The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-02-16
Miss Henrietta Crosman
/ Plays to Advantage in
"a New Comedy.
DEBTS FIGURE
IN THE PATTERN
Story Furnishes Opportunities for
Fun and Carries a Hid
IS den Moral.

A door opens as the curtains rises
on the stage of the Columbia this week.
The head Of a housemaid peeps through
eyes wide, mouth round, fear and
grotesquery the keys TO the whole ex-
preston. a door opens as the curtain
falls and another figure stands before
it-that Of a brisk, young girl, poor but
bred 10 all the extravaganza of the
rich; beautiful keen. atTembIe with
the happiness of the greatest thing in
the world. Between the two progress
the figures which make the accepted
stage story Of modern New York, min
ers from the West turned social climb
eTs, and patriCian KniCkeTbOCkers fray
ed at the edge. This is the material of
sham by Geraldine Bonner ana
Elmer Harris, rather a transparent
comedy. Illuminated and made wellsnigh
Irresistible by Miss Henrietta Crosman
in some of the most gently humorous
acting offered 10 our stage in years.
Debts are the figures of the pattern
not the kind of debts 10 make an audi
encs squirm with recolections of its own
unhappy experiences, but the kind TO
make il smile and laugh aloud and
wonder II after all it is SO dreadful now
and then TO run up accounts that can
not be paid in fun on the fateful first
OF the month. And this fun need not
alarm the moraIist. Because, II ever
there were a lesson iu play, that of
Sham" is that nevertheless, the bills
must be paid. and this is a teaching
everybody needs, but the critics.
Basis Of Story.
The Westerners hate the sham Of
buying goods without the coin. The
Fasteners cannot live without the
goods. in the form Of S1l09 bills for
lingerie and boxes at the opera. and
they haven't the money to pay. Two
Of the former love one of the latter II
she could only accept the hrst-a pudgy.
grest-hearted oaf. who, in the Ian
Euage Of the play, abuses the rich
mans prerogative OF being ugly-all
the young woman's financial troubles
are solved. If she would marry the
other-a young engineer who has yet
10 make his Way-she must pay her
own debts. The spark OF womanliness
not routed by the vacuum cleaner of
New York society lights the way to
choose. And then. as at every other
time, she has undertaken 20 be square,
the poor, happy, buDbling young girl
has the props knocked from under her
by the discovery that the jewels she
meant TO sell are paste.
This is the story. Not much 70 il, do
you say No not much. But enough
10 make last nights audience of IA
miliar Capital types laugh and laugh
and 60 out from the coy Columbia
with light hearts. Also. il is enough
70 disclose Miss Crosman as a gladden.
ing young woman OF tWenry-eight, with
waggery cropping unexpectedly thrOugH
her sentiment and the song of the
siren who longs humanity for the love,
~ things her fuIer-pursed friends car
buy as counter needy TO rippIes OF
honest fun and a motif Of unseIdsH
love.
Something has been said lately in these
columns Of actresses who relied chiefly
upon personal charm and had their roles
Etfed 10 them ike new gowns Miss
CTOsman Is not of this number The
standard of her acting is that Of men
she undertakes 20 assume the personal
lty Of her role and 10 create new ones
rather than dress over the old. III
sham" there - hardly a reminiscencs
Of Mistress Nell, or Alicia SuddeT
Peggy. or Sweet Kitty BeIlairs Miss
Katherine Van Ripper is new aCQuainr
ances and as may be inferred from what
has been said, she deserves hospitality
from Us ALL
Her friends include Two high-steppins
aunts, acted by Amelia Mayborn and
Margaret St John. a cousin, acted feel
ingiy by Ida Waterman. the oaf, ex
cellenLly done by Homer Miles. hil
father and sister. in the persons OBJ
Louise Brunnelle and Frank E. Jami
son freucnmzn true 20 the life a.
acted by Edward DuTaud- RoseE. IN.
Eousemsld, bit Of photography re-
touched hy Gertrude Clemens. ana Ton
u
Ing man. Paul Dickey.
VIII She Get Him?
The ordinary play. according to Nj
6otheTn. has this outline. ACT I. WI
he get herr Act Q. NO. he won't. Act 8
Xes, he does. This plays reverses IN.
situations by changing the Eeuders
Sc. VIII she get hIm7 and so on Th
task put upon Mr.. Dickev. accordinr
y, has its difficulties. To Mere Man D..
seems 20 meet them acceptabIv But 90
the better judgment Of the feminine au
dience he is more than acceptable ID
IS altogether persuasive
shan" would promise as well a
THE Marriage Of Kitty or THE IItr
Minister maybe, IL there were mon
cake and less Icing It needs. PERTAINS
another scene between Miss Van Ripa
and her sweetheart. II needs a Utu
Grafton in the writing of cheques an.
street sounds heard family when fEI
window is opened iu the last act Thu
two lovely costumes worn bvI AE-
Cr6smau GoveIv even 20 II mani m|l..
well enough be varied by a mowu.
gown for the last act MT. BIek-.
could speak more clearly and not lr
JIre anyone g eaT-druus.
Bot as the play stands IL IS WHOLESOME
diversion brightly COloreG and secured
enough held together 20 give a gTea
deal " pleasure I'm 10 Miss Cr0sna
is enabled tE present an embodiment r
alluriuz WouGuHU0d that ranks wIt
the most delicateIV shaded Iuporsoua
tions Of Miss Allen and Miss Adams
Not a single loose speech or scene d.
Oui0n-likl strength jars the seueinUltles
and the performance TadIates smiles
shan may ae expected. therefore. q
win substantial If NOT uupreCedeuta
commercial prosperity, and wherever D
goes there viii be nothing Of ts titI
m the content with which good foil
viii look Oh as DO u0folds.
ALLEN ID. ALBERT. JR
MAJESTIC-Moving Pictures an,
Vaudeville