Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-17

performers. Yet tneTe Il hi''Si'
rea son 10 believe the contrary MI Nat
g Goodwin is no child prodigy Inc years
have flown since he was one of the mer-
riest blond buffos on the comic stage
.rtistfcally Mr. Goodwin was long
haunted by a past. He was one OF the
,iost accomplished OF mimos. il spite of
Tho sardonic declaration of emine Mt
PLAYER after seeing himself taken OF ny
the buoy ant young comedian: Nat one
of us must be mighty bad. Although re-
Iurtanf to lose favOrite comedian the
public has followed his career through
its various stages of more serious effort.
Its attitude was respectful and APPROX
lag though not without protest against
the loss of facle funmaker Through a
number of recent seasons. Mi Goodwin
has not been provided with a play calcu-
lated to maintain an interest correspond
ing to that felt In the actor. The Cap
tain is midway between roaring farce
and conventional comedy: a vehicle and
nothing more. AT that, it is one of the
odd fla shioned vehicles which have to he
pulled along by main strength instead of
supplying motive power of their own. Mr.
GOODWIN will place The Captain on the
retired list He is engaged in writ
ing play for himself He has only the
first act completed. but feels confident
that he has made important progress in
ssmuch he has man for the principal
part who will read his lines exactly as he
wants them.
Miss Henrietta Crosman finds loyal vel
come from season to season in plays
which do not compare in vigorous dTa-
matte interest with Mistress Nell or
Sweet Kitty" Her recent tendency has
been to plays which deal with mild ali
stractions and gentle PHILOSOPHERS rather
than with strong personalities and tense
situations. Her public does not desert.
but extends the assurance that il is still
.xpectant of another of the great crea-
lions with which her fame is so brilliantly
associated
Even so joyously frivolous and unreal
,reation as The Pink Lady was accord
ID a welcome which precisely doubled in
duration the welcome commonly accorded
musical entertainment Tom Waters
whose performance was SO conspicuous a
feature. may be expected to have place
On the list of favorite players whose eff
forts will be watched from year to year
oy the play going world.
And if there could he any remaining
ioubt as TO the constancy of popular de-
rotion. there was Ten Nights in a Bar
-oom, at the Academy of Music. to re-
move it To be sure, there was not a
string of automobiles in front of the
theater such as might seem in danger of
blocking traffic, nor was the press al the
oox Office such as resembled a crowd OF
holiday shoppers around the bargain
counter. But the old play got its share
Of attentive consideration while it as
sailed the demon drink with as much en-
.rgy in the times when the cause Of
temperance was kept warm in general IN
.erest by such accomplished orators
Francis Murphy or John 3. Cough. The
performance is a curious revelation OF
now certain traditions of the stage are
surviving and feurishing in parts Of the
country with which the theater as the
larger cities know it does not ordinarily
reckon Ten Nights in a Barroon'' is
nearly much an institution as Uncle
Toms Cabin 1t follows method which
is quite apart from the modern idea of
play structure, and il was like opening
Of those old books in which the let
ter - resembles a modified f. to hear
the characters step forward and intro
duce themselves TO the audience by some
such speech as. Well. here / am again,
back in the village after all these Years,
The engagement was spot of tradition
in the midst of the hurry burly of current
3uips and problems. And if the manner
Of its presentation was perfunctory, be ii
remembered that il done by players
Who are closer TO the practical exigencies
Of stageland than those accustomed 10
bask in the mystical and inspiring glare
Of the Examinations on Broadway. Pos
sibly Ten Nights in a Barroom will
soon come To be regarded as practically
extinct. like the wild pigeon; d subject Of
specialized interest, but not of general
corcern. II is being superseded by topical
dramas of the modern school, as surely
as that one-time reliable friend of the lit
tie folk, ''Humpty Dumpty." has been
superseded by the more polished Peter
Pan
The relaxation of theatrical activities
hat usually takes place just before
Christmas is in evidence. Menus am the
Muse courteously make way for St
Nicholas. Yet the week will be i'm
,ortant one in the history OF theatrical
production If the half OF what has been
promised for "kismet'' can be realized.
PHILANDEK JOHNSON.
IL y ~ r ~ II u AMI M ~ men .
Shakcspea e, wrote the Comedy OF Err
ors' the :ics of his time DOUBTLESS re-
:arded him a. utilizing the privileges OF
poet in assuming conditions unlikely 10
Exist. Tho Two Dromios." while serv-
.eabIe plot builders and funmakers. are
not likely to occur in nature, for even the
lose resesRblanCes which exist in cases |
d twins is modified as time passes 50 !
hat there Is not much difficulty in tell |
ne them apart But The Two DromiOs'
nave been indicated as human POSSIBLE |
les in the persons OF two Americans OF
he present day, each eminent In his
,hosen field of public activity.
The resemblance Of Charles II. Han !
'ord TO William Jennings Bryan was utii- |
zed at the recent dinner of the Gri0Iron
Tub as the basis of of the most re-
narkable and effective hoaxes ever in
reduced even by that resourceful as
semblage. Statesmen who Were familiar
not only with the Nebraska orator. but
with the actor in his stage presenta tions,
we're completely deceived, and remained
nystified even when the Grafton plunged
INTO what from Bryan would have been
he most sterling political heresies.
When Mr. Hanford was in Lincoln,
Neb. some seasons ago his performance
Of Shyiock was attended by Mr.. Bryan.
Mr.. Hanford accepted invitation TO
call on the eminent democratic. leader,
and after a short ride got off at the sta
tia of