The Washington herald., 1909-01-19
LAST NIGHT AT THE
LOCAL PLAYHOUSES
THE COLUMBIA.
Chauncey olcOtt.


The annual engagement OF ChaGacey
oIcott began at the Columbia Theater
last night before a big audience. The
sweet-voieed tenor IS g prime favorite in
Washington, and he seems to belong to
that class OF actors whom age cannot
wifher nor custom stale. so fresh and
clear are his liquid notes. and so able
his art OF appealing TO his listeners with
a sympathetic word OF smile.
Ragged Robin" his new play. is by
R.da johnson Young. who wrote Brown
Of Harvard and the scene is laid at
Innishannon. Ireland. in the times i'm
mediately preceding and during the great
famine. The belief in fairies plays an
important part in the mise en- scene,
quite q bunch OF the good little people
running hither and thither through the
piece during the action, not to mention a
full-hedged banshee and a wiIl-o'-the-
wisp.
The wandering minstrel. Ragged Robin,
played by Olcott. drinks at the fairies
weIl on the 18th day OF May alongside of
Margaret Grattan. a circumstance which
in the eyes Of the believers in fairies
betrOths them 20 each other. nOtWith-
standing that Margaret's stern father has
alreads. bespoken her for Martin Darcy,
Ragged Robins foster brother and enemy
'Tis the old story, which not even the
spell OF the fairies nor the charm or the
soil OF the Emerald Isle can break. and
Margaret, obedient 10 her father, goes 10
a Ioveless marriage. and Robin. bound
in honor, goes his way upon the King S
Highway. But the great famine comes
and Martin Darcy dies; Margaret and
her father are thrust peuniless into the
world, the old man finding employment
in the peat bogs, at which task the fair
hands Of Margaret assist him. Robin,
through his fathers death. becomes Sir
Robert Harc0uTt, and seeks throughout
ireland for Margaret, and az last finds
her, Just as a brutal overseer Of peat
diggers is about 10 eject her from her
miserable hut and she and her father
are likely to become beggaTs. The lovers
find happiness. and the fairies rejoice. for
Margaret and Robin have believed IN the
good little people all along. and in spite
OF adversely have remained faithful 10
that belief.
A pleasant little romance, bearing al
the elements Of mel0drama and some
N0ANiAeS "a AA-At4-1AAAa anu ttl-tt ->lA--E GA
the way through, not because Of its orig
inality. but because OF the simple charm
Of the atmosphere, the heartfelt loyalty,
and the tender sentiments that it voices.
OIcOtts singing. which IS a good oft
better than his acting. was a most agree
able feature. The Girl Of Ny Dreams. %
with 4 haunting waltz movement. was the
favOrite. although I Used 70 Believe in
the Fairies" came q close second. The
others that be sang-and they were all
good. sweet. simple little ballads OF that
genre which has made Irish music the
tsnderest and the most appealing in
the world-were The Eyes that Come
from Ireland" The Laugh with a
Tear IN It." and If Youth Remember
Ne"
OF the company. which Is an unusually
good one, may be mentioned pretty Alma
Belwin. who. as the heroine. captured
the hearts Of all Josie Claflin. as Beth
Meehan: Mabel Bert. as Joan Darcy. and
Charles F. Mccarthy. as Lsaty Lanigan-
John p. Gaspere performed wonders on
the harp n the accomplishments 10 Oh
cott's songs, and Alice Farrell did the
same with the violin 4 host OF
peasants and good fairies formed the
ensemble, and the scenic effects were
both beautiful and artistic. the produc-
ton. indeed. being unusually elaborate
and satisfying