Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-10

was a performance OF peculiar interest,"
dcmonst ra ting concluSively as IL uld iIiat
Wariield. great as was his success III lie
Music Master has capacities beyond the
limitations of that charming play. DIS
satisfying in its love interest and with no
very stri&insly original appeal as a sociai
study. the new play gives NJ. Warteld
tie opportunity to prove that German dia-
Iect is but an incident and not necessity
in his art. and that he can compel atten-
ton 10 the emotions exemplified in his
own role in such a manner as to render
the episodes of minor Significance. Whether
or not "a Grand Army Man" finds a con-
spicuous place In the repertoire Warfield is
gradually acquiring. his performance OF
the part of Wesley Bgelow must be &C
counted of great value in the development
of his career o. the artistic worth OF the
stellar CharacteriZatio there can be no
doubt, and it rests as a conclusive as
Surance that the actor stands on individ-
nal merit and not as the beneficiary of
mere good fortune in finding a part close
y apted to his personality in a play OF
powerful appeal to popular interest.
The development of repertoire for Mr..
Nartield must necessarily be gradual. His
quality is too sincere ard substantial to be
allied lightly with promiscuous ventures
IN theatric art. He Is the emotionalist
rather than the intellectual gymnast.
There is not a shadow of the dettante in
his personality to lead him into expert
mentation merely To satisfy restless
craving for new things. W nat he does he
does not with mind alone but with heart
and soul. An out-and-out failure for War
iield would be bitter tragedy
There is no doubt of the sincerity of
this actors intention to play Shylock He
mas earned the right to choice among
The greatest parts that the drama can
provide. Yet Shakespeare is by no means
needful as test OF his right TO be called
great actor. Many of our greatest play
ers have not been eminent in the Shakes
pearean drama, which is school unto
itself, requiring not only special fitness
but special experience. And many Of
them have found the public content to
lavish its highest rewards in return for
competent representations of q very lin
tied number of plays. 1t will be interest
ing to see the magnetic power which War
field eXerts expressed in the role of Shy
lock And even If popular affection
should fail to follow him in his scholas-
with The Music Master
The Waltz Dream was like a breath
of fragrance from long ago, when music
in the musicianiy sense of the word was
considered essential TO performance
which purported to be even remotely
operate II carried an echo of the fluent
melodies Of Milloecker and Audran and
Ix- he Gpay Of; tic, lett, Ift,-
comedy was of the repressed school, with
efforts here and there TO get down 10
the public taste by illusions to 1.-The pip
Il human maiady. Why will comedians
do such things?
Radical changes We're made in the new
play .'Kassa," whose first production be-
San Thursday night and reached its close
some time on Friday morning. II was evil
dent that changes would have to be eff
fected in order to make 1t a practical We
hicIe for Mrs. Carriers undoubted talents.
Tie second act. which was little more thar
tedious expansion of trivial detail, has
been eliminated, and the performance now
presents It's star as an emotional actress
without demanding homogeneous Interrupt
tions of ingenue character. Public
admiration of Mrs. Carriers talents suf-
tered no serious shock by the unsatisfac-
tory state in which the production had
to be shown Thursday night, the Sat
urday patronage al the National Thea
ter being enormous. lt would be strange,
indeed. If the ability and energy BILE
of carrying So wonderful and extensive a
work thus far should not he equal to
the task of bringing it to triumphant con-
elusiou. In the scenes congeuial To her
Mrs. Carriers powers were displayed to
uneNcelled advantage and the play leaves
Washington with promise of A brilliant
future. PHiLANDER JOHNSON.
4 PHYSICAL MEMENTO-Membe OF
the audience al Chases tomorrow evening
Will not, of course. see the BLUSH white
scar behind the right ear Of Charles Leon
ara Fletcher. But the will be there,
though hidden by makeup, and Mr..
Fletcher viii he just proud of it he
was this morning. when he told how he
came by il.
1T will sound absurd To you the story
OF that scar. said Mr. Fletcher. but
stage people are apt 10 be biz supersti-
tinus. and I tell you frankly that / at
t.ibute much of my success to that ugly
mark behind my ear. II was made by d
sword welded by the late Edwin Booth,
the greatest of American tragedans, and
have always had pleasantly uncanny
feeling that ii is partially responsible for
whatever there may he Of good in my
work
MI this happened over twenty years ago
just after Mr.. Fletcher had emerged from
thc amateur ranks and begun 10 earn some
recognition in small Shakespearean parts.
lie was cast for the part of one of the two
friends wuo appear with Hamlet.
in the ghost scene Mr.. Booth was
playing the title role and seemed
10 forget for moment some of the
stage business. by which he was. 10
shake off the two friends when he cries
"Cnhand me. gentlemen" Instead of Civ
ing the gentlemen a chance to unhand, he
broke away violently. swinging his sword
in wide swath about him.
The point of that sword said Mr.
Fletcher, caught me behind the right
ear"
TWO EXPERIENCED PLAYERS
Helen Ware. who has scored fattering
success as Mrs. Howard Jeffries, jr.. in
THE Third Degree" was seen previous
10 this production in principal feminine
role in The Road 70 Yesterday and
previous to that scored personal triumph,
in The kreutZer Sonata Her first
role OF any Importance was in support of
Robert Edeson in Soldiers of Fortune -
in which this actor appeared some seven
years ago Wallace Eddinger, who has
the role of Howard Jeffries. jr.. made his