Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-13

fertainment Monday night 'he pupio
was thinking about what was going u
happen politically: Tuesday night IL was
thinking about what was happening and
ever since il has been thinking sun haru-
or about what did happen. a study In
iaartic dsstinies in real life has over
wheimed the interest in fictitious griers'
however poignant. Although the au-
diences were large in the latter part OF
Tho week the play should have attracted
more interest than was shown. 1t mad
been talked of and written of abundantly
and capably.
perbaps the public is becoming indif-
ferent to able rhetoric in describing the-
AtricaI offerings and is interesting itself
Strictly in the main proposition. Such Is
the tendency of the time.
SO dazzling and resonant are the COM
ments which precede every attraction
started on its way from New York that II
is difficult to draw distinctions. AS made
known through friendly fancy. there is no
way of telling a soap bubble from rain
how: and q firecracker is made much
over as gating gun Glowing adjectives
iIlunline every scrapbook. Everything is
The subject of the same magnificent locu-
lion. and when Madame X arrives it
ian command no more than the same SUI
perlatives that have been applied to the
general output
And there is nothing less convincing
than a superlative which has been worked
till II is tired out.
A desire to discover in the drama an
easy way to solve the philosophic and
moral problems of human life finds but
Fictitious and feeble response in this great
play. 1t is drama for the dramas sake
sThe author assails no social institutions
and is propagand'ss for no cult. He Sc
1ects great situation and works up to it
i'm way which makes every speech and
Every episode focus on it like ray of
blight II is melodrama the stare OF
hoday understands the term. 1t is story
sof events not of psychological analysis;
the long arm of coincidence reaches out
and brings the characters into relation
ship so splendidly poetic that reason bows
10 imagination and offers its tears of SYM
Apatily. The audience. like the jury in the
splay. is moved by the eloqueuce and
Beauty of the plea and renders its verdict
An pity rather than in justice.
1t is such plays as Madame X'' that
keep alive the actors hope that, though
obscure when he eats his dinner, he may
sbe famous next morning at breakfast.
The best idea in "Girlies'' next to the
smake-up of the young woman who traves-
ftied Madame X was Joe CawtkOrne's
Ssatre on the drug Drama, when he uses
Ia huge oil pump i'm lieu of hypodermic
Syringe. There is something bit I'M
fcsnny in the blase familiarity with which
ha -4o ha.- hon led ha of
sliabit. Sherlock Holmes was an unblusf-
ing advocate of morphia. He did not
.even take pains to point the evils of his
addiction. The fool in Robert billiards
play did have the grace to present HIM
sell a f6arful example of the effects
of alcoholic overstimulation. But in all
the list of drug-saturated celebrities, from
the Count of Monte Cr,sto. with his has
heesh dreams, to the supeH who imper-
sonated Cinnamon in THE Queen of the
Opium Ring there has been no such
versatile display of habit demoralizatio
n that of the role so wonderfully as
sumed by Dorothy DonnelIy.
If We endured in nightmare some OF
the things which move us to applause on
the stage We would summon a physician |
Inc manner IN winch the simple and |
wholesome plot of Ambition" Elsie Fer |
susons new play, is worked out suggests |
that an innocuous first manuscript was
remodeled in Difference TO the text "Am- ,
bition should be made of sterner stuff"
Every now and then some expletive or |
declaration OF perversity goes off like |
loaded cigar. 1t is a surprise. whether
you enjoy 1t not. The play has fine |
craftsmanship in attaining such situations |
and climaXes the idea is capable of !
developing. The theme is not heroic. 1t |
Is a chapter from the great book of fail |
ure, a tale with neither the picturesque !
ness of complete despair nor the glory of !
martyrdom.
The scarcity of chorus material now
complained of by the managers will be re- !
hered when the "GirIies troop gets back
to New York.
1t would he unjust to say that "Ciirlies" /
had nothing to commend it, Joe Cav
thorne concertna Is delight to the |
ear and Cawthorne PLAYS his selections |
with more Difference to the exact notation !
or the composer than is displayed by I
many a more pretentious virtuoso. But |
you canot give entire show with con-
certina and chorus.
PHILANDER JOHNSON.
FORBES ROBERTSON ON ACTING |
1.-The existing conditions Of the stage
at present. says Forbes Robertson.
are to my way of thinking most IA
Sorabie- The stage. the actors the ,
dramas been steadily |
improving year by year. We have bet
fer acting. better scenery. more careful
enunciation. better dressing rooms and |
plays that show more thought and care
Tor the smaller details The future of |
The stage is promising. Its whole
standard has changed. The public de-
mands the most intelligent plays. the
most spa rkling of musical comedies
and the most finished acting. Going are !
all -shpshod methods all looseness and |
Eapid mouthines.
what trouble there is comes from
the actors very desire to act we'll In
his efforts to appear natural he mum
,bles his words. as too many people do
in everyday lfe. Much of this can
be corrected by constantly bearing in
mind the true value of vowels aid the
Importance of keeping up the voice !
until the last word Is spoken. There |
must be plenty Of wind in the bellows,
SO to speak. The great thing is to
have the sound come from the front of
the mouth. As the sentence is spoken