Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-06

Columbia.

There was no appearance OF anything
akin to disappointment in the capacity
audience that saw the Columbia Players
last night present Hubert Henry Davies
delightful light comedy, "A Single Man.
sThe audience found the evenings enter
tanning ripping and ripping; and 1t went
away, doubtless, vowing, as on many
other Monday nights this season. that TINS
latest Of the stock comrany's efforts was
the most pleasing of all.
A memory Of the presentation OF this
play by John Drew and his capable COM
pany not many months ago made 1t ap-
near more clearly than ever that the
members of the Columbia company are
not imitators. They have taken hold OF
the John Drew play, grasped its humor,
it's comedy and it's little pathos, appre-
ciated it's dramatic scenes and portrayed
the characters in their own way and &C
cording to their own ideas OF the story
and its people. ,
inRton theatergoers saw in the early
spring. The serious-minded Robin worth
ington of Mr.. Robins is not John Drew
Robin Worthington; and Miss Nellson 5
Miss Heseltine is not the secretary VI
Mary Boland.
MIR. Robins is not of the John Drew
type of actor. and he made no ef1ort last
night 10 initiate that type in his portrayal!
of the author who found himseii engaged
to a sweet and vivacious girl in her teens
and then in love with sympathetic and
loyable woman. His portrayal OF the role
however. was effective and thorough. ana
especially in that wonderfully tense third
act did he show. even in his voice, ms
deep sympathy with the part. The evil
dent pleasure of the audience shows how
impossible it is to determine which of the
two interpretations local theatergoers
have seen is the more appreciated.
Miss Nelson found herself last night
| in a part quite different from any she has
essayed for many weeks. Her Miss Hesei-
tine will surely be as convincing as her
other portrayals as she feels more deeply
the spirit of the role. Miss Nelson has
been the leading woman of the Columbia
Players so long that in a single night 1t
was not to be expected she would leave
off all the ear-marks Of that dominant
position. One of the delights of the Sec
retary's role is it's naivete and suppress
sion. and perhaps 1t is critics notion
that the Miss Heseltine of Miss Nelson
was made to show her love for her en-
ployer too early and to assume too much
ease when she was dining. for the first
and perhaps the last time, with the man
she loved.
Mis-. Hemng was a delightfully."- viva
cious Maggie Cottrell. The role was a
congenial one to the little ingenue and
her appearances always insured spar
king pleasure. Miss Oakman was excel
| lent as Isabella Worthington, SO natural
and easy and so thoroughly in the part
was she at all times. The Louise Parker
| OF this week will be remembered as one
| of the most effective character sketches
of Miss Thatcher. The portrayal of the
designing woman furnished much OF the
amusement which the audience found in
the play. Miss Drofnah and Godfrey
Matthews were satisfactory in colorless
roles. and Miss Randolph did a clever hit
! Of character acting as the housekeeper
The stage settings show the same law
| ishness which has characterized all OF
| the Columbia productions.