Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-25

3d., 600 people in this city who did not see
"The Lottery Man They are to be COM
miserated, for it was one of the few
genuine care-dispellers. Cyril Scott is
convincing as poor but industrious re-
porter. who was willing to do almost
anything rather than go out and pawn
the magnificent diamond ring which he
wore throughout the performance. 1t
was triumph of art for Mr.. Scott to
make his impersonation so effective that
the incongruous jewel was forgotten. The
broad comedy was contributed by Helen
Lowell, whose makeup as the pursuer
of the lottery man makes the remem-
brance of Katisha in THE Mikado'' seem
vision of loneliness. 1t is not, however,
to The Mikado'' that the play hanks
back most notably. 1t is often demon
strated in stage affairs that a good men,
DRY is better than originality. While W.
S. Gilbert is amusing himself at his
country home with a collection of lemurs
refusing to submit further productions to
the critical standards which apply to
works of lighter musical character his
quips and conceits go marching on in all
sorts of borrowed uniforms. In Patience
he had Bunthorne voice the following
recitative:
'Heartbroken by my Patience's bar
barity, by the advice of my solicitor, in
aid of some kind Christian charity, I've
put myself up to he ratified for
But this was only an incident of the
story of "BunthorneS Bride q by-prod-
uct which it was left for more recent
commercial methods to utilize with
pleasure and profit THE Lottery Man"
is good fun and clean fun, and though
CLEANED from familiar ground, a well
come addition to a none too abundant
harvest. But in order to make MEM
DRY take the place of originality 1t is
necessary to have long one. The plot
of the musical creation Three Million
Dollars" is not sufficiently remote in
recollection to prevent the hero of fictl-
tious engagements designed to deceive
a rich uncle from looking like re-
peater caught in the act And when
the composer of The Deacon and the
Lady" comes forward with a Flora
dora" squad. with lines which in effect
are. We really must sing something.
and it might as we'll be this" the occa-
sion demands something other than that
charitable, overworked adjective 'remi-
niscent." In The Deacon and the
Lady" the star of the performance.
Harry Kelly. is practically crowded off
the stage by material in which he has
no part or in which he obliglngly, but
rather indiscreetly. serves as foil.
Mr.. Kelly is evidently not one of the
comedians who insist on rewriting their
is hoped that Mr. ]. j. McNally. who
used to write geographical eNtrava-
ganzas for the Rogers Brothers. and
who is al work on this book, Will ar
range that the most important share OF
Kelly's work is not limited to putting
on his makeup before the play begins.
Climatic conditions have not been
wholly encouraging to the display OF pop
ular enthusiasm appropriate to the ad-
vent of the regular theatrical season.
The most intricate and athletic demon
strations of which a corps de ballet
may be capable find formidable rivalry
where current interest is concerned in
the outdoor struggle for a home run, or
even a slide to second base. And the
automobile, which is one of the theater's
best assistants at times, when all We
hicles lead to the playhouse, is now an
allurement elsewhere. There may be
trace of loyal sentiment for stock COM
pany favorites, both in drama and song,
that makes the public reluctant to ad-
init that it's locally discovered Bern
hardts and Melbas are to be outranked In
Importance if not in merit, by the more
widely recognized stars. Any one or the
three performances mentioned would
have been assured of far more liberal
consideration under ordinary conditions.
AN EXHAUSTING ROL.E-''The
American theater-going public says
Robert Hilliard. lis the wisest in the
world. 1t knows what it wants and when
It wants it. Success or failure is scent
ed with equal quickness and the public
cannot be deceived. Swift action is the
managerial idea nowadays. A forced run
spells folly. A play hits the bull's-eye or
IL doesn't. If il fails to register close to
the center of the target there is quick
moves to the storage warehouse, not mat
ter how fine or costly the production If
a Fool There Was had not scored in
stantly and widely I would not go out
in it again this season. / would have
another play. AS a matter of fact,
have two new plays which | am anxious
TO produce.
Il am very fond of the strong dramat-
is part which | play in "A Fool There
Was but for one reason i shall be glad
when | can put il aside In my long ex-
perience- / have never before under
taken part that so exhausts the vital
forces.
STAGE INEBRIETY.-Inebrie on
the stage has ever been a resource of
the dramatist to create comic effects
AS instances of adroit histrionic skill
in the portrayal of inebriety on the
stage. one might mention Frederick De
BeIleville's wonderful drunken scene
in Tess of the D'Urbervilles" with
Mrs. Fiske: the late Dan Days aero
bate gyrations in portraying an indi-
from overindulgence in Scotch high
balls and Charles Warmers terribly
realistic study of a French workman
who SuccumbS to the abSnthe habit in
Zola's great play, Drink" Then there
was Ned HarriganS semi-comic semi
pathetic incarnation of "Old Lavender"
showing the downfall of a man of
brains and refinement, until he becomes
the associate of wharf rats and river
thieves.
Otis SINNERS new play, Your Hum
bic Servant" will show a new type of
stage inebriate and not in any sense an
offensive one. This is the high bred
man of means who enjoys a life of lux
ury. who has no ambition, but lives
simply 10 crafty love of alcohol.
The actor instructed with the part is
Edward Fielding, who has never be-
fore been seen on this side of the
water.
BEIIASCO T NEATER BOOKINGS
Manager l.. S. Taylor of the Belasco
Theater is announcing with considera BILE
pride the list of bookings he has just re-
ceived from the Messrs. Shubert for the
month of October. This list is as fol-
lows: Commencing week of October ;.
Gertrude Quinlan appears in Miss
Patsy" Succeeding attractions for the
same month viii be Fritzie Scheff head
ing the all-star cast in the revival of
The Mikado"; Lew Fields in the must
cal comedy, THE Summer Widows .
James T. Powers in Havana and Ed
die-Foy, assisted by Emma Carus in the
spectacular musical revue Up and
Down Broadway the New York Casino S