The Washington herald., 1910-05-31
THE COLUMBIA.
..The CoIIege widow.v


Capacity audiences greeted the Columbia
Players at both matinee and evening per-
formances Of The College Widow"
George AIDES play Of college students and
college life. which the Columbia Stock
Company has selected for the fifth week
or its season, and the applause and
laughter which greeted each familiar
player and each well-knOwn situation
testified that the play has not outlived it's
popularity.
But The College Widow" Is not a play
that will outlive favor Theaters may
change. audiences may change. but there
will be very little diminution in the en-
joyment that will be the share Of this
popular satire on college life. For II is
a satire.
Each character is readily recognizable;
the old president. "Prexy." the stu
dents-students in name only-who busy
themselves for the most part with ath-
letics and girls: the girls themselves;
the trainer Of the team. the freshman
''rube." who soon develops into the
greatest sport Of the college-all these
and more are recognizable in AIDES de-
lightful comedy-but they are drawn in
farcical vein-as a satire should be
drawn. and they please all the more for
that very fact
There never was a college ike At
water, but each one can recognize bits
Of his own alma mater IN he composite
picture painted by George e. and. rec
ognizlng it. feel that the -ure is not
so overdrawn after all
The story Of the coming or the great
half back Billy Bolton. 20 Atwater and
the plot entered into by the students
and the college widow 10 make him stay
there and win the great game with Ring-
ham, Is too recent in the minds Of the
theater-goers 10 need any comment
But II was due 70 the efforts OF the
Columbia Players that this story lost
none Of its freshness and spontaneity in
the telling. Indeed. there seemed 10 be
a college atmosphere about the whole
production that was not lent entirely By
the presence Of the George Washington
football team IN the big football scene.
All the cl araeters seemed imbued with
the spirit Of youth and the performance
had that snap and 20 so much desired
In production Of this kind
In the name role was Julia Dean. While
there are few demands for real acting
Miss Dean won the admiration and ap-
plause Of the audience with her personal
Ivy, and after her final scene with Billy
Bolton in the last act. where she admits
that she has been playing a part, she
was encored time and again.
But the real find I'm the feminine part
Of the cast was Phyllis Sherwood in the
part Of Flora Virgins. the role made IA
nous by Gertrude Quinlan. Her pompa-
dour, her walk, her laugh. and her dress.
20 say nothing OF the comedy lines with
which the author has been so generous.
were each sufficient 10 produce laughter.
which hardly stopped during the time she
was on the stage.
Paul MCAllister had the role % Billy
Bolton. and his work seemed 10 please
everybody very much. though no one
part can be said 20 stand out beyond the
others. Others IN the cast whose work
was exceptionally good were Everett But
terrified as "Stubhy" TaImage-the busy
undergraduate, Edwin Curtis. as presi-
dent Of the college and father OF the
widow; CASTOR Bell, as "Bub." after
ward sport Hicks; Frank shannon as
Silent Murphy. whose feet hurt. and Wal
+ ter Wilson. as Talbot, a teacher at the
college
Especial praise should be given 10 the
management for the excellent scenery
with which they have mounted the pro-
duction. II only IL could be set in
shorter time there would be absolutely, no
fault 10 be found with the performance.