Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-08
ADJUSTMENTS
Columbia.

/ The announcement that Miss Elsie Fer
guson had found play worthy of her
stellar requirements was sufficient to at
tract much interest to the Columbia
| Theater last night In spite Of the ef-
forts of that mysterious stranger in the
ranks of current play authorship Mr..
Byron Ongley," to make it otherwise,
Ambition is a very suHshiny ana
happy affair. in which the mutual as
surances Of various personages in the
cast that they are perfectly splendid
are quite justified. 1t introduces Miss
Elsie Ferguson as charming young
woman with a desire for career IN
painting pictures. This desire conflicts
sadly with her honest womanly affection
for handsome young lawyer. The law
| yer buys her pictures by secret arrange
ment with an art dealer to keep her from
learning that, while her temperament Is
first-class, her technique is hopeless. she
discovers the kindly deceit and Is storm
| lily indignant at the practical Joke. IL Is
| not until the lawyer by an address 10
a jury secures acqulttal Of her young
brother, wrongfully accused OF murder.
| that she consents to smother her pique
and be happily married.
SO simple, clean-cut and usual love
story gives the play good, wholesome
quality which no effort to introduce grue-
some suggestions of human perversity
can destroy. The heroine threatens dire
things-she even drinks some brandy ana
threatens to finish the bottle in defiance
of previous struggles with hereoltary
weakness in that direction. The younger
brother gets mixed up in bookmaking
scheme and speaks in highly ungram-
NAUTICAL manner. A slavey with predl-
lection for drink is as artleSsly biasphe-
nous as a poll-parrot. and there are mo-
ments when it looks as if the entire cast
of characters was going straight to per-
ditien. But there is never a real villain
on the stage. The only out-and-o
double-dyed plotter is a ticket Spectator
and kin-gambler, who never appears and
who meets his end of stage at the hands
of persons unknown. Not only is the
cast free from really reprehensible char
| acters, but it may be truthfully said
that there is not bad actor on the
stage at any time. From Miss Ferguson
herself, who plays the principal role
with unassuming grace and without ex-
aggerated appeal, to the plain clothes
man whose sole responsibility Is to stand
at the door with a chilled steel express
sion on his face and make an arrest
there is not player who can be charged
with failure to improve the opportunities
of every scene.
The story evades positive classification.
1t does not drift far enough into the at
mosphere of drugs or drink which has so
generally permeated the drama as to be-
come tragic or repulsive, yet there Is
enough of the morbidly sinister in tho
authors intention to prevent 1t from be-
| ing received in spirit Of pure hilarity.
The performance of Mr.. Frank Mills,
as the lawyer. was conspicuously good.
and William Harrigan was boyishly eff
| fusive in a frank. natural way that made
| him entirely hkable. Grant Stewart, as
| the aged art dealer, contributed delicate
| bit Of pathos.
| The play. without possessing any ex-
| traordinary vitality in the way of original
| inspiration. is well put together and has