Evening star., 1912-02-04


no, the play. is the thing. Let us pro-
ceed-'.Marked Down to S1.9s, Please
Remit" Your Account Is Overdue, &c
n n" .No Checks Cashed"-the list ot
commercial phrases which little twist OF
dramatic ingenuity would make aVallapie
for probiem-play titles is almost limit
Iess .~Tbe Price adopts a simple meth
cd II gives the auditor the title and the
play and lets him fit the two together
to suit his own fancy. If the auditor
happens TO be both a reader or the
Scriptures and patron of problem plays,
the dramatist's higher poetic intention
VIII doubtless be perceived as that SOL
emn admonition for all eternity is recall
edz The wages of sin is death.
The dramatist is inclined to relax the
Biblical rule and let the sinner off with
a severe shock to the nervous system.
1t is difficult to say such a thing about
a heroine played by Helen Ware; the
pen that endeavors TO write it wavers In
tremulous protest, and on taking TO the
typewriter the keys stick and the bell
rings in resentful agitation-but here II
is. if the linotype does not rebel at the
seeming sacrilege: The Lady Is Not AT
All a Nice Person
She gets bad start in life by asSum-
ing to do pretty much as she pieaSes, ana
resolves into torrential demonstrations OF
resentment when she finds that the cpl
sode interferes with her pursuing the
serious program later on. The excuse Tor
a play of this type always is that 1t
offers "a warning as to the suffering that
offense against the social code entails; {;
but the real interest of the play depends
on the suspense which possible discovery
involves and in the exposure of a deceit
through the trickery of circumstance.
The necromancy of as clever a drama
tist as George Broadhurst is equal to
great tasks. but he cannot make a Ca
mile OF a Nine. Bovary without at
least little of the conscientious char
acter analysis of Dumas or a Flau-
bert
Apologies to Leo Dtrichstein for the
use of the word clever as applied to
Broadhurst The adjective is Ditrich-
STEMS exclusive property when he is In
town. His own modest pretensions, which
have limited the application of his Won
prevent him from being hailed one of
the dramatic ''mahsters' who are eulo-
gized with as much industry the vir-
tuoso whom he satirizes in his latest play.
He is so sincere in the application Of his
talents and so absolutely certain in the
results he attains that it all passes as
q merry matter of course. Mr. Ditrich-
STEMS art is the kind that conceals art.
THE Concert makes all this apparent
in the acting as we'll as in the play writ
ing He acts with hands, feet, eyes.
voice and most unusual of all, with brain.
Every little point is brought out with
delicate precision Only in the comedy
which depends on the rather inexcusabl
hunger of the young woman who care
lessly elopes with him Is there suspicion
of needless energy in the pursuit of a
laugh.
The story of The Concert cannot be
told in plain phrases without causing
wonderment that it could be presented
without objection the grounds of pro-
priety. 1t is a tale of the elopement of
a wife whose husband. after finding her
hopelessly compromised, philosophically
conspires to show her the folly of her
way. The relationship of the artist hus-
band TO the philosophers wife and that
of the artists wife to the philosopher,
even though under careful chaperonage
of the dramatist who directs the circum-
stances of their meetings, would If pre-
sented seriously be BADLY disagreeable.
The plot expressed in problematical
FORM with commercial title such, for
instance as THE Called Loan could
not fail to offend. But the smiling humor
10 s,l,a IL ,&.s<>
faster than they can gather. Laughter
like sunshine, is great purifier.
PHILANDER JOHNSON.
CHANTECLER' FARMYARD FOWLS
The costuming of Charles Frohman's
production of Rostahd's "Chantecier'' is
said to have cost more money than has
ever been spent on the sartorial equip
ment of any play. drama musical COM
edy that has been seen in this country
There are upward of seventy birds
hens. ducks. geese. turkeys and farm
yard animals in the drama, and but few
of the dresses worn by the birds and
fowls cost less than $500 apiece. Those
who have seen both the French and
American productions of the celebrated
work are loud in their praises of the
beauty of the one in which Maude Adams
is the bright particular light.
In the Paris production of the play the
feathers of the costumes were pasted OIL
glued over a heavy material. Miss
Adams did not like this idea In the
production which is to be seen here each
Individual feather has been sewn on a
Alken skin in the costumes, with the re.
suit that the coats retain wonderful
smoothness and sheen.
Miss Adams costume as Chantecler IL
thing of beauty. 1t contains over SOO(
feathers, each one of which was carefully
selected and sewn on it's coat by hand
Ii took over one hundred roosters to sup
ply the feathers and the costume cost
$1,000
The costumes were all made in Paris
after designs furnished by John w. Alex.
ander. the American painter. The feath.
ers all came from Norrnandie, in France
where there are extensive henneries.
There Is feather man with the com.
pany who was brought from Paris to loOl
after the costumes. He goes over them
each day, carefully sewing back in place
any of the feathers which become loose OF
fall out Each night the costumes are
turned inside out, so as to save them
from dust and dampness. The players
say the costumes are very warm.
STAGE CHILDREN.-"Once there were
but two Mortons. Kitty and myself. in
vaudeville. remarked Sam Morton OF
the Four Mortons, at Chase's this week.
Next there were four, Paul and Clara
having blessed the original alliance Now