They see too clearly the
undermining, the beams and scantlings,
the occasional knot-holes. and openings
20 the weather. Theater-goers are not