Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-01
OCALLY there is so far but little
of interest in matters theatrical
for the coming season. Folks in
a Naahinrtnn haze had q long

OCALLY there is so far but little
of interest in matters theatrical
for the coming season. Folks IN
IL Washington have had long
stretch of dramatic entertain
mont since the regular season opened a
xear ago and beyond the interest that
seems 70 continue in the Columbia Pay
orc and their unusual record and the
awakening at the Academy. the average
,,avpoer Is inclined to content himself
wf,h spotlight sauibs of information as
TO what will happen later on Midsum-
mar ands the Columbia crowded nightly
with audiences that would do honor TO
tho hast productions in the winter sea-
son and apparently with no indications
Of a wane This is due to good plays
we'll played at popular prices. But IN
summers gone by there have peeh MANY
good plays we'll played at popular prices
that were passed by as unseasonaoie
fruit. What. then, is the peculiar charHi'
the Irresistible attraction, whlch NJ"
crowds the theater even on the nottest
nights? There is only one answer, ana
that is that Managers Metzerott anu
Berger, with their talented company have
struck a popular chord that responds
with box-office music, that makes the
praise Of the critic sound like far-or
promise of heaven to a man who Is well
content 10 remain where he is. The peo-
pie know what they want. and when
they get 1t their appreciation Is never In
doubt. Manager Lyons is early In the
field of the regular season at the Acad-
envy with the promise of a thrilling melo-
drama that ought to call in his scattered
cohorts. The advance sale of seats and
seat reservations for the winter is re-
ported to be most gratifying. The Acad-
envy, like the Columbia, knows what it's
patrons want and gives it to them. The
reward must be the same in both cases
II the guess as TO the cause OF success
be correct. Later on will come Chase's.
then the Belasco and next the National,
each with its peculiar attractions for its
particular patrons. None of them care
whether producing managers war or not
so long as they furnish plays that are
wanted, in the manner in which they
should be presented and at prices within
the reach of those who want to see them.
The troubles of the managers are not
those of the amusement-loving public,
which favors a certain theater because 1t
furnishes what 1.-THE peopie-wants.
REGARDED AS CLEvER.-Ruth d.
Blake, who has given such good &C
count of herself In a variety of diff
ticult parts with the Columbia Players
this season, and who has contributed
largely to the extraordinary popularity of
that organization, is a native of Boston.
She is the daughter of Rev. James Villa
Blake, a Unitarian clergyman, who took
his family to Chicago when Miss Ruth
was hardly more than an infant. She
spent her days in the Windy city until
she branched out for herself. She became
d teacher in a school for feeble-minded
children, where in the course of her three
years stay she developed patience to a
remarka BILE degree and became infatuated
with her work. But some one else became
infatuated with her. and 30 Frederick A.
thomson. the present stage director of
the Columbia, induced her to embark
Mpon a professional career She became
q member of Richard Mansfield's "Cyra-
no de Bergerac" company. Afterward she
went with E. H. Sothern to enter the
casts Of IF l Were King and Ham
let," and then was with Blanche Bates
for three years in The Darling of the
Gods under David Belasco's manage
ment. Miss Blake is also something of
dramatist. She has written q sketch based
upon the remarkable resemblance between
her sister. Rachael Blake. and herself. in
W hitch she, her sister and Frederick Thom-
son played the field of vaudeville for an
entire season in the leading vaudeville
theaters. Last season she was with Julia
Marlowe in The Goddess of Reason and
received marked recognition for her work.
experience in Kansas City. Springfield,
Mass, and elsewhere. Those who know
her best say she Is beautiful, good and
talented.