The Washington herald., 1912-01-14


the dull. drsb gray OF mediocrity, 1t VIII
be subject TO extensive revision upward
within the next six weeks.
The theaters are just beginning to take
on their brightest faiment, from the
standpoint OF attractions. Mrs Flske'
sothern and Marlowe. and important plays
by leading pIaywrights are TO be seen
at the Columbia and the Belssco in
these first weeks Of the year. And the
box ONCE will share in the general re-
vision upward movement
THE Gamblers which is Charles
Klein's latest ofrering in the field OF
dramatic ''uplift," will be seen at the
Belasco this week There has never been
any question about Mr.. Klein's place
among playwrights since The Lion and
the Mouse" was produced. He is a
sentimentallst and an idealist rather than
a realist, and he possesses the happy
faculty Of blending the stern muck-rak-
ing tendency with propitious optimism
that never fails to see the silver lining
in the cloud. In point of technique The
Gamblers. is the best play he has writ
ten.
Chauncey olcott returns TO the Colum-
bIa this week in a new Irish romance,
"MacushIa," written by Rida Johnston
Young who gave Brown of Harvard
that hr. OIcott's large following will
not fail him.
The Playhouse, which represents at the
present time some vital and ambitious
spirits in the field OF drama, will open
its season next Thursday evening with
a programme exploiting the versatility
and the artistic resources Of Mr.. Preston
Gibson. This Is the age of little thea
ters" London has one now under the
management OF Janet Achurch, New York
IS to nave one next season under the
management OF Winthrop Ames, and
Washington may have one under the
guiding hand OF the aggressive and ambi-
tiOus Gibson. Time will tell
The curtain will rise at 10 o'clock
Thursday night and the bill comprises
two playlets by Mr.. Gibson---The Reve-
latiOn." a fantasy. and The Elopement."
a comedy. The first sketch will enlist
the services Of Jane Marbury, James II.
Morrison, Walter R. Paschal and Miss
Marion Alden In the second will be seen
Doris Woodbridge, Harold B. Meade, and
Aryid Paulson. Both pIayIets will have
vaudeville productions in New York later
in the month.
Henry Blossom. whose Mile. Modiste''
is a classic of native light opera, is not
as good an adapter as he is Hbrettist
II he were, It might be much easier TO
horoscope the. future of Baron Trenck -
lie had meager material to work with, To
lie sure. When the operetta was sung in
London last year book came I'm for
much abuse as a dull and uninteresting
sffair that quite spoiled the excellent
chances Of success the piece possessed I'm
its music. The Albni score has long been
praised for its melodiousness and its mu-
siCianly qualities. 1t is tender pIaintiye
nd htv T..
was extremely well sung at the BeIasco
last week, and this is generally true of
every opera bearing the Whitney stamp.
Simultaneous with the premier OF
Baron Trenck' in the Capital was that
OF The Pearl Maiden in PHILADELPHIA
under Klaw & Erlangers auspices, with
Jefferson De Angels in the stellar role
This opera comique, the first to come
from exclusively Californian talent, is
the focus Of much critical curiosity II
Seems to have q good chance Of success.
Chicago is strangely agitated over the
relative good or bad manners Of Ameri-
can and English actors. James o'Don-
nell Bennett. of the Record-HeraId, and
Percy Hammond, Of the Tribune, devote
considerable space to the subject in con-
nection with an invitation extended TO
the English players in "Pomander
Walk TO witness a performance of
Louisiana Lou" by Manager Harry
AslIin.
Their being asked was a graceful COM
pliment to visiting strangers by Mr.
Askin, who IS notoriously unfond OF the
practice Of giving seats to actors, and
observes that practice almost entirely
in the breach The illustration OF cour-
tesy and good manners by the visiting
players followed the matinee. Before the
curtain went up on the night perform
# -gHh uF-H, Z
mander Walk Mr.. Askin was in receipt
Of notes OF thanks and admiration from
each Of his professional guests, of whom
there were nineteen. AS he put II, they
regarded the opportunity to see a play
as a privilege; an American actor would
have asked for the opportunity as a
right"
Four years ago there was a famous
passage at arms between E. H. Sothern
and William Winter, in which the for
mer launched the cry of persecution
against the aged critic, and the latter
attempted to demoIIsh the Sothern inter
probation OF Hamlet" Mr. Winter, in
his latest volume, takes another sling at
the Sothern Hamlet" The following
resume Of his article is from the columns
OF a Chicago newspaper:
His inventory Of the actors OF Ham
closes but two players really worthy to
wear the Gmantle OF that brooding and
angulshed prince - Edwin Booth, and
Henry Irving. Forrest was robustly mem
Rcing rather than POLITICALLY melancholy;
Davenport satisfied the sense of form
but not the sense OF soul; Barry Sullivan
was a man Of action, not a baffied dream
er. and Mccullough was impeded by in
Euperable obstacles, both physical and
spiritual Macready, quoting Clement
Scott, lacked tenderness. inspiration, and
imagination; Wilson Barrett showed mere
celerity, and E. S. Willard was only a
smooth, middle-aged gentleman, never
the detected, haunted, bewiIdered, mourn
ful, half-crazed Hamlet"
Shallow, flnical, angular, metallic, i'm
mobile, cold, hollow, infeXible, capri
cious, muddled, emotionless infelicitous
and lisping are among the faults found
by Mr.. Winter In the Hamlet Of Sir
Herbert Tree, though he deems the i'm
personation that of an expert actor Mr..
Sothern's Hamlet to Mr.. Winters mind,
though respectfully meritorious, is without
tragic power, is incurably deficient in i'm
agination and the glamour of genius
undistinguished and commonplace The
manner OF Mr.. Forbes-Robertson dwin-
dies in Hamlet to that of the preceptor-
uninspIred and lacking the predominence
of a great personality. Mr.. Mantell, upon
whom Mr.. Winter bestows the leadership
Of the American stage, lacks the Hamlet
Bandman, Salvini. Dawson. Fechter