The Washington times., 1911-10-31
WESTERN PLAY, THE
CHALLENGE OPENS
At THE COLUMBIA
Guy Bates Post Hero in
Melodrama of Ranch
Characters.

A play which has dramatic possi-
bilities and which may be "go" after
It has been pruned. and dissected. and
then put smoothly together again, Is
"The Challenge" presented at the
Columbia last night by Guy Bates Post,
seven supporting male players, and one
woman. Don't forget the woman. Maud
Gilbert, cast as Alberta Bradley, one
Of those Western girls who run a ranch,
was rather like an oasis In the desert
Of false dramatic construction last
night.
"The Challenge" by Edward Childs
Carpenter, is melodrama. The play Is
woven about the fight between the girl
who owns the Grand Basin Ranch and
Douglas Quarter. engineer OF an ir-
rtgation company that has come to
make the desert bloom. Guy Bates
Post plays Quarter and he did some
good acting. He would have been bet
Quarter to constantly remind the audi
ence that he was a pardoned embezzler
who had gone West to start anew"
But, anyway, 1t is a battle Of wits, and
wSTds and psto psy sne tbe
girl, she who wore chaps and carried
a gun-until love came in the third act
and she changed to lingerie" SO that
Prior to the Transformation there had
been much excitement.
The trustee Of the girls ranch has
sold 1t without her consent. She orders
. henchman to shoot the first man who
touches the corral wall. She, will have
none Of the westward march Of civil
ixation Quarter himself orders the
work to proceed. The henchman levels
his gun at Quarter and the girl. al
ready awakening In this peculiar love
Then there's a bursting dam, which
overflows the ranch and kills the girls
cattle and her pet pony. Angered, she
hunts Quarter. attempts to sh9ot him
by mistake.
The big scene is in the third act
when Quarter learns this. He and the
girl denounce each ether. It ends in
from overp5woring him. He pinions
her wrist. Their eyes meet and right
there amid the wrecked furniture they
rcD dss aof 1SEs sSst sne s
never relinquish her ranch.
Quarter. however. runs out the door
yowing he will not give a woman his
audience to see her make mart Of the the
change from chaps to "lingerie." Then
she goes awnv for eighteen months,
The fourth act brings the completion of
the villain. the .orEiveress Of Romero.
who learns who shot him. and a prom
Used marriage between Quarter and the
Consid dering the fact that the p,ay
Is structnraiiy weak. the cast is not to
be blamed particularly II 1.-THE Chal-
lenge" does not meet with Immediate
success Macy Harlan. as Romero. the
fiehsrd Prentiss. irrepressible aosl' son of az q
rich father. and Charles Chappeile as
Goliad Sam were acceptable In their
parts Joel Day. Walter Carter. Henry
roles. The latter was cast as the vii
famous trustee. Pr. Lester.
Mabel Hite, former star of "A Certain
Party" has returned to vaudeville and
u this week the real headliner on the
bill at Chase's. Her sketch is entitled
Twenty Minutes of Foolishness," and
In It she is ably assisted at the plano
by Tom Kelley. On her final bow, and
there are scores Of them, Miss Hite is
accompanied on the stage by her hus-
star. formerly Of the Giants. but now
with the Boston Nationals, and then the
yociferous applause is renewed twofold.
Miss Htte has several excellent songs,
Husband II You Do" Hate to Talk
About Myself" "Biliy's Very Good to
Me-" and Teddy. Deroose." The latter
e her best offering. Miss Hite closes
'The Police Inspector" a one-act play,
showing some Of the methods Of the
third degree holds the other headline
position and is presented by capable
The program includes Frank Stafford,
Marie Stone. and Rox, an English setter
dog. who present a novelty nature pro-
Shc Mr. stsnosd gives sxeeiisn; s imitstions WSs
Of birds and farm yard Inhabitants.
La Petite Mignon Is a hard worker
and good singer and dancer, giving imi-
tstions Of stage celebrities: La Toy
acrobatic act full Of surprises. Volantc,
the aerial pianist, and Cook and Lo-
renz. knockabout act complete the
program.
"A Self Made Man." having taken un-
to himself better half, made his initial
Washington appearance at the Academy
last night as "A Man and His Wife"
with Thomas e. Shea in the title role.
This is Mr.. Shea's first depression from
the $2-circuits, and the opportunity to
see him in his new environment was
improved by capacity audience at the
popular Academy.
now Piuy was copcCldlly
for Mr. Shea, and Is somewhat more
melodramatic than the former pro-
duction.
The story is the old one of the ne
elected wife in the mad rush for busi-
ness success, and the moral shown is
that happiness of the real kind must
be found, II at all. by ones own fire.
side, and not in the mad race after dol
lars. Mr.. Shea has the part OF Benia-
min Clark, New York banker Hav-
ing won his way up from the streets,
Clark weds the daughter Of his bene-
factor, but 1t develops there is little
love lost between them.
Consequently. when George Reed,
clark's business rival. happens along
with his sugary talk. the tickle Mrs.
Clark, as the gallery gods would say,
'falls" for him. Reed then tries to ac-
complish Clark's business ruin, but
fails, of course, but not without some
excitement in front of the Academy
Finally. Clark sees his wife loves the
other man, and offers to free her. but
Mrs. Clark seizes this chance to assure
her husband of his mistake, and In a
rather intense scene, they discover their
hidden but mutual affection for each
other. and then everybody is happy
ever afterward.
Mr.. Shea has a fine supporting cast,
the part Of Elizabeth Baker, Clark 5
ward, being excellently played by Miss
II No. ~. .l.~.. AZ CtI--