The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-03-29
THE COLUMBIA.
sSThe Girl with the whooping
COUgh.''


A capacity audience. attracted by the
art and wiles Of the advance agent. and
plenty OF advertising OF the sort that APP
peals to the inquisitive, packed the Col
unbia last night for what was really
the opening night of THE Girl with the
Whooping Cough" In which Valeska
suratt Is being featured by A. H. Woods.
They expected something out of the
ordinary. and, TO judge from the COM
ments that they made on leaving the
theater, they got it. But not in the way
that they had looked for.
They expected something witty-they
found merely something vapid; they had
looked forward to at least an entertain
ing evening. although they knew to what
sort Of a performance they were going.
and they found merely an uninteresting
recital of the attempts of rounder and
his associates to keep their mode OF life
hidden from those around them. re-
cital which lacks even the doubtful at
traction of being risque
The main thing in a play of this sort
is not merely the plot. though that is bad
enough In this one, but the side remarks
and implied meanings that are given the
characters by the persons who play the
roles. There is scarcely a line In 1.-THE
Girl with the whooping Cough" that has
not its double entendre." Most OF the
lines have a subtle, hidden meaning that
failed in great many cases to reach the
audience.
The plot of The Girl with the whoop-
ing Cough IL almost precisely the same
as that Of its better known predecessor,
Tho Girl from Rector's." In both OF
them there is the character OF the married
man trying to keep his past away from
his wife and her family; in both the
shrewish mother-in-law; in both the
indecent liaison with notorious woman,
and in both situations that transcend the
sphere Of a decent review 70 publish. The
only difference is that in the latter play
the coarseness and depravity Of the
characters have been multiplied hundred
fold. This is hardly a suitable place for
the recital of the story of this latest ad-
dition to the already over-large brood OF
plays OF this nature. Let those that care
for this sort OF thing go to see II for
themselves.
Dallas Wexford. who gave evidence of
possessing great ability as q comedian
in Mr. Hopkinson." has the role of
George Tate. a medical student, In the
present piece. He supplies most Of the
laughs-"comedy' is not an appropriate
word-with his droll personality. aided
by some of the lines of the play. Even
laboring under the handicap that he
has in THE Girl with the Whooping
Cough" he plainly demonstrates that he
is entirely too good for a piece OF this
sort.
But it was IN the appearance of
Valeska Suratt. whom the management
was featuring, that the main interest of
the audience lay. And her work was
unquestionably a disappolntment-the
found that she could neither sing nor
act and her attempts at posing were
rendered almost ludicrous by her make
up and costumes.
Her remarkable makeup she retained
throughout the entire performance. not
withstanding the numerous changes of
costume; indeed. Il seemed that one of
the objects Of the performance was 10
provide the star with excuses for
changing her gowns. for there were
three changes in the last act, which was
supposed TO take place in a lawyers Of
fee at midnight.
The only parts that stand out at all
prominently in her support were those
of the three members of the chorus, who
were excellent IN their roles. Evelyn's
song in the last act won a large amount
OF applause from the not overenthusias-
tic house.
Swift, smart, and saucy' is the way
the play is billed-swift it is not, even
in the slangy use OF the word; sauey, be-
ing interpreted as vulgar. perhaps would
apply, but there is hardly a line in the
play that could be called worthy of the
appellation smart"