The Washington times., 1909-11-07
E. H. SOTHERN DUE
LATE IN DECEMBER
Miss Julia Marlowe Will Be Co.
Star and Engagement Is Like
ly to Be Notable.
By.J. R. HILDEBRAND.


the theatrical banquet is about to be
served, and the dish looks palatable
The prospect for the weeks until
Christmas is for serious drama, al
leviated by comedy OF known merits
and Just enough musical attractions
for rich dessert or the genuine thing.
Next week the critics are due at the
Belaseo, for a new play by Cleveland
Moffett, which follows close on the
heels Of The Battle" by the same
author. The title, For Better, For
Worse would open an excellent chance
for uutimely jests from Gotham, but Is
safe in Washington.
Francis Wilson has come to the con-
elusion that as long as he generally
writes his own jokes he might as well
furnish the skeleton TO hang them on,
and 'sThe Bachelors Baby is the out
come. It viii be seen at the National.
billy" an elaboration Of a three-act
farce that succeeded in vaudeville,
comes TO the Relasco.
Rose Stahl is putting The Chorus
Lady" in ''The Old Homestead class
for coming around at stated intervals
and she is just as welcome.
Columbia's Bookings.
At the Columbia some of the bookings
in The Circus Man" Theodore Roberts
in The Barrier a dramatization Of
Rex Beach's novel by that name; Fan
ME Ward in Ivan Aliens Wife, and
return engagement Of THE Servant in
the House
But the two most promising engage
ments for The + street playhouse are
probably '"rhe Climax" and such a
Little Queen" The forVer is a produc-
ton by joe Weber, which is about the
acme OF the striving for a small cast
It is presented by four persons. / saw
II hold an Atlantic City audience tense
and rapt for three hours when they
had not come 10 be serious. which Is =
TO washington, Elsie Ferguson's ap-
pearance in Such Little Queen IS OF
interest, because Charming Pollock
wrote the play. The Capital has always
had q warm spot for that playwright,
who was formerly newspaper T., man ma
here. and IL appreciated mis- Little
Grey LADY" when others could not
The engagement of Arnold DAILY ID
Know Thyself has not been cancelled
at the BelascO-merelY postponed The
Capital is anxious 10 study Paul Her
vieu at close range. Another recognized
favorfte ia Washington. Eleanor Rob
son. will come TO the same theater IN
The Dawn OF a Tomorrow. This pro-
ductiOn, labeled a play OF cheerful
ness" received a cordial welcome In
Chicago.
Music At National.
The National, having provided drama
for the last few weeks. viii take its
turn at musical comedy. After Fran
els Wilson come Montgomery and
Stone, not IN THE Red Mil" this time.
but IN another vehicle of Ike charac-
ter. The Old Town" After that the
National Is TO have Hattie Williams in
this fall in New York Washington
has waited long TO see Anna Held in
Miss Innocence" but II is TO have a
chance at last ana when lesser lumi-
nartes have come and gone the mimi
table Anna viii be IN OUI midst.
The first Of the create. stars 10 aD-
pear here VIII probably be Julia Mar
lowe and E H SOthern, who are Que
at the BelascO late In December. one
night last winter they brought out d
near-recOrd crowd 10 the Belasco for
Hamlet" Whether Il was the play or
the actor could probably be proved If
Cleopatra" That play has not been
seen here for a long, long time and If
the crowd comes It would probably be
70 see Sothern Personally / think the
crowd would come. And the expert
ment would be worth while
William Winter and Critics.
Ever since William Winter told. in a
QUINN anu a man, JUST hr4ttt ne l@lL
the New York Tribune. his conception Of
an ideal critic, theatrical papers and
dramatic columns have furnished enough
dissertations on the subject 20 furnish
correspondence schools with material
for a complete course.
On one side are lined I'D the men who
would upllfI the stage oy always telling
the bitter truth. Unfortunately many OF
them can't see much or truth except the
bitter kind. Then the producers came
hack with the old r.iE q g.
a business investment and its wares
should be as Immune from assault as
the goods Of a department store.
After the critic has told the truth,
looked for the good as well as the flaws.
ana written entertaiuingly as we'll as
truthfully, he has not finished. He owes
this much 70 the men who put their
money IN the prOductiOn-tO tell how
the audience liked IT, After be has
gagged 81 by certain primal principles,
and 10 falls short OF these IL IS well 10
md whether the audience is enjoying it.
self.
Here's the Rub.
This does not mean that he is expect
ed TO pick the big hits which succeed
in spite OF their flaws. And this Is
where too much is expected Of 81 critic
sometimes. The men who saw THE
Lion and the Mouse" .The Music Mas
ter" and THE Great Divide" on their
first nights had no means Of knowing
coed despite their defects
When a critic tells these things Il f.
time for him % resign the critic job
and be a millionaire By going out aud
producing sure winners
Evelyn Howard Benefit.
The benefit performance for Evelyn
Howard. given Friday afternoon AT the
Belasco Theater. was. as the program
said, ian extraordinary and praise
worthy theatrical event" The man
ayers Of Washington theaters and tn,
companies playing IN their houses fur
nished rare example, Of good fellow
ship. and credit is due j.. St0ddard Tav
Tor for giving them the opportunity
was 10 be regretted that Wilton Lack
ave appearing in THE Battle" de
clined 10 appear and left the BFlasc,
without a representative az a beneh
where IL was the host There IS I'd
cause for embarrassment on the par
or the 3elascO. as Mr LacHaye wa
urged BY them 70 appear.