The Washington herald., 1911-10-24
AT LOCAL PLAYHOUSES
THE COLUMBIA.
''The Trail of the Lonesome Pine"

''The Trail of the Lonesome Pine"
Eugene Walter, the romanticist, as op-
posed to Walter the realist-the uncom-
promising and acrid realist OF Paid in
Full'' and THE Easiest Way"-was the
dramatist who bowed and curtain
speeched' before a brilliant and enthus-
iastic audience at the close Of the third
act of THE Trail of the Lonesome Pine
at the Columbia Theater last evening.
1t was a foregone conclusion that Wal
ter's job Of adapting the John Fox, Jr.,
novel would be workmanlike and skill
fui. As matter of fact, the job has in
VOWED no draft upon his character
istic powers. 1t was probably the easiest
work he has tackled in a long time. The
strlking feature of the production is the
surprising opportunity il has given to
Charlotte Walker to act as she has rarely
acted in long career in romantic, real
istic, and emotional roles-to act en-
trancingly and delightfully."- as June, the
ldyllic mountain girl, Merely Mary
Ann of the Tennessee hills.
Garnished with melodrama of the type
which the theater has often evolved out
or the moonshine whisky country,
Inc Trail of the Lonesome Pine" finds
within Itself its own raison d'etre-it
mas an idyllic charm and it is an excel
lent vehicle for Miss Walker From
the very lift of tho curtain it was her
play; she was in the calcium. almost
every minute, and yet never was the
spectator conscious of her monopoly Of
II or was the action clumsily forced
ana distorted from its channel in order
10 give her an opportunity" She had
opportunity enough. it was evident, in
playing June with a blend of virginia.
sweetness and wild, imperious, untamed
spirit, such as the American stage has
rarely seen since the memorable "Sa-
lomy Jane" Of Eleanor Robson.
Again We repeat THE Trail of the
Lonesome Pine" is Miss Walker and
nothing else. She ii IS who lends dis
tlnCtiOn to every scene. who rescues
many Of them from melodramatiC banal
lty, who listens rapturOusly and con-
Yincingly to an Informative lecture on
the Deity from the lips of a healthy and
otherwise characteristic man from New
York. For the nonce, Mr. Walter has
surrendered his artistic scruples as to
dialogue and has let his mountain hero
Inc utter many sweet things, many pret-
ty things, which, as Miss Walker uttered
them, were made vital and delightful.
They may neither be literature nor life;
they at least have the breath of life in
the theater and conquer with their
charm.
II is quite plausible, in it's way, that
Miss Walkers June Tolliver" will be-
come as memorable a stage figure Ell
eanOT RObson'S Mary Ann" or 'Saio-
my Jane" An entire mint Of adjectives
might we'll be exhausted in describing
that absorbing picture Of girlishness she
makes in the first act-bare-footed. un-
couthly clad, etched against the pGrple
mist Of twilight gathering in the valley,
and that delightful mountain accent that
Miss Walker l.noI"s so well, 1t came as
a bCnedictiOn to lr audience largely COM
posed OF SuuTnerners.
The supporting cast is an excellent one,
with the acting OF W. s. Hart as Judd
TOllver commanding first mention. Will
lard Robertson. a Washington boy. aC-
quits himself brilliantly in the role Of
Dave Tolliver: Rerton Churchill Is ade-
Quate as Jack Hale, although his work
scarcely deserved a stronger adjective,
Richard Sterling As Bob BcrklCy. George
Woodward as Uncle Billy Bean. Lillian
Dix as Ole Hun. Alice Lindahl as Lorety
ToIliver and Cyrus Wood as Cal Heaton
complete the cast.
Little more need he said. To WaSring-
ton. which knows both The Trail of he
Lonesome Pine" and Miss Walker.
through many past associations, the pres
ent week at the Columbia will be one OF
high significance. The play has scenic
equipment which leaves nothing to be de-
sired, and it is indeed a welcome visi.o:
in these grim days when the auster"r
side OF life is being portrayed with such
relentless insistenCe by the dominant fig
ures Of the American theatrical commu-
nifty. \. NJ. J.