Evening star., 1909-04-20
ABOUT THEbES" hH|T.
Washington Society Talent
Scores Great Success.
SCENIC EFFECTS SPLENDID
Book and Music and Cast Win Great
Applause.
NOTABLE AUDIENCE PRESENT
Boxes and Orchestra Occupied by
Smart Set-Hraise for Author
and 1anAesr.


Washington's elite for company. good
orchestra. splendid musical director,
and the Incompatible Percy Leach. peren-
nial stage manager of society shows, in
charge, 1t 10 not at all surprising that the
first performance OF Mrs. A. c. Barney 8
production. About Thebes," should prove
an ovation for everybody.
For did not everybody see It? And was
not everybody satisfied? Nay. more, every
body liked everybody. And everybody
began to applaud everybody from the
time the curtain rose until the company.
nearly buried in flowers, sank out Of sight
In the last act.
Splendid Scenic Effects.
As a scenic production It has not been
surpassed by anything In the professional
line that has come this way for q long
time. The first act was a work of art.
barring the tourists and the airships al
though no one would wish to bar them.
The scene in the desert, the breaking of
day, the awakening OF the weary sleepers
the invocation to the Nile. the classic
picturesque march OF the water girls and
their weird, beautiful music the departure
of the caravan. and the lone Arab looking
out toward the east, with the water girl
at the entrance to the tent, will long
linger In the memory OF those who love
the artistic and the beautiful.
The tomb Of the kings In the second
act. with its weird pictures. the charac-
teristic dance OF the awakening by
Mrs. Barney herself and the incantations
lent an atmosphere OF the long ago that
was Irresistible. and the brilliant audience
showed It In its applause. For bs It re-
membered 1t was not only distinguished
and brilliant audience but q generous one
indeed. especially in the matter OF ap-
plause much of which. Of course. was
prompted by family pride and pleasure
because it was represented in the cast.
Then. too. the costumes were in many
instances gorgeous and in all beautiful
Even George OConnor didn't look half
bad as a Turk
Harry Wheaton Howard. composer of
such OF the music as was not interpoiated
In the form of songs, seems to have arS0n-
ed the true meaning of the book and to
have given 1t a musical atmosphere and
setting both appropriate and beautiful.
Fhe stage setting was far in ADVANCE OF
what would ordinarily be expected n an
amateur production. Despite the tf6lcul-I
ties SO well known to the dFaller or the
professional chorus. yet infinitely greater
when that chorus Is made up OF the
buds and blossoms Of society. the naaster-
full hand of Percy Leach waa seen and
felt throughout Much Of the cyedit for.
the production is due to untfrine efforts
that were not apparent except in sftect 10
the evening. =,
An amateur press agent is perhaps a,
good thing for church social or a
strawberry festival. But when there are
temptations to neglect his duty such as
there must have been in "handling the
splendid aggregation tnat wandered about
Thebes last night" his utility is at lea st
questionable. 1t was difficult to say
whether the agent was buried in the now
ers or lost in the admiration Of the show
last night. for certain duties the per
formance Of which Is 90 essential to the
real enjoyment of play by the ordinary
reporter were forgotten by the press
agent or overlooked by the reporter The
imagination Of certain things.
Story Of About rhebes.
About Thebes'' appears to have little
il any plot To explain would mar the
pleasure of seeing 1t. Ii furnishes locale
for the production Of artistic pictures and
sensuous lima gination, an atmosphere that
overteems with suggestion and possibili-
ties.
The Cooks tourists. with George OCon-
nor as the guide. like such tourists as a
rule. do and may be expected to do al
most anything without seeming incon-
gruity.
One comes in the form Of scientist, in
an airship. He has mastered all the mys-
teries of science from the navigation OF
the air to the breakfast capsule. The
play seems to put him in the attitude OF
seeking 10 force from the mystics of the
east the mystery of life and death, and
manifests itself In the promotion of a
scheme to have two mummies unWrapped,
VINO prove to be Rameses the Great and
Cleopatra.
Why they are brought to life again is
not clear. But as they return to their
everlasting s'eep after a brief period 1t
does not matter much Their coming to
70 rnlA L. kvn-A
Sunshine Of Thine Eyes" sung by Mai.
Stevens. as Ran,eses. and ..Oh. Thou to
Whom Sing by Mrs Fremont
In the first act Miss Collins won a triple
Flower" Miss Sessions. who. BY the
way. gave fine impersonation OF the
character. sang "Flowsy Old Maid" Miss
Collins repeated her success with the
Luncheon Song" while Miss Sessions
won warm applause with her Waltz
Song
The duet of Miss Slack and Mr.. Thomp-
son. You're the Only Little Girl Mr..
Coughs "Taxicab'' and Mrs. Stoddard's s
May We Call Him BILL" Of which she
is the composer. also came in for en-
thusiastic applause.
The inimitable George O'Connor SEEM
ed to be reserved for the last act, when
his Love Song Of the Nations with
There is no denying the fact that society
really wanted to hear Mr.. OConnor sing
some of his ragtime songs. for 1t fairly
shouted out It's demand for them, but
beyond the scheduled finale 1t called In
vain.
1.-THE Dance Of the Awakening" by
Mrs Barney; the Incense Dances" by
Misses Alma Ruggies Fremont and Ste
vens. and the 'Radium Dance" by Mrs.
Wheeler were thought Exceptionally fine
by the handclappers.
Miss Fremont Sprains Ankle.
A regretable accident to Miss Jessie
drawal OF the "Pierrette and Pierrot
Dance" which vas announced in the pro-
gram. In leaving the stage. after the
Incense Dance" Miss Fremont fell and
seriously sprained her ankle, SO that II
will be Impossible for her to appear in
future performances this week.
The foral decoration Of the theater and
the stage by Guide Bros. Co. included a
magnificent mass floral piece In the lobby
and two great banks Of American Beauty
roses in the ballroom scene In the khe.
act the stage was fairly delueed wieh
rare and beautiful blossoms uf every
When it is recalled that the fsrst nigh,
OF new production By q professional
company IL the trial supretne that taxes
from the stage carpenter to the stage
manager. and 8rom the back line chorus
girl to the prima donna or the star, one
is tempted TO wonder at the smoothnesz
with which every thing worked In the pro.
duction last night.
point must be q matter OF congratulation
10 Mrs. Barney. the author OF the book
TO Mr. Howard, the composer, to Mr.
Leach the stage director. and to the com.