The Washington times., 1909-01-05
Powerful Drama in Homely
Settino Is "A Grand
Army Man"
BRINGS MEMORIES
OF EARLY SUCCESS
Washington TheateTgoers Pay a
Splendid Tribute to Famous
Actors Return.

In the course of the past five years
q certain actor ON our American stage
has earned for himself the high dis
tinction OF min!stering to ones love of
his fellows In all the whirriug and dust
blinded cities of our busy new world
His coming is now an annual event in
the lives of hundreds of thousands, and
the event has an Importance wider than
an understanding of dramatic art For
upon it those OF us who rarely attend
theatrical performances, who view them
regularly as critics, who produce them,
or arrange for them. or manage them
as business men, alike depend Tor a
kindly and wholesome reinforcement
OF our gentler natures.
This actor is David Warheld, and he
has now come TO Washington 10 act at
the BelascO two OF the plays through
which it Is vouChsafed TO him TO be-
stow this gentle blessing. They are "A
Grand Army Man and THE Music
Msster" The latter has been seen here.
and is known and loved. The former
is new and was disclosed to us last
night.
Capital Pays Tribute.
In other cities. men and women have
stood in line patient hours TO make sure
their opportunity to sec Mr. WarheIds
Representations in these two dramas.
Here in the Capital they did likewise
for this engagement, and last night not
only was the BelasCO dIed, but its pa
irons included us all-news boys and
members of the Presidents Cabinet
high and low, the pinched and the we'll
TODD.
In theory. we of Washington are hard
20 move. Our city has become the gen
eral choice for first performances On
the ground that if here a play evOkes
polite interest for a week it may count
upon enthusiasm elsewhere. But there
was no sign OF this disposition last year
when Mr.. WardeId presented ''The Music
Master TO this auditory and there was
no sign OF il last night. His entrance
was greeted with q positive eEhaiatlOn
OF good friendship His every revelation
OF what James Russell Lowell was
wont TO call clear grit an human ma
11lr' was followed eagerly. AT one mo-
ment the audience laughed aloud not as at
8 buTlesQue or q farce, but unconscious
ly, at another 81 mUrmuTed smlllnEly or
breathed with deep Intakes, at anoth-
er il made no secret Of brlmmlng eyes
that told OF hearts - their turn bTim-
ming with sympathy. And the remark
able thing was that YOU and i did all
this like the rest, that you and 1 SAT-
so stiu we could hear the. cas- Chang
ing In Pennsylvania avenue nalL a
block away, and that now and then I'm
the course OF this simple storytelling
you and I clinChed our hands until the
nails hurt our palms.
Characters Homely.
The character and the incidents which
stirred us so deeply were altogether
homely. The life portrayed is plain.
the settings the unpretentous fittings
OF q little town I'm middle Indiana in
the early sos.
On one side OF the compass the hOrl-
zon reaches TO Terry Hut. on the other
10 Indianapolis. A local reflex Of the
Grand Army Of the Republic move
meut. then at fits crest, and a bare
county court are the circumstances
largest in the view.
The judge OF the court is rich and
hard. He has a lovabIe little snip Of a
daughter. This child of sixteen, iu her
way. has fallen I'm love with the adopted
son Of the stage driver. Ar ~ aTIel4
acts the stage driver AS commando
OF the o. A. r post. DE commits 10 his
boy, the son or q woman ne had loved
vainly before the war and from whom
he had taken tie child as trust the
conveyance TO the bank at the county
seat OF 81 ,O0O.47, with which the post In
tended 20 pay FOR Its new hall
-
ion dollars worth Of Inventions I'm his
head" as the old man notes conn-
IDENTIFY In his weakness ana lMEth-
turity. the boy is persuaded by a
sharper 10 turn the $1,000 into 5000 by
q little turn in the market The money
IS lost, Of course. The boy is uncovered
as q chief 10 the eyes OF the loving
old man. The Judge. not unwilling 20
Ing opposed his reelection imposes a
sentence OF a year lu the pellleltLaTy
The stage driver his love anu-haii'
over his disappointment. mortgages
taken In the end all this ls overcome
without the mistake OF making the 10
Vestment profitable or overlooking L-t
BOYS guilt. And that Isl All
But what a wonderful all IL is- The
atnosphere OF this life, more ulcturesgu'
than we are inclined TO think. Is repro
duced as clearly as la me Ito9 3.5i'-
indiana" though the period SIS weN be-
tween the two. What was good in "Ih'
old Homestead" and shore Acres
eOnatlons or DeumaH thompson am.
James A. EeaTue. All three OF these
actors exhaled that humor which Gn
OF their own kind defined as wit an,
oIent of st. And Mr.. Warheld achieve
his success through the creation Of uey
persoualItIes ~lther than the emphasi
Of an old one
Mr.. Warheld's Opportunity Large.
IN "a Grand Army Man" his oppor
tunitv is large. lie presides over
meeting OF his post soon after Zoe
curtain rises. and Jokes mis- comrade
sIvIy or allows his love for his ad0pro,
son 10 shoulder out the business 90
the meeting. or lets the driver o.
sCCurtereIgn" and Cartridge" Doe
two stage horses. show forth in raised
tones and "a habit OF command all ID
o1rirIz succession The daughter OF ID
fudge calls. lu shoulder cape au'
spreading skirts with just "a little Elr
suggestion Of a bus.leI and the old f1l
low draws her out about The boy tina
lives so close 20 his heart She Eiggie
and the post commander in disregard
~ an the dignity of his new office
laughs from Lis belt 20 his gray hair
. There Is q ceremony to dedicate Ia
new c. A. n. hall. and Mrs. Bates re
cites. as the Goddess or Liberty
uOem with each verse ending And u
Commando Bigel0W.' Mr. Warfeld.
simulated embarrassment, as he realize
the import of the poem is one Of thu
most delicious representations OF lu
man nature brought 10 light I'm q Wild
range Of reading and play-g0iug.
But the highest points Of the Im
personatiOn are two, and either of then