The Washington herald., 1908-05-05
BeIasco-Guy Standing.

SSAasco-Ouy standing.
Guy Standing, who has become Wash
ngton's summer stock favorite through
two successive seasons at the head Of a
post-season company. appeared at the Be-
lasco Theater last night In Isaac Hender-
sons comedy. The Mummy and the
Hummingbird" Mr.. Standings undenied
popularity, the reputation of the play. as
formerly used by John Drew, and the fact
that Washington man, William A. Page.
is the sponsor for the enterprise, served
as a triple magnet to attract an audience
that filled the lower floor and all OF the
boxes OF the theater. There was the ut
most eordiality and good feeling exemplI-
fed at the opening. the players receiving
grand welcome and many bouquets OF
floral as well as eulogistic nature.
The Mummy and the HumminEbird,
which was accounted one OF the best OF
the many Drew successes. is q most
happy selection OF a play with which to
begin an extended season, for it not only
puts all Of the members Of the company
into excellent parts. but Il is play
which. while amusing, appeals keenly to
the intelligence, and must be followed
closely and understandingly in order that
the best Of the cynicism in the lines and
the true meaning Of the battle Of Wit be-
tween the leading characters may be alb
sorbed. II combines both the merits OF
the intellectual drama and the play Of
swift and intensely dramatic action.
The story unfolded is that Of a middle
aged scientist, married to a young and
pretty wife, who, because OF his devotion
10 the dry details Of his researches TO the
exclusion Of all or nearly all social indul-
genees, earns for himself the aippant an
pellation. Of Mummy. The wife. thrown
for amusement upon her own resources.
forms a sort of poetic attachment for the
'Hummingbird, one Signor DOrelii who
Is ali that his nickname implies, and
more
Chance and an honest organ grinder, an
exile from sunny Sicily. put the Mum
my, Lord Lumly, into possession Of Ger
tain facts In regard to D'OreHPs dis
reputable past, in which the wife Of
Giuseppe. the 0rgan-grinder, figured ex-
tensively and 10 her undoing. Lady
Lumly prepares to 90 away with
DOrell, under the groundless delusion
that her husbands apparent neglect
means his diminishing affection. but
Lumly ingeniOusly circumvents this do
mestic catastrophe and cleverly traps
D'Orelli into pronouncing the manner of
his own punishment The "Humming-
bird" gets away, and Lumiy. who has
been holding back the revengeful Gui-
seppe like a bloodhound in leash. allows
the Sicilian TO track down his man. being
powerless to any longer prevent the in
evitabie working out of the vendetta.
Several scenes in The Mummy and
the Hummingbird" are remarkably in
genious, most notably that between Lum-
ly and Giuseppe where the grateful
sicilian tells his story to the sympathetic
Englishman, neither able TO speak nor
understand a word of the others Ian
guage, yet bringing out by signs and
gestures the old, old table. which man
TO man" as Lumly says. is perfectly
comprehensive
Mr. Standing acts the part Of Lumly
the Mummy" rich in cynicism and COM
pOsure, in his own inimitable way. It
was played as 1t should be played in the
quiet. subdued tone Of the gentleman, the
manners of the polished man of letters
and education. Mr.. Standing is more COM
pletely at homo in drawing-room charac-
ters than in the romantic or highly colored
drama, but his creations are all virile and
full of manly dignity and presence.
The Giuseppe Of Frank Craven proved to
be little masterpiece OF acting. The
humor of the shy. deferential attitude OF
the organ grinder, suddenly elevated from
the snowy streets into propinquity with
the rich and generous. the gratitude, the
gaining confidence. and the final emotional
outburst, when his pathetic story is re-
cited, were all brought out with force
and intelligence. Mr. Craven amply de-
served the burst of applause that followed
his exit after the scene with Mr.. Stand
ing In the first act.
Miss Dorothy Hammond was a charm
ing Lady Lumly. and the femininity with
which she invested the part told of a
careful study OF Lady Lumly's reasons
for her rashness. Her scenes rang true
and she played them with an earnestness
and conviction that deserve especial
praise.
Mr. Roy Fairchild, as Lord RonaIds.
r. N, played his short scene well, and
Martin Sabine was a sufficiently de-
testable D'Orelli to justify Guiseppe's S
widest notions Of revenge. In a thank
less role like this, the actor is at a dis
advantage with his associates, and Mr..
Sabine may gain comfort from the fact
that DOrelli was once Mr. Standings
role and that ne, too, may graduate from
villain to hero. Yira Stowe. as an attrac-
tive widow, and Alfred Hudson, sr., as