The Washington times., 1912-04-16

There IL no one who regrets more
keenly not having been born twins than
the one whose duties require him, or
her, as the case may be, to be In two
places at once. This regret is brought
home forcibly to the dramatic critic
when the, exigenc.es OF occupation mako
Il necessary for her to cover two
mighty interesting and important the
atrical openings in one night. However.
there are taxicabs, and II Is but three
minute ride from the Poll Theater to
the Belasco, so, thanks to rapid transit,
II was done last night.
Two openings in one night! Two new
stock companies to make their prettiest
curtseys to the public! It Is almost
too much OF dose, but there is no
way in which balance can be adjusted
when managers of two stock COM
panies make up their minds TO open
simultaneously. In each Of the houses
the fact that the merits Of a new COM
pany were being tried out was sufficient
to make the audiences sit up and be
good.
The revival of ,Nobody's widow" In
the Poll tTheater. and of Brown of
Harvard" at the Belasco, both proved
delightful events, In fact a more salts
flying and interesting double occurrence
has rarely been experienced by WASH
ington audiences. The two bills pre-
sented a whole Monday night meal IN
Wssainston psTpoos s0u df Il 1 pentfuiIy Ha
for there were crowded houses in botn
theaters. the President and Mrs. Taft
being among those who enjoyed the
Poll company's presentation Of David
who went to either house to criticise,
remained to enjoy what was offered,
and to praise as we'll, and a visit to
either theater, was, well worth double
the price paid.
Public Knows Little ~
OF Inside Workings.
The general public has probably no
idea OF the tremendous amount OF work
entailed In preparing for an opening
night There are thousands of details,
insignificant in themselves. but gigantic
II not taken into account by managers
and, actors Even up until a half hour
before the curtain goes up things look
chaotic, which fact TO YOU dear reader.
means little, but to the manager II
means something staggering in the way
of labor, concentration, and energy.
J;It things went along SO smoothly last
night in both houses that one could
scarcely believe that a week ago the
actors who last evening gave washing
ton two such excellent performances
were scattered over several States, and
scme OF them had never mot before in
their lives.
The results We're wonderful. Neither
Of the companies showed signs Of new
ness. ness. and things went without q hitch.
ably does everybody who. happens. 70
delye into the why and wherefore that
underlics anv stage performance.
AT each theater there was presented
n different nhASa of C0ntamnnrnrv life
varying standards of social ethics, q
widely diversified form of literary style
and acting methods, and contradictory
means of securing the interest and at.
tention of the audience.
At the Poll Theater (you pronounce 4,
Pole, exactly as II Is spelled, with the
accent on the first syIlable) ''Nobody's
Widow. with Miss Izetta Jewell an6
A. H. Van Buren, supporting the lead,
! ing roles, was given with a smoothnes,
that was remarked upon by everybody
House Was Packed
To It's Capacity.
The audience filled the house to its
capacity and never before has the old
Chases Theater appeared In such gala
dress. Upon entering the corridor, q
| huge horseshoe, formed of lilies and
roses, greeted visitors. This immense
| affair. towering ten feet or more, wa,
| the greeting to Mr.. Poll from the man.
| ayers of his twenty-five playhouses In
New England and Pennsylvania. The
corners and hooks of the entrance were
| filled in with palms and ferns, and q
| Japanese garden effect was produced
by the lavish use of wicker screens and
soft lights shaded by silk and raffia
producing a mellow. moonlight radi.
| ance which made the entrance seem
| like the opening into a fairyland.
The floral coloI. scheme of pink, green
and white was carried out In the malr
body of the mouse with huge hydran
geas and azalias; combined with foil
age plants. Mr.. and Mrs. Poll, with