Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-11
Columbia.

THE Girl in Waiting" was once Miss
Brown. Burglar The identity was es-
tablished early last evening. Known by
the aliterative appellation, she first APP
peared in Washington in the early sum-
mer CT 1909 at the Beiasco Theatcr; I'M
der the alias she reappeared at the CO.
lumbia Theater last evening-gayer ard
more whimsical than before. With her
dozen or more associates in the play, the
title of which has its inspiration in the
notwithstanding girl in waiting" she
delighted an audience at the street
playhouse SO much that it insisted upon
calling her out many more times than
the dramatist, j. Hartley Manners, pro-
vided.
Lillian Turner. her real name in the
stage story. was girl in waiting at the
start-waiting for the return of SER
want with a forgotten latchkey that
would admit her father and her into
their own home and waiting on the porch
of the house next door because II af-
forded the protection from the rain not
possible at the pOrchleSS house which she
called home
All the chivalry of George Hemmings,
passing pedestrian, was famed into
flame by the girls predicament. While
he is breaking crockery in the dark of
the porch-equipped house. which his i'm
petuousity has led him to break into in
the belief that ii is her home. she and her
father break away and enter their own
nome WIFI the TOW recovered Key anu lie
is left to be arrested. An interview with
d detective convinces him that the girl
who was in waiting but did not wait is
member of the notorious evening dress
gang" of housebreakers. and the career OF
the serious minded George is entered upon
the reformation Of criminals in genera!
and of the girl burglar in particular.
The girl learns of his mistake as to her
identity and her love OF laugh leads her
to help him along the path of mistake.
His lack of appreciation of laugh leads
to complications which take three acts to
uravel. but at the end there are two
hearts pierced. with Cupid's darts Some
suggested last night that the unraveling
could easily have been done in two acts
and there would have been more fun in
the quicker action.
But the charm of the comedy lies not
so much in the plot as in the characters.
There was the caprcous girl in wait
ing" who kept the action moving when
the dramatist gave her opportunity: and
one could not help wishing he had not
kept her in waiting off stage so much.
Laurette Taylor brought to- the role a
charming femininity and catching joy
of-living chuckle in addition to a fresh
ness of art that pleaded for wider OPP
portunity. There also the young
Would-be reformer of criminals, who re-
garded his career with an almost scat
fold seriousness. and a. II. Van Buren,
never allowed inkling of humor to
creep into his portrayal.
No less entertaining was MONTE"
WitherSpoon, who tided over periods of
depressions in his exchequer by deposit
ing his mothers jewels at loan shops and
who writhed whenever he discovered
valuable Jewel or work of art not so re-
lieving his depression. The carrying of
the eccentricities OF the part into his
every act on the stage was pleasing
part of the work of Percy Ames in the
role
Allen Barker too, could not have been
spared, IL the comedy of the play is re-
garded as it's main feature, and Il. II.
Kelly never failed to raise a laugh when
he ordered the taking Of his card. The
other characters of the play were in COM
petcnt hands.