The Washington herald., 1909-05-22

From the man who pulled the curtain
cord 70 the heroine who wept on her
doubling husbands shoulder In the upper
crust OF the TOP layer OF the creme de Ia
creme Of the climax, too much credit
cannot be given to everybody connected
with the presentation OF The Cricket on
the Hearth in the Mckinley Manual
Training School last night
In spite OF the fact that the performance
will be repeated tonight. rain had no
terrors, and chIlliness no dismsy. for
those who had planned 70 be in at the
opening night" Of the Tech vOtaries OF
the buskins Every seat in the assembly
hall. and every seat in the gallery, held
a handicap, and when the happy ever
after" part Of the play came in q rousing
Virginia reel in which The villain threw
OF his vi!lainy and swung the girl he had
plotted TO marry. and the heroine and
the hero smiled trustingiy again into
each others eyes, the applause was more
expressive than any song without words
that ever broke into the classics
Il would be hard 20 mention any one
Of the all-star cast as deserving Of espe-
eial praise. Besides. the cTUstiest critic
In the world has a lapse nov and then
when he lets himself be carried away by
good locks on the other side Of the foot
lights. and perhaps the critic IN this case
was only too glad TO check OF one Of the
lapses allowed him IN the face Of 50
much provOcation-
Some LIkabIe Roles,
Il is the fault OF Dickens that some OF
the roles we're more likesble than others.
Miss Gertrude Browne as Dot the
heroine who came near breaking her
husbands heart by compromising herself
in the process Of lubricating the hard
path Of snother's true love, would have
been adorable II the part Of one, or sil.
OF the three wicked witches in Mac
beth" AS II was. her part allowed her
70 heap Goals Of fire on the head Of her
natural graces. and the sum total was
best described by the way her dance pro-
grzmme was filed after the play
At the other end Of the emotional see
saw was Miss la Morrell. in the role Of
the indigo Mrs. Fielding. who nursed
an unpleasant disposition on the remem-
brance Of former greatness-tO hear her
tell it-and tried 20 get her daughter.
Nay Fielding, or Miss Jane Pidgeon. as
she is known 10 her classmates, into
marriage with the souint-eyed Mr.. Tackle
ton. toymsker and prosperous villain.
taken BY George Lewis. And George
Lewis, by the way, had the souint-eye
down 70 4 science. and II he can forget
himself and be g gentleman within the
next two days. he viii be showing the
true actors ability 10 divorce himself
from his part when he Is OF the stage
He retrieved himself al the end OF the
play, however and everybody IN the audi
ence wss ss happy at the wey he invited
those who had been ~sg'in him through
the plot over 70 his house for the we'd
ding supper as he was when ne read in
the Christmas Carol how Scrogge for
SOCK his selhshness and set out 20 shed
light in lowly places
Dots husband was John PerrybingIe.
G carrier, who was made 70 live and move
and have his being By Walter Zirple. He
was just what John PerrybinEle was
honest, domineering. and loving
The comedy part OF TfIIy Slowboy was
taken BY Miss Mabel Coggins. yho was
genuinely unaffected. and gifted with a
knack Of getting next 10 the risible cen
teTs. As the nurse girl she gave Baby
the Tough-hOuse OF his life.
A role that was taken with real insight
was that Of Caleb PIummer. the aged
henchman OF Tackleton. the toyulaker.
who told lies al his life so that his blind
daughter might think he was young and
gsyly clad. instead Of old and threadbare.
The part was taken by Harry Bowen.
and that of the blind daughter by Miss
Elizabeth Kohl The "Old Gentleman -
who caused al the heartaches. and who
finally came out Of his disguise and heal
sd them again. was Philip Gunion.
Dance Follows Play.
At the conclusion Of the performance q
dance was held. and refreshments were
served The proceeds viii go 70 the gen
ersi interests OF the Mckinley Manual
Training School. Including the school pa
per, athletics. and the orchestra II was
the first time the event has been in the
form Of q dramatic production. and the
result was a vindication Of the initiative
Of all connected with Il.
The orchestra Is composed OF Miss Mar
garet CoBley. Miss Hattie B. Middleton.
Harold Burrhus Solomon ShappiTio. c.
Eugene Edwards. Douglas Murphy. Sher-
wood Stein. =. Louis Mattern. John
Ksnn. Leon s. Oppenheimer, Herbert
Weser. Lawrence Hough, Frank McCaT-
thy. T. s Whitbeck. 2. :. Leonberger.
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