Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-31

week, laden with the charming
fragrance OF real humanity impaired by
a company of players none of whom was
featured as a star. 1t seemed as If, In its
creation, the canons and customs of dra-
matte art had been purposely laid aside.
that. shorn OF artificiality. the simple life
in its purity might be held up for con-
temptation. And there were many who
went TO admire and will not soon for
get II.
Miss Anna Held with all her charm of
Frenchiness and all the Frenchiness of
her charm, entertained large audiences
last week with buriesque OF innocence.
To the simple folks OF "Pomander Walk
perhaps. a burlesque of woman's greatest
charm might have seemed Sacrliege,
but to the seeker after adventure 1t was
entertaining and there were many who
went TO be entertained by it.
Standing between the extremes of the
contrast is Mrs. Danes Defense" with
its lesson that sin leads to sorrow. The
thought that irresistibly arises in the
contemplation of such comparisons is
What is the present day aim of many
pIaywrights-the uplift of the public
morals. the desire to furnish actors ap-
portunities or simply the purpose TO
amuse regardless of consequences?
How many are there who will admit
that the worries of life have become
so overwhelming that people need to
he amused without regard for conse-
quences?
There is something pleasing in
success that even in big and busting
city like Washington its inhabitants
really become like next-door neighbors
in friendly interest and pride when one
of their own achieves something out
of the ordinary. When, upon brief
notice a week ago Miss Alice Evers
man stepped before disappointed
audience to fill the place of a noted
prima donna in the title role of Aida"
and in a few minutes with q charming
representation and splendid voice. was
winning the plaudits of that audience,
local folks began to sit up and take
notice.
Both the managers and the public
knew Miss Eversman had leaped to
fame in a single bound. And now peo-
pie in all directions are sending in
their congratulations The managers
of the Andreas DIPPED forces in the
pany have induced her to accept a re-
engagement for next season She is
also TO be a soloist with the Victor
Herbert Orchestra when that famous
organization appears here.
But, mindful of the bridge that car
ried her over. Miss Eversman has not
lost her head. She will sail in April
for Italy, going first to Milan. not on
H,,t Co no I'd tp6x
under Italian masters. Europe is not
new to her She lived there several
years, and all her time was given to
study either in languages or in vocal
training. That is why she was pre-
pared at a moments notice to sing so
evacting a role as Aida
WHAT IS MELODRAMA?-Paul Arm
strong, the dramatst, has had a few
words to say on melodrama Of late.
He calls attention to the fact that
Shakespeare's Macbeth" stands forth
as the most joyous of all blaad and
thunder plays" and as writer of melo-
speare. He bluntly asks If they think Mr..
Ibsen wrote the real drama OF modern
times. and, if so. why so?
Nothing can convince Paul Armstrong
that a gospel of optimism is not better
for common humanity than a gospel of
pessimsm, nor will he believe that les
sons can be taught from the stage by
pOrtraying the awful example.
THE ego in u.s." says Armstrong for
bids that We believe we will ever be worse
than We are For instance. father
shows his young son the Sums, where
Young men roll about drunk and older
men sit maudlin in the cutters. The young
looks upon it all in horror. Never
does II even occur TO the lad he could be
Ike that But take him where men are
athletic. playing games doing things that
he cannot do. and he wishes to do as
they are doing to improve himself:
1t is our nature 70 emulate: Show US
something better, and We will climb to-
ward.it. but something worse and We will
nOt cOncede even the possibility of the
fall Aspiration is one Of the strongest
human attributes
To me the theater is a place of arnuse-
ment, place of diversion from the strain
of living az the awful pace We travel.
To me ii is also the place where ideals
live forever.
The hero of the play typihes, how
ever crudely, the right; the villain the
wrong.
Justice. tempered with mercy. over
takes. The laws of right and all We
have 70 hold civilization together pre-
vail Cheating does not prosper, there is
still forgiveness. God reiGns and our
COuntrys flag still flies above graft and
beyond the reach of money.
We must believe these things to pre-
vail as a people or a nation. The drama
prOclaims them, badly most often. cheap
haps, that all is forgiven The right
and wrong. justice and mercy, revenge
and reward of the drama represent the
conscience and hope of the human soul
Primeval, elemental. call them what you
Will but they are all there is to start
with in humanity.
But those who, by chance or reason,
sit in judgment upon the plays of the ma
ton have reached the point where play
which calls upon the emotions strongly
shall be branded by them as Tnelodrama'
II mas become ii synonym for crudeuesS,
cheapness and thing TO be Stunned.
Drama is collision. Ii can be mental
a. Well az physical and the mental COLI
sion Il by far the more effective drama
The CLASH of interest. the conflict of in
teleCts the collision OF the purpose
maze the play but there can be no drama
without collision of something.
MelOdrama, in its sJrictest sense
means play which ends ppily-usually
with music. Naturally il is a drama OF
struggle to overcome some wrong In
fact, il is the nearest approach to human
life played. II this be treason. maze the
most of IL -"
FIRST TICKET CRAZE.-It developed
yesterday that there is rivalry among
Cbase's patrons IN the matter of the
purchase of the first OF the tickets for
the various sections of the New Chase's
18th and q streets, opening August -
next.
Il want 10 be the first to buy box