The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-08-09
AT THE THEATERS
THE COLUMBIA.
.soIdiers of Fortune.D


There was large audience at the Co
lumbia Theater last night TO see the
stock company in Richard Harding Davis
wished-to-be-autobiog play "so,-
diers Of Fortune" 1t is a play that con-
| tains all the elements OF popularity; ro-
nance. patriotism. adventure, fighting.
and that spice OF melodrama that sea-
sons any play. Il has always pleased, and
it was this play more than anything else
that served to win a position Of dramatic
distinction for Mr. Robert l1deson.
First as a popular novel and afterward
as popular play its story is too well
known 70 need reorganization here, IL IS
enough 10 say that its thrills still retain
their quality Of being able TO move an
audience: its situations are tense and its
romance IS Of the sort TO make even a
! Central American revolution agreeable.
But soldiers Of Fortune" Is a diffi-
cult play; a thought too difficult for any
stock company 10 attempt 10 put on with
only a week Of rehearsals. The first two
acts last night were most excellently
done, but the third act with It's stirring
picture Of the very heart and center Of a
revolution; with lighting and danger. and
several currents Of cross purposes, was
l bit beyond the company. Il was
not that any individual member Of
the company failed; 1t was simply a
break down in what on the ball field
would be called team work" which
served to destroy the Illusion and render
the thread Of events chaotic and hard 20
ha q
was true Of the last act
To say this is not 70 say that the per-
Torrance last night was not pleasing
The hearty and oft-repeated applause
/ testified how much the large audience
enjoyed f. Il showed only that the play
was too ambitious an undertaking. though
! IL IS certain that the remaining perform
ances this week will see many OF the
faults Of last night corrected.
Great interest was manifested In the
second part played with the stock COM
I panv Dy Miss blanche Hall As Hope
| Langham she confirmed the fine impress
I sion made last week, and individually her
work was undoubtedly the best. the
! smoothest and the most pleasing % the
large cast Mr.. Paul McAnister as Rob
| ert Clay the heroic young American en-
| gineer. was certainly heroic enough. His
| performance was vlrlle and strong. Mr..
Everett Butterfeld, as Capt Stuart, did
difficult part well, though where he got
the idea that the officer Of any army
would wear cotton tights instead OF trou-
/ sers I'm the tropics is a cause for wonder.
Il was a relief 20 see a change OF cos
/ tune in the later acts.
The comedy hit OF the piece was made
by Walter Wilson as McWiiliams. 1t is a
good part. but Mr. Wilson played Il with
an abandon and an JUNCTION that brought
many laugh and relieved many diff
cult situation Miss Florence Huntington
as Alice Langham and Miss Emelie Mel
willie as Nine. Alvarez were others in the
cast who acquitted themselves with par
ticular distinction.
The play is adequately, even hand
/ somely. staged, and Il tells such a stirring
and appealing story that it is sure TO
draw as large audiences as anything the
company has done. Next week the bill
will be MY Friend From India"
HECTOR FULLER.