The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-11-01
"Rig
Not
BGtS9s Using
Fluffy RufAes" and Weber
Show Create Excellent
Impressions.


managers. William A. Brady liked II
!. wonderfully and planned to star Wilton
AI4ackeye in II. "A fine play observed
4ackaye when he had run through it,
va ike 20 act it. But the wOmans
Ut is too strong" subsequently the
nuscript met the hands OF Henry
er, who thought to put forth Nazi-
3 in Il as her first American role
be, too, read it with growing mis-
ings and finally rejected it with "A
he play. ia like TO act it, But the
SSnan's part is too strong for woman
star"
Which explains the particular incen-
tive put before young Mr.. Ginen when
he came 70 organize his company for
this play. No established star would
look favorabIy on it. Some might act
in it. but 1t would be under com
puIsion, not through favor. So he
had 10 hunt actors willing to have
good roles and endure having some one
else in the cast score as well.
He found them Both Mr.. Drumming
and Miss Scott justify his faith Either
would carry this play with a competent
supporting cast together they give It
noteworthy fire. The man grew stead
lily stronger and finer, and the woman
Though not so rapidly grew also as
the week wore on. ANY one OF the other
representations was worth mention. But
perhaps the most brilliantly drawn was
that of Miss MoreJu as Cissie, the en-
chantress. That she could make the
audience realize the potency Of her doc
trine OF self-indulgenCe. that she could
make reasonable the yielding OF her vic
Tim. is a remarkable tribute to her and
the manager who selected her.
What a Metropolitan Verdict Means.
'-The Right TO Live" however, is not
& road play. II Is a New York and
Chicago play. The reason IS this:
The number OF persons who choose
without special incentive TO attend a
serious and rather gloomy play IS not
large propOrtiouateiy. But in the two
chief cities OF the nation. 1t is large
enough in numbers 10 give such plays
q fair trial. II. then, there is substance
III the composition 10 keep IL alive the
tide of patronage sets I'M and before
anyone realizes it there is another sue
cess-a serious, nou-comedy, thoughtful
success On the basis OF such indorse-
ment as that. the play can then be
taken or the road and md patronage.
-2lIllDsL ANY bilt NcLLA AlLH a. thAAAA IA
ceptiOns 10 this rule. The World and
His WIFE. and THE Fighting Hope"
gre two which this very season has
produced Even SO, the rule is con-
trariwise. and The Devil" paid IN
Full" The Lion and the Mouse and
NazimOva's whole career are yet indi-
cations Of the enIuOrmous persuasive
ness of the stamp which New York and
Chicago put upon a play, no matter
how distastefUl IL may be to ps to
acknowledge it here in Washington.
The sooner The Right To Live gets
into New York the better chance it has
10 last.
Out-Weberng Weber.
Ross and Fenton Cwithout the Fen
tom and Blanche Ring rather took the
honors from Joe Weber last week al
the BeIascO. Comedy was ever thus.
In the burlesque Of "The Music Mas
ter" Miss Ring and Pete Daley worked
like Trojans but they did not get the
reward Of the TrOjans. Troy was frost
ed. so TO speak. Here Miss Ring finds
her paths smooth and her tasks light,
Though she keeps 10 her old habit of
feeding admirably 10 the fun of other
actors. she is so well cast ia THE Mer-
~ Widow and the Devil that size ap-
pears TO almost Unprecedented advan-
tage. Mr.. Ross has a genuine talent
for comedy. and rides lightly over limi-
tltions Ike those which Mr.. Weber's
customary Dutch dialect imposes upon
him. Between them. Miss Ring and Mr..
Ross. these two receive in salaries from
Mr. Weber almost exactly $500 week.
Fluffy Ruffles" is rather the better
musical show Of the two More loud
light laughter at the other. And Miss
Williams is a new star That is not to
say she has not been the chief lady fg-
ure of musical comedies a season or SO
back It is only that she has done
The extraordinary thing in this field of
stage 8abor-she has developed into
something finer each season instead of
standing so still that before she knew
what had happened she had been bump
ed in the back and knocked out of the
way by some newcomer. AS for Mr..
Grossmith and Mr. Leslie-it takes
courage to say the three of them check
against Miss Ring. Mr.. Weber, and
Mr. Ross, but il has TO be said, just
the same. Nh. Grossmith is a product
of London music halls and shows Il.
His is comedy within his part re-
strained and suggestive rather than eX-
travagaut and Dining.
The cadence Of little feet, the flash
of silken hose, the uncertain note Of
the comic vocalist viii not entirely
vanish from our stage this coming
week. Sam Bernard will do his best to
save them at the imminent risk of his
life and so his offering at the BeIasco
IS very properly TO be Nearly A Hero.
Then the Klein play, "The Lion and
the Mouse" viii stop at the National
long enough to show that a good serious
play is in very fact helped 10y ind1rse-
meut from Gotham. And Annie Russell,
cur own delicate little Sue" OF years
gone by, will return To our stage by
acting at the Columbia in THE Stronger
Sex" The name Of this new play sus-
gests Miss Hobbs" in which this
charming sample OF a woman acted so
effectively several years back. If It is
half so good and Miss Russell is half
so well suited by her role the Column
bia has "a happy. as weH as prosperous.
week ahead.
Why not more Sheas in vaudeville