Evening star., 1911-08-29

Columbia.

II to laugh is to grow fat the capacity
audience that greeted the Columbia Play
ers last evening in John Stapletons three
act farce. "a Bachelors Honeymoon
added several hundred pounds avoirdupois
to its physical make up. and an incaicu-
liable amount Of good humor to serve 1t
throughout the week. IL not longer. "A
Bachelors Honeymoon is one of those
genuinely laughable, refined and interest
ing complexities that serve the world bet
ter than medicine and help to establish
that temperature is largely a matter OF
mood. Its presentation not only added
laurels to the players. but reflected the ex-
cellent judgment of the management.
whose selection of plays during the sum-
mer season now drawing to close mas
been a large factor in the continuous
success that has attended 1t.
For q farce there must be a lie some
where, and an almost inexplicable idiocy
on the part of some one who fails to
puncture the plot at the outset with the
truth. "A Bachelors Honeymoon Is not
an exception to the rule. Benedict Bache-
lor, a widower with two well grown and
attractive daughters, marries Miss Broune.
an actress known as Juno Joyce, without
telling her Of his offspring, but impress
ing upon her at every instant OF her ex-
istence the Importance of their winning
the good opinion and approval Of his sis
ter Aurora. a puritanical maiden, who
controls the fortune left him by his
father.
He gets her surreptitiously to his home,
where he introduces her to his servants
as his new housekeeper, believing that
his sister is at some distant resort. He
thinks he has fooled her as to his own
whereabouts by sending his letters duly
stamped and addressed under cover to
the postmaster at health resort where
he is supposed to be, that they may be
there mailed to her. He is not aware,
however, that under postal rules the let
ters are stamped by the postmaster, Re
ceived under cover from to be post
ed at - This Endorsement arouses
the suspicion of the sister and brings her
home with the twin daughters-and the
fun begins. 1t involves everybody until
the truth becomes known and the newly
welded couple are gladly forgiven by the
sister, who is thankful that matters are
no worse. Farces must be seen, not told,
to be appreciated at their full worth.
This one is the best and most laughable
of the season, beyond doubt.
Dividing the honors of the evening with
Mr.. Van Buren. the leading man, and
Miss Nelson. the leading woman, both of
whom splendidly meet all the demands of
their distinctive roles. Stanley James. as
Andrew Gumbug. in another of his
unique character portrayals; Carrie
Thatcher as Barbra. the serving maid
with a clue" one of her best charac-
ter parts of the season; Everett Butter
field, as Edwin Ralston, "a very busy
man." who is willing to marry almost
any one provided she Is ready at l.
o'clock tomorrow, and Frederick Forres-
ter, as Dr. Adolph Schultz, an excellent
German characterization. easily got over
the footlights and carried laughter in
their wake. Emelie Melville, as Aurora,
the stern. uncompromising sister, was. as
she always is, very good. while Jessie
Glendinning and Nina Melville. as the
twins, were unusually fetching and at
tractive in their twin suits and white
tingalings" John M. Kline had very
little to do but he did 1t well.
"A Bachelors Honeymoon" Is another of
those pleasing productions that will make
Washington theatergoers envy Baltimore
the coming winter when the Columbia
| Players take their departure to their new
home.