Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-06
. - AVE you ever found your Ibsen
producing melancholia and 9TH
err symptoms of digestive de-
rangement?
If so, you should have derive,

by Percy Mackaye labeled "Ant-Matri'
mony" and passed out to the public by
Henrietta Crosman and her small but
competent corps of assistants. 1t was
soothing easy to take. neither dangerous
" hypnotic nor unduly exhilarating. Mr.
Mackaye delivers a set of printed direc-
lions to each purchaser, with full ex-
plantations of the compounds properties
and uses His circular opens Mr. Mac
kaye wrote Anti Matrimony' to make you
laugh" and several of the audience JUS
titled the assumption that the pronoun
you" was meant to be taken in the
plural sense. The circular warns you not
TO be misled by the seriousness of the
players and fairly pleads with you to
laugh. if not as matter of inclination,
as a personal favor
Where is the song and dance team of
yesteryear that warbled I'VE try our best
TO please you ALL we hope we don't in
trude?"
One of the most admirable things in ex-
istence is thoroughly and uncompromis-
ingly serious intellect. 1t grows like the
sturdy oak in soil enriched by the wisdom
of centuries. 1t blossoms and bears
acorns which are in a limited way highly
priced as nourishment. But its greatest
glory is it's own towering and spreading
existence. Mr.. Mackaye's intellect is as
the oak. 1t is sturdy, spreading and, as
his blank verse has proved, capable OF
bearing great strain. He should not have
envied the idle daisies and Johnny-Jump-
ups at his feet, which blossom into jest on
the slightest provocation and wither even
before the frost fairly touches them
cottv ar
burlesque but criticism. 1t commands
respect for the intimate analysis the
author has made of his subject, and APP
prevail of his resolute rush to the rescue
of common sense and STRAIGHTFORWARD
thinking as against morbid type-exag-
geIations. Yet. like many reformers. he
suggests no more than one form of hys-
terra as an antidote for another 1t is
animated by a determination to hold
Ibsen up to ridicule as a scientific and
moral impostor, and selects ridicule not
because it is a cons email weapon. but be-
cause II is deadly. The advantage enjoyed
by the serious intelligence is that it is
practical. The author recognizes the
necessity of holding attention, and &C
cords permission to laugh whenever it
likes If he can land a few laughs at
Ibsen's expense, he is willing to stand
some at his own, which is surely fair
enough.
When ideas are so scarce it does seem
ungrateful to say a word derogatory to a
performance that depends entirely on
ideas and advertises a cast of only Ave,
instead OF 100.
The cast of "Anti-Matrimony' is truly
remarkable. 1t is a concentrated display
of efficiency. Miss Crosman. despite her
evident desire to instruct as well as en-
terrain. is to the retentive recollection like
the lovely Mistress Nell. settled down
and modernly married. Wright Kramer
having charmed us as an actor on the
lecture platform now lectures us from
the theatrical stage with equal felicity.
Walter Greene is discreet, responsible
actor, and Grace Carlyle has talents and
personality which should insure her a
future.
Ii Is always safe to say an actress has
future. 1t is still being said about
Sarah Bernhard.
The grace Of fine precision always
characterizes London production under
the auspices of representative English
actor. The capital cast supporting Mr..
Weldon Grossmth I'M Mr. Preedy and
the Countess" gives a performance of
accurate symmetry. The plot is economic
ally handled. little story is made to go
very long way. Mr.. Grossmith is a
comedian who knows his art from the
alphabet to the classics, but in this role
IS rather disposed to exploit the
department His performance suggested
hat he hal
broad effects which many Europeans con-
slider essential to please an American
audience. PHILANDER JOHNSON.
WILL. SEE THE UNITED STATES
CAPITOL.-Stage folk are moved by all
sorts OF considerations, some sensible, but
many sympathetic. to sign contracts for
their services. but the inducement which
resulted in the signature of Alice Lloyd
10 a contract for appearance at Chase's
this week is one of the most unusual.
She wants to see Washington, the
President, the parliament house" as
she calls the Capitol; the home of the
British ambassador, the embassies of
the other foreign representatives and
the thousand and one other things for
which Washington is noted, but which
Washlngtonians know less about than
the people of Argentina, almost Miss
Lloyd has appeared three times previ-
ously in this country within the past
few years. but she has never seen the
Capital city.
DENMAN THOMPSON ON HIS PLAY.
What has endowed The Old Home
stead with perennial life:" said Denman
Thompson, repeating the inquiry adj
dressed to him. Many things. my dear
sir. have contributed to II. First of all.
IL Is good play. 1t has a proper and
a natural blending of pathos and humor.
Its characters are interesting and anus
ing. and its story a pretty one of simple
life. Why, II is real life itself. You can
take your mother to see IL; you can take
your grandmother. your sweetheart, your
wife, your daughter. yes. even your grand
daughter. If you should have one. and
1t won't teach them any new tricks.
That's why IL lives and why it will live
long after We who now play it are dead
and gone and perhaps forgotten
For thirty-six years Denman Thompson
has charmed his audiences with the role
OF Joshua Whitcomb and for twenty five
years OF the time IL has been played over
and over again in the best theaters OF
the country.
MISS FERGUSON'S FIB.-E1sie Fergu-
son tells an interesting little story In con-
nection with her engagement as Edgar
Selwyn's leading woman in "Pierre of the