The Washington herald., 1912-02-25

to ''the road for the time at least. and
will be seen in a new play at the Co.
lumbia tomorrow evening. 1t is called
The Curious Conduct of Judge La
gaTde," and is the joint product Of Vic
tor Mapes and Louis Forest.
1t is vivid study in contrasts of
Partisan life. introducing some of the
popular psychic themes of the day. In
cluding that of double personality"
Should the play meet with an emphatic
welcome in Washington, Mr.. Lackaye
and his players will doubtless be given
another opportunity in New York be-
fore the season closes.
''Pinafore" is to be succeeded by The
Bohemian Girr' at the Belasco. The
success attending the Gilbert and Sui
. livan revival has been so great that ex-
perienced observers of affairs theatre
cal in the city have been given a pleas
ant surprise. The Bohemian Girl
which is the most purely ballad" op-
era known to the stage, is OF course one
of the earliest properties of every oper-
attic repertoire company, and has main
tanned a high box ONCE average through
long period of years The Aborns
promise an elaborate and distinguished
performance at the Belasco this week.
and the principals are far above those
TO whom The Bohemian Girl" has or
dinarily been intrusted in stock per-
formances in Washington.
The Easiest Way has been produced
in London. While il was hardly to be
expected that Britishers would appreciate
a play so intensely American, the verdict
is far from being a mere thumbs down"
affair, and there is n good prospect that
the drama will have a considerable meas
ure of popular success. The following
comment is from the pen of william E.
Sage, Of Cleveland:
Eugene Walter had forced the London
critics with his The Easiest Way to a
reversal OF form concerning him. They
didn't like his Paid in Full when he
took it over there, and they said so in
such emphatic terms that the theater
was as lonesome as the La Toilette boom.
First of all they couldn't understand the
play. The life of a petty clerk in an
apartment house, which appeals to the
American mind instinctively, was dull
and uninteresting The play was a fall
ure. but in the light of the present sue
cess of his Easiest Way it may be that
he will try to get a more favorable YER
dict on it He is on the ground and IL
there are any Illuminating changes to be
made he would know how to make them.
"Of the success of The Easiest Way
there can be no doubt. The critics liked
IL. and, so the report comes across the
water, the paying public has taken IL
under its wing. For a time it looked as
II Mr.. Walter would not be there TO see
the fate OF his play. In this country it is
customary for the author TO take a
hand in the rehearsal OF his plays.
Some OF the big men,. like Gus Thomas
and M. Walter himself, practically do all
the work. He expected to follow his
usual custom there, but the British stage
ma
Mr.. Walter was so disgruntled that he
contemplated sailing for this country and
letting the whole undertaking 20 by the
boards. But, in homely parlance, the
LondOner director bit OF more than he
could chew. He couldn't get the effects
which Belasco and Mr.. Walter had put
into the piece, so ne ate humble pie and
put Mr.. Walter in charge again. The
present success is largely due to the
Walter stage management.
''Washingtonians will be interested in
knowing that one Of their favorite ac-
tresses has scored heavily In the part
which Frances Starr played here; the
weak little actress who took the easiest
way. This is Laura Nelson Hall, who
was the show girl in the original produc-
tipn and has always been disgruntled that
Mr.. Belasco didn't give her the lead in
stead Of Miss Starr. Now that she has
the chance she is showing that her ambi-
tion didn't outrun her ability"
In response to a request from the Lon
don Times, asking him for a contribu-
tion to tremendous controversy that has
arisen in London over Sir Arthur Wing
Pinero's newest play. The Mind-the-
Paint Girl" Charles Frohman, who pro-
duced the play in London, and now an
nounces that he will also produce IL in
Arna
statement:
To my mind Sir Arthur Pinero's new
play, judged by the reception accorded
IL. is like a fresh proclamation that the
theater is not only a place for entertain
ment. but for thought az well. It will
soon be generally realized that plays of
the first order must not only win their
audience in the theater, but must win
audiences outside the theater by creating
discussion. Sir Arthur Pinero Is one of
the up-to-dste authors that realizes this
fact. felt he would, and am glad that
he did.
NO character created on the stage
could be more real, more sympathetic
than the happy-go-lucky heroine of this
play. She is as great. as genuine and as
typical Of her Cay as Frou Frou was of
hers. But she is greater because she
IS an Anglo-Saxon that does not 20 |
wrong. When all this discussion settles
down to a calm second consideration of |
the Pinero play, II will be found that Sir |
Arthur has not taken sides ss between |
the stage and the aristocracy, but that |
In order to create truthfully such a |
thoroughly human character as his musi- |
cal comedy heroine, he was forced to
contrast her on the stage as she is con- |
trasted in life; he was bound to exhibit |
her in conflict with her environment, and |
her environment In conflict with her. |
This Sir Arthur could not help doing, |
because he is nos a story teller; he is a /
dramatist, and the basis OF all drama is |
conflict
Finally. It win be found that The
Nind-the-Paint Girls is that kind Of play /
that makes the theater social factor tor /
the spread Of fresh ideas, new, quicken
ing currents OF thought-fn fact, that
Epd OF play without which the thester
Is only 8 roof and four walls. In my
opinion. II was the novelty of play /
coming along and affor6ing its audiences
food for thought as wei as laughter, that /
surprised that first-night London audience
That audience has seen the same old 1
thing so many times that believe II |
would rather be shaken up a bit than
be ete-naily safely played 10. Proof Of /
his is In the fact that the second night.
cables say that the Duke OF York's
rileater was crowded with an enthusiast
&c audience. I am glad that II was I
hat first produced Sir Arthur Pinero's
9lsy in London, and / am delighted that
am to produce 1t in America When /
irst read the play, cabled Sir Arthur
.oBgrstulating myself for having secured