The Washington herald., 1908-01-26
Irish PLAYS.

If ChauuCey Olcott must appear I'm Irish
plays. and attempt TO depict Irish charac-
ter, why does he not try to get a real
play of the "ould sod" with real live
Hibernian character In it. OF al least at
tempt TO reviyify some Of the old vehicles
Of this kind which from long lapse of
time since their last production have
become mere memories? If impossible 20
procure a suitable play. fun OF character,
and with strong elements of interest
there Is surely no dearth Of half for
gotten material, which would fully an
swer the purpose, for the present line Of
dramas which he is using certainly con-
tain neither, and answer no purpose OF
the ambitious actor. unless he be content
10 go down to posterity as a simple pur-
veyoT of sentimental songs.
"The Shaughrau." associated with mem
ories Of the elder B0ucicault, is a fine
sample of the virile old plays pertaining
to life In the Emerald Isle, which -four
ished twenty years ago, and were OF in
tense charm not only 10 ITishmen but TO
all the English-speaking races, and IT
would IN all probability stand rejuvena-
tion. The novels Of Charles Lever also
OFFER an immense mass Of material, both
for action and character. from which
good dramas could be constructed. for
Charles O'MaHey and Tom Burke alone
Of all the collection have ever been pre-
/ sented in dramatic form. leaving Jack
Hinton. Con Creagan Mickey Free. and
a host of others in the line Of things old
perhaps In literature, yet new dramat-
ically.
Speaking OF Mickey Free. what a great
source Of enjoyment to the true Hlbernian
heart that jolly vagabOnd would be when
played by a clever character actor with
power, which Mr.. Olcott undoubtedly has.
/ Of rendering that inimitable song
/ Az ! was a monarch IN state
lake Homglus Julius Caysar.
With the best Of fine victuals % eat
And drink like great NebuChadnezzzr,
| A rasher of bacon I'd have
And potatoes the finest was seen, sir
And for drink, it's 10 clsret Id crave,
But a keg Of ouId Mullins potteen sir,
With the smell Of the smoke on it still.
Or if love blarney were desired, how
about
/ On. Mary Brady. yOu sre my darIin',
You are my looking glass. from night tiIl morning
I Ia rather have ye without farther
! Nor Ghusey Gallagher and her house and garden
Another character of great reminiscent
value is Fred Powers. the scapegrace stu
dent, with his practical jokes and roll
licking song, The Widow Malone, while
/ if Mr.. Olcott must play the gentleman,
/ Harry Lorrequer O'Malley. and all the
| rest of them seem to have inherited the
national trait of breaking into song, sem
| timental or humorous, upon slight provo
/ cation, and there are any number Of char
/ acteristic songs which might be trans
! ferred with propriety from one character
! to another Most Of them are superior
/ to those dispensed in these degenerate
days, and Mr. Olcott could augment by
/ Interpolation. All things considered. we
/ believe that the comedian would be the
gamer by barking back to the aforesaid
/ piping times. and surely nothing could
be worse than the inane, RECONSTRUCTED
vehicles which he IS now using.
During William Faversham's engage
ment in Philadelphia he will bring out
The World and His Wife" which has
had several matinee performances. 1t is
the work Of Charles Frederic Nirdlinger
William II Thompson, the celebrated
character actor, than whom the Ameri-
can and English stage is said to afford
no better, is in vaudeville, supported by
T. IT, Ince and a company in For Loves
Sweet Sake by Clay NJ Green Mr.
Thompson has created many noteworthy
roles, and vaudeville is distinctly thC
gamer by his accession.
James K. Hackett and a large party
OF friends left Montreal last Wednesday
on a wolf hunt in the Canadian woods
Timber wolves are the specific objects
OF the chase.
A. r. Daily, musical director, who was
the only member of The Spring Chick.
en-" company injured in a railroad acci-
dent at Beilaire. Ohio. last September. +.
rapidly recovering the use OF his arm
which the early accounts had amputated
Anne Warner is arranging for dram
atiZation of one of her Susan CIegg'
stories for the use Of May Robson wher
THE Rejuvenation Of Aunt Mary" ha.
served its time,