Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-26
FEVER judge play by its title.
~ Even if drama should be
NJ christened The Lemon" by a
docnoraf 70 ynana0emopf can -


desperate management COM
PEELED to fill unpromising con-
tracts. give 1t trial before registering
condemnation. Despite it's list of well
known players and its notably liberal
management, there was little in the
name The Love Cure" to reassure. We
have had so much that sounds like tt
The Soul KISS ''The Love Waltz the
this. that and the other suggesting
Viennese romance. that there was little
enthusiasm of anticipation for what
looked like merely another bOnbon out
OF the same box. Our Indebtedness to
Vienna for waltZes and for wiener
wurst had grown to oppressive proper
lions. and good reason must be shown
for any increase of a debt that threat
ened to be irksome.
Probably it was due to the literary
supervision of Mr.. Oliver Herford that
the story seemed crisply American in
stead of languishingly Hungarian. 1t
struck the taste as hardy. homegrown
stuff. 1t was relief after the produc
tions that have been spreading sensu-
Gus suggestion like exotic perfumes.
The fun is of quiet sort. Occasionally
it is inclined to bubble or deal with
the mere inversion of a conventional
idea as in the scene when two young
people betrothed against their desires
employ the vocabulary of endearment
to express their appreciation of mutual
Indifference. 1t is somewhat mechani-
cal method Of humor. but 1t shows that
the author is we'll grounded in what
may be termed the technique of the
satirist
j; is evident that Mr.. Savage. the pro-
ducer of THE Love Cure had faith in
its quality. for the cast well as the
scenery show that the checkbook has for
tilted the libretto. Charles ]. Ross gives
fine character picture His work has
for years been pointed out as far above
the average. and in this production he
has full opportunity. The patois of the
Broadway music hall occasionally f1ickers
through his dialogue as a reminder of
his association with the type of perform
ance in which everything goes. so long as
it gets a laugh. But it does not over
balance the legitimate cleverness of his
performance. 1t was genuine pleasure
to observe this we'll known and generally
liked player i'm a role which gave him
something of artistic as we'll as humor-
GUS consequence to handle.
Even if THE Love Cure were tame
and conventional in it's general aspect
the supremacy ludicrOus chorus lady re-
hearsal ought to do for 1t what the I'M
forgettable sextet did for F'lorodora."
1t is the essence of the comic, an absurd
picture to the eye and a whimsical trav-
esty of what goes on behind the scenes.
1t is an application of the ballet re-
hearsal introduced by the late Clyde
Fitch in Capt. Jinks." but worked out
with far greater detail and in a broader
spirit of fun.
Jacob Adler constantly gains in pOpu-
lar recognition of his robust yet finely
tempered art. Though his life and his
work are identified with the American
metropolis. he comes to this city as
foreigner And. like the other really
great foreign stars who have made Amer
lean tours, he proves that with the true
artist the language of emotion is uni
versal and needs no lexicon.
The uuietude which theaters ordinarily
expect just before Christmas was not
broken by any peals of hilarity from the
audiences before whom 1.-The Merry Wild
ow and the Devil appeared. The first
part of the name indicates mirthful
and melodious origin: the second part,
alas, indicates the production's< melan-
choly destination.
Not only in Washington. but throughout
the country, interest In the theater has
been manifested with some restraint A
few attractions have had hearty support,
but the steady enthusiasm in the theater
as an institution has been unusually de-
layed. The early part of a season is
necessarily more or less experimental,
and the development of attractions of re-
liable merit takes greater or less time,
according to circumstances. The imme-
date prospect is brilliant enough to
promise full compensation for previous
apathy. The engagement of Maude
Adams proved that the public is in no
wise reluctant to respond when it is con-
fident of merit. One of the interesting
events scheduled, in fiat contradiction of
the declarations via Baltimore that
Washington would haze no grand opera
this season. is weeks engagement of
The Manhattan Opera Company Mr..
Hammerstein states that this is but
test of the musical spirit of Washington
If we are good he may return another
season. and If We are very good indeed
he may find a way to build us an opera
house of our own. With such things In
contemplation our old friend Santa Claus
will have to recognize in Mr. Hammerstein
a formidable rival for beneficent prestige
in the Capital City.
PHu.ANDEP JOHNSON
THE HEROD OF HISTORY.-The
presentation of Stephen Phillips "Herod"
by William Faversham has excited much
interest in one of the most remarkable
characters of ancient times In Witness
ing a performance of the play 1t is well
TO be int, ned on several points: That
Herod Wa an Idumean and not a Jew:
that he was usurper. appointed by Au-
gustus, and that Stephen Phillips does
not intend it to be understood that
Herod dies at the end of his play. In
point of fact the play deals with an in
cident In Herods life and at a time when
he was under forty, thirty years before
his demise. b. c. Then, too. Herod
had ten wives and the Marianne of the
play was his second.
The family Of HerOd Antipas, or Herod
the Great. as he is usually called. more
by accident than for any assignabie rea-
son. has attained a good deal of impor-
lance In recent literature. Oscar Wilde
chose for one Of his singular heroines