Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-28
ADJUSTMENTS
Columbia.

With two pretty little romances. a
horse race in which even a reformer
might become interested. a little dash of
villainy and happy ending all around.
"Wildfre," which good old George Bar
bier let slip into "Firebug'' with a lapsus
linguae, proved to be popular and de-
lightful offering of the Columbia Players
at the Columbia Theater last evening.
The women, young and old, were out in
full force, and it is doubtful If any this
morning feels she did not thoroughly
enjoy herself; at any rate it seemed as If
all of them divided their time last even
ing between laughing at the stable boy,
the eccentric Englishman and the horse
trainer and applauding the star and
other favorites as opportunity offered.
''Wildfire" was written to order for
Lillian Russell and VIII Archie. In it
the former was expected to display
beautiful gowns and look pretty between
dramatic talent, while Archie was ex-
pected to make the rafters ring with his
racing slang and other comicalities OF the
stable boy Both succeeded admirably,
play, which offers but little opportunity
for the others who help to carry it on.
This is about the substance of the
opinion in general when "Wildfire" Vas
first presented to the public. The Column
bia Players, however, last evening rather
put one over on the original company.
They made their opportunities. and some
of them touched the limit of the pos
siblities in their accomplishments.
1t seems perfectly safe to say that no one
missed the famous beauty of Lillian Rus
sell, and 1t would take a sartorial expert to
say whether the richness and magnificence
of her gowns We're not duplicated. Frances
Nielsen, plainly showing in the life and
spirit of her portrayal, as we'll as in her
stage presence. the benefit of her week s
rest, was a very fetching picture at all
times as Mrs. Henrietta harrington, the
owner of Wildfire, and her one great
opportunity in the second act. when she
told the jockey how he should ride her
horse to victory. was a flash of genuine
artistry that might we'll have made the
immortal Lillian envious. 1t was splen-
didly done.
But what shall be said of A. T. Dolan,
as Bud, the stable boy, who at a single
bound leaped right into the hearts and
risibilities of his audience. and held it in
delighted surprise throughout the even
ing? His was q splendid character por-
travail, wanting in nothing, and replete
with enjoyment throughout. Lovers of
the English language may feel apprehen-
sive Of the effect of the delivery of his
lines upon the general culture of the cap
ital, but there wasn't man or a woman
of them who would have had the part
eliminated for anything.
Mrs. harrington lost husband who
had lost everything but his racing stable
Wnen lie uleQ. one knew absolutely
nothing of horses, but with the charac-
teristic energy of a woman in a pinch
she masked her ownership of the stable
under the name of John Duffy, an I'M
scrupulous bookmaker; put the keeping
of it in the care of Matt Donovan, a
loyal trainer, and then sweetly and clev-
erly proceeded to marry her beloved sis
ter to Ralph Woodhurst, son of DR..
Woodhurst. reformer and bitter antago-
mist of horse racing. She did more She
held the admiration and respect of two