The Washington herald., 1911-02-19
NEW YORK THEATERS.

New York, Feb. 1S-"Excuse Me- a
farce by Rupert Hughes. was made
known at the Gaiety Theater Monday
night by Henry w. Savage. The action
of the piece takes place on a Pullman
train en- route to San Francisco, and
shows a sleeping car and a combination
smoker and reading room. The farce has
many laughs. The piece suggests Tour
lists in a Pullman Car a farce in which
the late ". A. Mestayer starred several
years ago.
There was a change Of bill at the En-
pire Theater Monday night, when Ethel
Barrymore appeared for the first time
here in two OF ]. NJ. Barrie's comedies.
"Alice-Sit -by-the-Fire" and -The Twelve
Pound (s6O Cook" A large audience
seemed greatly pleased with all it saw
and heard and applauded the fair star
vigorously. Both plays are fully up to
the Barrie standard, and furnish excel
lent entertainment.
For many weeks to come New Workers
will laugh at The Hen Pecks," a typical
Lew Fields show, which is a mingling
of vaudeville, burlesque, and musical
comedy, and a hurrah from the first
scene to the final curtain. THE Hen
Pecks" are family, and the most anus
ing of them all is Lew Fields as Henry
Peck. Mr.. Fields has a couple Of scenes,
in one of which he poses as barber and
shaves a man against whom he has a
grudge. II is the most laughable scene
ever shown in a musical comedy and
is filled with mirth-provoking qualities.
nf -Enn nr1-T1
comedians and vocalists. including Yer
non Castle. a lanky. eccentric dancer;
Gertrude Quinlan. Lillian Lee. Lawrence
Wheat, Bert Leslie, and Edith Johnson
Two hundred men and women are en-
ployed in the performance.
1.-The Balkan Princess" which was pro-
duced in the Herald Square Theater last
week. is an extremely tuneful operetta.
Louise Cunning, who is featured in
the title role, acts with charm, and sings
delightfully."-; moreover, she is good to
look upon. The cast throughout is A
competent one and the production sin
gularly effective. The princess is well
come to our city.
Annie Russell, one of the most popular
of our ingenue' actresses, has become a
Liebler & Co. star, and will con-
tinue with that firm for a term OF years
1t is their purpose to exploit Miss Rus
sell in 4 series of plays in which the
principal figure shall be OF the sort with
which she has been so successfully asso-
ciated-the ingenue comedy role She will
first appear in George Egertons THE
Backsliders," described as "a serious
comedy" in three acts. The principal
packslider in the new play is the wife Of
a sporting gentleman who has con-
tinuous difficulty in getting along. The
wife is gifted in a literary way. but her
opportunities are somewhat restricted by
her husband, who goes to foreign parts.
In his absence she takes up play writing
and suffrage work, and wins acclaim.
Just as. she achieves success the husband
returns. After some unusual complica-
tions all ends happily, as 1t should in a
well-regulated comedy. Miss Russelrs
recent impersonations were Viola in
Twelfth Night" and Lady Teazle in
'srhe School for Scandal" at the New
Theater.
A performance unique in theatrical his
tory will be given at the Lyric Theater
in March, when THE Deep Purple will
be presented by real policemen in the po-
lice roles and individuals with criminal
records in the crook parts. There is an
amateur organization in the police de-
partment which has given plays from
time to time in aid of the police pension
fund, so there will be little difficulty in
filling with real sleuths the parts in the
drama represented by stage policemen.
Mr. Mizner, one OF the authors OF THE
Deep Purple" is getting together num-
Der of released prisoners to be coached in
their roles by Emmet Corrigan and other
members of the regular cast.
s'Our World" Walter Hackett's play.
which was presented in the Garrick The
a.er last week, tells an appealing story.
and it was capitalIy acted. but. as usual,
Frank Mckee the manager t0, got
cold feet and closed the show. II was
followed Monday by Charles Frohman's
production Of The Zebra" farce