The Washington herald., 1910-07-03
THIS WEEKS PLAYBILLS
Bs4aseo-"The Palace of Truth" This
Week.

1
Owing TO contracts made some time
ago for the appearance OF she Ben Greet
Woodland Players in open-air perfor-
mances throughout the country. the man
agement Of the Belasco Theater announce
this as the last week of the Greet COM
pany summer. engagement in this city.
The closing attraction viii therefore be
the presentation of Sir w S GiIbert's
fantastic comedy, The Palace of Truth
The characteristicaly Gibertlan philos-
ophy that Skinned milk masquerades
as cream Is nowhere more deiciously
expressed than in this fOrty-year-old
comedy. The Palace Of Truth, which
was written before the famous partner
ship with Sullivan. else il might have
been a fitting musical companion TO
'IOlaDthe'' or Patience" Gilbert called
this piece a fairy farce" but even that
caption fails to do justice 10 a satire
which is at once a keen. relentless. vet
COnvulsively drOlI exposure Of human mo-
tives, a poetic extravangaza couched IN
the most fluent and supple variety of
modern blank verse, and which in its
superficial aspects. at least, is perhaps
as perfect a comic operetta libretto as
the pen OF unique and whimsical genius
ever produced. The essential humor of
the extravagaRt conception lies in the
fact that while all the inhabitants of
King PhanAs palace must speak only
the truth, tSey do so under the deusion
that they are uttering the familiar In
sincerities of the ordinary world Thus
gesture of the most elaborate syco-
phantic Hypocrisy win accompany words
or The most unshamedly insulting or
frankly brutal import. The outcome IS
the most absurdly laughahle incongruity
imaginable. The piece contains delight
ful love story which weaves in and out
OF the plot. Mr.. Greet will be seen as
King Phanor; Ruth Vivian plays the
sham Puritan maiden. Arena and Violet
Vivian plays the part Of Princess Zeoiide, /
and Grace Halsey Mills as Queen Al
temire
Tomorrow night pretty souvenirs win
be given ladies occupying orchestra seats. /
The COlumbia--"Miss Hobbs"
Miss Hobbs will make her Dow 10
Columbia Theater audiences tomorrow
afternoon, beginning the week with
special Fourth OF July matinee, for which
there will be no advance in the regular
matinee prices of the house. Miss
Hobbs should prove one of the big hits
Of the ykeason. for there is something Of
mystery about the name, an assurance of
merit and entertainment in the name of
its author, Jerome K. Jerome. and an
undeniable allurement in the name of the
actress who first impersonated her. Annie
Russell. Furthermore it received the
unanimous approval of the critics and
enthusiastic acclaim of the public at
large since its original production at the
Lyceum Theater. New York. more than
ten years ago. AS Miss Hobbs Julia
Dean will have another OF those deli
ciOusly feminine rolls in which she ex-
GELS and is sure to give a good account
of herself in one of the cleverest and
most entertaining products of this in
genious writer. Miss Hobbs" is in four
acts and should prove the brightest and
most entertaining comedy offering of the
stock season II viii be handsomely
mounted with specially painted scenes
from the brush Of George Rex Wilson
and interpreted by an exceptional cast
that includes Paul McAllister as Wolff
Kingsear, Everett Butterfeld as PERCH |
val Kingsearl. Frank Shannon as George |
Jessop. Walter Wilson as Capt Sands |
Arthur Richie as Charles. Florence |
Huntington as Mrs. Percival Kingsearl |
Phyllis Sherwood as Miss Millicent Far
ley. Emele Melville as Miss Susan Alb |
hey, and Pearl Haviin as the maid |
Realizing its appropriateness at this time |
of the year. MIR Wilson has exerted him |
self to make the third act, in the cabin |
of a yacht specially realistic, and the |
Of the performance.